How to Beat Giovanni Pokémon Go September 2025: Best Pokémon & Counters!

Part 1. How to Find Giovanni in Pokémon Go?

Finding Giovanni is not as simple as locating him on the map. You need to follow certain steps in order to find him.

Who is Giovanni in Pokémon GO?

In Pokémon Go, Giovanni needs no introduction. He is the boss of Team Go Rocket and one of the toughest opponents that trainers will ever come across. Therefore, many players often ask how to face Giovanni in Pokémon Go, and the answer is never simple.

He always brings strong Shadow Pokémon, and this time in August 2025, his star Pokémon is Shadow Giratina, a Legendary that can wipe out unprepared trainers. While his lineup changes every time, Giovanni always begins with his loyal Shadow Persian.

How to Make Giovanni Appear in Pokémon Go?

To find Giovanni in Pokémon GO, you must complete the Team GO Rocket Special Research tasks and defeat his three leaders—Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra—using Rocket Radars. After defeating them, you'll receive the Super Rocket Radar, which allows you to track Giovanni's hideouts. Equip the radar and check PokéStops or wait for Rocket Balloons, but be prepared for grunt decoys before finding Giovanni.

Can I find Giovanni without Super Rocket Radar?

You cannot defeat Giovanni in Pokémon GO without the Super Rocket Radar. This radar is only obtained by completing the Team GO Rocket Special Research quest. Without it, Giovanni’s hideouts won’t appear, and the battle cannot begin.

Part 2. Giovanni Is Back in September 2025! What to Expect

Giovanni always makes his return in Pokémon Go with a bang. Here’s what to expect from him in August 2025.

What is Giovanni's Lineup in Pokémon Go?

Every trainer who wants to know how to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go 2025 must first study his lineup. As it turns out, Giovanni’s battles always follow a three-phase system:

• In the first phase, he will always begin with his signature Shadow Persian, which may look harmless but can deal serious damage with fast moves.
• The second phase is a Shadow Pokémon, which is randomly chosen from a pool of three Pokémons. In August 2025, the pool features Shadow Rhyperior, Shadow Nidoking, or Shadow Kangaskhan, each bringing its own type advantages.
• The third and last phase is where the real challenge begins. Here, Giovanni brings out his most formidable Shadow Legendary. This time, it’s Shadow Giratina.

What Rewards Are Available for Defeating Giovanni?

When you defeat Giovanni in Pokémon Go in August 2025, you get the following rewards:

• An encounter with Shadow Giratina.
• 4× Shadow Shards
• x5000 Stardust and any 3 of the following 5 items: x4 Revive, x4 Hyper Revive, x4 Hyper Potion, x4 Max Potion, and x1 Unova Stone

Who is Giovanni's Strongest Pokémon?

For trainers asking, “Who is Giovanni’s strongest Pokémon?”, Giovanni's strongest Pokémon in Pokémon GO as of September 2025 is Shadow Giratina, which he uses in the final round of his battle.

With its Ghost and Dragon typing, it resists many common move types and has high stamina, which allows it to last longer in battle. However, knowing what is good against Giovanni’s Giratina makes the fight easier. In that, Giratina is weak to Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost, and Ice attacks, so bringing Pokémon with those moves is the smartest choice here.

How Often Does Giovanni's Lineup change?

Giovanni does not keep the same team forever. His lineup changes every two to three months during major Team Go Rocket events. These events are themselves tied to, but not limited to, Pokémon Go seasonal updates, Special Research quests, or Shadow Legendary debuts.

Part 3. How to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go? Best Counters

In this section, we list the best Pokémon to beat Giovanni easily. So if you’ve been searching for the best ways to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon Go, these Pokémons are your best bet!

Top 5 Counters for Shadow Persian (Normal-type)

Shadow Persian is one of Giovanni's Pokémon, commonly appearing in Team GO Rocket battle events. Shadow Persian's moves benefit from the Shadow bonus, increasing its damage by 20%. It can resist Ghost-type moves and reduce the damage taken, making it a tough opponent.

