Pokémon GO Giovanni Lineup and Counters (May 2025)

Learn how to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon during the month of May 2025 in Pokémon GO. This page details Giovanni’s Pokémon lineup, the most effective counters , and the best team to win against Giovanni. We also list the steps to find Giovanni, understand the rewards for defeating him, and common issues with Team GO Rocket Special Research.

Fully updated with the start of Crown Clash: Taken Over (May 2025)

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Giovanni’s Pokémon Lineup

As the notorious Team GO Rocket Boss in Pokémon GO, Giovanni commands the relentless Team GO Rocket Leaders Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra. Don’t miss our comprehensive Grunts Lineups and Counters Guide if you want to prepare more thoroughly for this fight.

Giovanni is currently using the following Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO:

Slot	Pokémon
#1	Shadow Persian
#2	Shadow Rhyperior Shadow Nidoking Shadow Kangaskhan
#3	Shadow Dialga

Giovanni’s Current Pokémon Line-Up: Giovanni’s team includes Shadow Pokémon such as Persian, Rhyperior, Nidoking, Kangaskhan, and the Shadow Dialga
How to find Giovanni: In order to find Giovanni, you need to complete the previous Team GO Rocket Research quest lines and pick up Crown Clash: Taken Over Special Research. If you don’t have, you probably have an unfinished research from before. Check on the bottom of the article for a full list of TGR research lines.

Optimal Team Selection for Battling Giovanni

One of the best Teams you can use against Team GO Rocket Giovanni in Pokémon GO is Machamp, Mega Lucario, and Swampert.

Machamp/Mega Lucario – or any other strong Fighting-type – is a great choice against Giovanni, as every Pokémon except Nidoking is weak to Fighting-type moves, and you more or less want a Fighting-type on your team.
Swampert – Swampert provides coverage for both Rhyperior, Nidoking, and Dialga. For the rest, Fighting types would suffice.
Groudon, Excadrill, Mega Lucario, and Swampert are both strong choices to defeat Giovanni’s Dialga. You should be able to pull off a good strategy using either Primal Groudon, or Shadow Groudon, or just a regular ol’ Groudon. Excadrill is also a brilliant pick for Shadow Dialga.

Note: In Trainer Battles, counters need not always be Pokémon that do super-effective damage. We include Pokémon that are more viable to defeat Giovanni, rather than those who do maximum damage. Defeating Giovanni rewards 4× Shadow Shards.

Shadow Persian Counters

Shadow Persian

Persian is a Normal-type Pokémon, weak to Fighting type moves. It takes reduced damage from Ghost type moves and has a wide move pool variety. Best counters are strong Fighters, but also Steel-typed Pokémon like Melmetal and Dialga.

Persian Counters
Pokémon	Moves
Terrakion	Double Kick, Sacred Sword, Rock Slide
Tyranitar	Smack Down, Brutal Swing, Stone Edge
Mega Lucario	Force Palm, Power-Up Punch, Aura Sphere
Machamp	Counter, Close Combat, Stone Edge
Shadow Conkeldurr	Counter, Dynamic Punch
Mega Rayquaza	Dragon Tail, Dragon Ascent

Open with a strong Pokémon that can burn Giovanni’s shields efficiently – the aim is at least one. Since we are always facing Persian, we strongly recommend going with a strong Fighting type.

Shadow Rhyperior Counters

Shadow Rhyperior

Rhyperior is a Rock and Ground-type Pokémon. Rhyperior is weak to Grass (2x), Water (2x), Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel moves. It is strong against Fire, Flying, Normal, Rock, Electric, and Poison moves.

Rhyperior Counters
Pokémon	Moves
Mega Swampert	Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon
Shadow Kyogre	Waterfall, Origin Pulse
Mega Sceptile	Bullet Seed, Frenzy Plant
Mega Venusaur	Vine Whip, Frenzy Plant
Zarude	Vine Whip, Power Whip
Kartana	Razor Leaf, Leaf Blade
Mega Gyarados	Waterfall, Hydro Pump

Shadow Nidoking Counters

Shadow Nidoking

Shadow Nidoking is a Poison and Ground type, and as such is weak to Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water moves. It is strong against Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Rock, Electric, and Poison moves.

