Pokemon GO Player Encounters Hilarious Giovanni Glitch

A Pokémon GO player experienced a bizarre glitch during an encounter with the nefarious Team GO Rocket leader, Giovanni. The glitch transformed Giovanni's typically threatening messages into something more amusing and surreal.

For many Pokémon GO fans, battling Team GO Rocket's Giovanni is a common part of gameplay. While players aren't required to fight Team GO Rocket, doing so offers bonuses and benefits, including rare Shadow Pokémon. However, most players don't encounter something as peculiar as this when they win.

Strange Encounter with Giovanni

Reddit user FlanofMystery shared their unusual gameplay experience with fellow fans. After completing the Shadow Lugia Raid, they were receiving the final message from Giovanni. However, the game froze, causing Giovanni's model to load incorrectly. Giovanni's body appeared normal, but his head and neck were distorted, with his head positioned behind his body, his neck missing, his eyes bulging, and his teeth fully exposed. This glitch made it seem as though parts of his body didn't load correctly, or that the layers were out of order, causing elements to appear behind instead of in front.

Community Reactions

The glitch amused many fellow fans. One compared Giovanni's appearance to the aliens in John Carpenter's film They Live. Others joked about his bugging eyes and visible teeth, with comments suggesting that Giovanni was surprised or angry about being defeated. It is unclear whether the player was able to claim their win and rewards after the game crashed, but this glitch was certainly an unusual sight for a game where the scariest moments are usually limited to photobombing Pokémon.

Bugs in Pokémon GO

Although Pokémon GO doesn't feature many jumpscares, it does have its fair share of bugs. Players have encountered issues ranging from their avatars becoming giants to being harassed by Team GO Rocket. Some bugs have significantly impacted gameplay, such as making it difficult to achieve good throws due to hitbox issues. Fortunately, Niantic is typically quick to address major issues, but these glitches can still be frustrating for players.