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Viridian City Gym Guide (How to Beat Giovanni) | Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen
Surprise! Giovanni is the leader of the Viridian City Gym, and the Gym Leader who hands out the Earth Badge in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. It is arguably the hardest challenge to face thus far, as Giovanni has several strong, high-level 
Ground-type Pokémon.To be safe, your Pokémon should be Level 45 or above at this point; Giovanni's highest level Pokémon is Level 50.
Your best bet in defeating Giovanni and his team of bad guys is loading up on 
Water-, 
Grass-, and 
Psychic-type Pokémon. Beyond just Ground-type Pokémon, you face 
Poison- and 
Fighting-type Pokémon here as well.
How to prep for the Viridian City Gym
Both 
Venusaur and 
Blastoise are perfect for this gym. Their respective Grass- and Water-type moves are essential for clearing the gym. 
Charizard is more vulnerable, but its 
Flying-type moves are nice to have against the Fighting-type Pokémon, if it knows any. To round out your lineup, 
Lapras is a good option; you should have one if you picked it up from the Silph Company building.
Gyarados is another Pokémon that does well at this gym, as it's both Water- and Flying-type. Moves like Hydro Pump, which it learns at level 40, hit hard despite its lower Special Attack stat. Psychic-type Pokémon like 
Hypno, 
Mr. Mime or 
Alakazam are other options that help with Giovanni's 
Nidoking and 
Nidoqueen, which are Ground- and Poison-type Pokémon. Lastly, 
Jynx is a fantastic choice if you got it by trading a 
Poliwhirl in Cerulean City, due to its powerful 
Ice-type attacks like Ice Punch and Ice Beam.
Bring 
Antidote and 
Full Heal with you to help stave off damage from the Poison-type Pokémon. Plenty of potions, too. There are quite a few trainers to take out on your way to Giovanni. Directional pads are the only gimmick in this gym, so just follow the pathways to make your way to each trainer.
Tamer Cole
Arbok (Level 39)
- Bite
- Glare
- Acid
- Screech
Tauros (Level 39)
- Pursuit
- Rest
- Swagger
- Scary Face
Black Belt Atsushi
Machop (Level 40)
- Vital Throw
- Submission
- Revenge
- Cross Chop
Machoke (Level 40)
- Seismic Toss
- Vital Throw
- Foresight
- Revenge
Cooltrainer Yuji
Sandslash (Level 39)
- Slash
- Sand Attack
- Poison Sting
- Swift
Graveler (Level 38)
- Magnitude
- Rock Blast
- Mud Sport
- Defense Curl
Graveler (Level 38)
- Magnitude
- Rock Blast
- Mud Sport
- Defense Curl
Onix (Level 38)
- Sandstorm
- Rock Throw
- Dragon Breath
- Bind
Marowak (Level 38)
- Bonemerang
- Leer
- Growl
- Headbutt
Tamer Jason
Rhyhorn (Level 43)
- Rock Blast
- Horn Drill
- Scary Face
- Take Down
Cooltrainer Warren
Marowak (Level 37)
- Bonemerang
- Leer
- Growl
- Headbutt
Rhyhorn (Level 37)
- Rock Blast
- Fury Attack
- Scary Face
- Take Down
Marowak (Level 37)
- Bonemerang
- Leer
- Growl
- Headbutt
Nidorina (Level 39)
- Bite
- Poison Sting
- Double Kick
- Fury Swipes
Nidoqueen (Level 39)
- Body Slam
- Double Kick
- Poison Sting
- Bite
Black Belt Takashi
Machoke (Level 38)
- Seismic Toss
- Revenge
- Vital Throw
- Foresight
Machoke (Level 38)
- Seismic Toss
- Revenge
- Vital Throw
- Foresight
Machop (Level 38)
- Submission
- Revenge
- Vital Throw
- Foresight
Gym Leader Giovanni
Rhyhorn (Level 45)
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Take Down
- Scary Face
Rhyhorn (Level 45)
- Earthquake
- Rock Blast
- Take Down
- Scary Face
Dugtrio (Level 42)
- Slash
- Sand Tomb
- Mud-Slap
- Earthquake
Nidoqueen (Level 45)
- Double Kick
- Body Slam
- Poison Sting
- Earthquake
Nidoking (Level 45)
- Double Kick
- Poison Sting
- Thrash
- Earthquake
You're awarded 5,000 Pokédollars, 
TM26 (Earthquake), and the Earth Badge for defeating Giovanni.