Nidoking Counters
Pokémon	Moves
Mega Swampert	Mud Shot, Hydro Cannon
Shadow Mewtwo	Psycho Cut, Psystrike
Shadow Groudon	Mud Shot, Precipice Blades
Shadow Kyogre	Waterfall, Origin Pulse
Mega Garchomp	Mud Shot, Earth Power
Therian Landorus	Mud Shot, Sandsear Storm

Shadow Kangaskhan Counters

Shadow Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan is a pure Normal-type Pokémon. So, it is only weak to Fighting type moves. It takes reduced damage from Ghost-type moves. Be aware that Kangaskhan can hit pretty hard!

Kangaskhan Counters
Pokémon	Moves
Mega Lucario	Force Palm, Power-Up Punch, Aura Sphere
Machamp	Karate Chop, Cross Chop
Terrakion	Double Kick, Sacred Sword
Annihilape	Counter, Rage Fist, Close Combat
Keldeo	Low Kick, Sacred Sword
Shadow Hariyama	Force Palm, Upper Hand

Shadow Dialga Counters

Shadow Dialga

Giovanni’s Shadow Dialga is a Dragon and Steel-type Pokémon. It is weak to Fighting and Ground-type moves, which means you have a good set of options ahead of you. Whatever option you choose is going to be good, since Dialga doesn’t have super effective moves against most of these Pokémon. We have included a mixture of options here that are not necessarily the top ranked, but also include more accessible options.

Dialga Counters
Pokémon	Moves
Primal Groudon	Mud Shot, Precipice Blades (*)
Mega Lucario	Force Palm, Aura Sphere
Mega Garchomp	Mud Shot, Earth Power (*)
Shadow Excadrill	Mud Slap, Scorching Sands
Mega Heracross	Counter, Upper Hand
Mega Swampert	Mud Shot, Earthquake

How to find Giovanni in Pokémon GO

In order to find Giovanni, you need to complete a currently active Team GO Rocket Special Research. Depending on the time you played, this can vary. Currently, Giovanni has returned with Shadow Dialga as part of the Crown Clash: Taken Over event.

Once you complete the fourth step of the current Rocket Special Research, you will get a Super Rocket Radar.

It works like a regular Rocket Radar, but it tracks Giovanni, not GO Rocket leaders.
The Super Rocket Radar doesn’t immediately lead you to Giovanni; it displays locations of both decoy Grunts disguised as Giovanni and Giovanni’s actual Hideout.
You’ll need to approach each PokéStop and investigate yourself to find where Giovanni’s hiding.
You can rematch if you lose, and your Super Rocket Radar will be consumed if you win.

Rewards for defeating Giovanni in Pokémon GO

Trainers who manage to defeat Giovanni will receive selection of rare reward bundles, including the chance to get a Legendary Shadow Pokémon.

Trainers receive 5,000 Stardust for defeating Giovanni
Defeating Giovanni rewards three item bundles including Max Potions or Max Revives
Trainers have the opportunity to catch the Legendary Shadow Pokémon used by Giovanni at the moment of defeating him.
Giovanni does not drop Strange Eggs as a reward, regardless of open egg inventory slots.

Reward bundles

Guaranteed

Stardust icon

5000×
Stardust

Random drop of three of these (can stack)

4×
Revive
4×
Max Revive
4×
Hyper Potion
4×
Max Potion
1×
Unova Stone

Defeating Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni yields three item bundles, each of which has an equal chance of containing 4 Max Potions or 4 Max Revives. As an example, a typical reward drop might contain 8 Max Potions and 4 Max Revives.

How to get the latest Team GO Rocket Special Research

Every single time there is a new Rocket Takeover event, we get a bunch of readers wondering why they haven’t received the new Special Research to go along with it (yet).

The most likely explanation is: You still have an unfinished Team GO Rocket research in your (right) Special Research tab.

If you have any of these Special Research stories, and you have progressed beyond the first page of it, you need to finish it, before you can receive any new Team GO Rocket Special Research:

A Troubling Situation (This is the prerequisite research that you need to finish in order to receive any of the future Team GO Rocket Special Research storylines)

Any of these Special Research could be blocking you from getting the newest Team GO Rocket Special Resarch:

The post Pokémon GO Giovanni Lineup and Counters (May 2025) appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

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