Pokémon GO Giovanni Lineup and Counters (August 2025)
Learn how to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon during the month of August 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 Delightful Days: Taken Over.
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 | |
| #2 | |
| #3 |
- Giovanni’s Current Pokémon Line-Up: Giovanni’s team includes Shadow Pokémon such as Persian, Rhyperior, Nidoking, Kangaskhan, and the Shadow Giratina
- How to find Giovanni: In order to find Giovanni, you need to complete the previous Team GO Rocket Research quest lines and pick up Delightful Days 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 Persian, Rhyperior and Kangaskhan are weak to Fighting-type moves. You more or less want a Fighting-type on your team.
- Swampert/Kyogre – Swampert and Kyogre provides coverage for both Rhyperior, and Nidoking Dialga, which makes them quite strong and valuable in this fight.
- Shadow Giratina is weak to Ice and Dragon-type attacks, so something like Black Kyurem or Dawn Wings Necrozma, or even Dragonite and Rayquaza will do just fine.
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
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.
| 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
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.
| 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 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.
| 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
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!
| 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 Giratina Counters
Giovanni’s Shadow Giratina is a Dragon and Ghost-type Pokémon. It is weak to Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost and Ice-type moves, which means you have a wide choice os counters available.
Shadow Giratina can have Dragon Breath or Shadow Claw as its fast move, and Shadow Sneak, Dragon Claw, or Ancient Power as charged move. Based on this, we selected counters which perform almost always well.
| Pokémon | Moves |
|---|---|
 Black Kyurem |
Dragon Tail, Freeze Shock |
 Dawn Wings Necrozma |
Psycho Cut, Moongeist Beam |
 White Kyurem |
Ice Fang, Ice Burno |
 Shadow Palkia |
Dragon Tail, Draco Meteor |
 Shadow Salamence |
Dragon Tail, Outrage |
 Shadow Garchomp |
Dragon Tail, Outrage |
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 Giratina as part of the Delightful Days Taken Over Special Research.
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
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 Research:
- Looming in the Shadows
- A Challenging Development
- The Take-Over Continues
- A Professor’s Work is Never Done
- The Shadowy Threat Grows
- An Inter-egg-sting Development
- The Higher They Fly…
- A Seven-Colored Shadow
- Silent Schemes
- Field Notes: Team GO Rocket
- Ultra Beast Protection Efforts
- Shadowy Skirmishes
- From the Shadows
- Showdown in the Shadows (Team GO Rocket Special Research)
- Timeless Travels Special Research
- It’s a Rocket World
- Adventure Week: Taken Over
- Fashion Week: Taken Over Special Research
- Delightful Days: Taken Over Special Research
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