• Type: Normal-type
• Max CP: 1910
• High Attack: 150 Attack, 136 Defense, and 163 Stamina.
• Best moveset: Scratch and Foul Play
• Weak to: Fighting-type moves, which deal 1.6x damage.

Use counters with Fighting-type moves early in the battle to break Giovanni's shield quickly, then release charged attacks to defeat Shadow Persian before it deals significant damage.

Top 5 Counters for Second Pokémon

In Pokémon GO, Giovanni's second Pokémon can be one of three Shadow Pokémon: Shadow Rhyperior, Shadow Nidoking, or Shadow Kangaskhan. Each Pokémon has its own weaknesses and counter strategies:

Shadow Rhyperior

• Type: Ground and Rock-type
• Max CP: 4221
• High Attack: Strong overall bulk with 241 Attack, 190 Defense, and 251 Stamina.
• Best moveset: Mud-Slap + Earthquake (Ground)
• Weaknesses: Water-type moves (2.56× damage), Grass-type moves (2.56× damage), Fighting, Ground, Ice, or Steel-type moves.

Shadow Rhyperior is considered one of the best overall counters when relevant due to its combination of offense and durability, especially in its Shadow form. Shadow Boost increases its damage output by 20%, making it devastating in battles.

Here are some best counters with specific recommended moves:

Shadow Nidoking

• Type: Poison and Ground-type
• Max CP: 2902
• High Attack: 204 Attack, 156 Defense, and 191 Stamina.
• Best moveset: Poison Jab + Earth Power
• Weaknesses: Water, Ice, Psychic, and Ground-type moves (takes 1.6× damage)

Shadow Nidoking has a variety of move combinations, including Poison and Ground-type moves, with strong offensive power to counter multiple threats. Benefiting from the Shadow enhancement, its attack power is increased by 20%, making these moves even more powerful in battles.

Here are some top counters with specific moves:

Shadow Kangaskhan

• Type: Poison and Ground-type
• Max CP: 2924
• Best moveset: Mud-Slap (Ground) and Outrage (Dragon)
• Attack Stats: 181 Attack, 165 Defense, and 233 Stamina.
• Weaknesses: Water, Ice, Psychic, and Ground-type moves (takes 1.6× damage)

Shadow Kangaskhan mainly appears in the Australia region, and its attack damage is increased by +20% due to its Shadow status. With its strong physique and attack power, it can make full use of its powerful Ground and Dragon-type moves, excelling in raids or battles.

The most effective Pokémon against Shadow Kangaskhan:

Top 5 Counters for Shadow Giratina

Giovanni's third Pokémon is Shadow Giratina. Shadow Giratina remains a powerful Pokémon with high damage potential. Its exceptional Ghost/Dragon typing allows it to resist Normal and Fighting moves, making it immune to Normal and Fighting-type attacks.

• Type: Ghost and Dragon
• Max CP: 3820
• High durability: 187 Attack, 225 Defense, and 284 Stamina.
• Best moveset: Dragon Breath or Shadow Claw + Shadow Force
• Weaknesses: Ghost, Ice, Dragon, Dark, and Fairy-type moves.
• Resistances: Resistant to Normal, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric-type moves.

Below are the five best counter-Pokémon and recommended movesets based on Shadow Giratina's weaknesses.

Latest tips:How to save Shadow Groudon from Team GO Rocket?

Shadow Groudon will appear in a special 5-star Shadow Raid during the event weekend from September 20 to 21, 2025. How can you control it? To beat Shadow Groudon from Team GO Rocket in Pokémon GO, here is an effective strategy based on its strengths and weaknesses for September 2025:

Shadow Groudon Attributes

• Type: Ground
• Weak to: Water, Grass, and Ice-type moves
• Resistant to: Electric, Poison, and Rock moves
• Shadow Pokemon form boosts its attack power, making battles more challenging
• It becomes "enraged" at around 50% HP, increasing its attack and defense stats

Best 5 counters for Shadow Groudon

Part 4. Is Giovanni Hard to Defeat in Pokémon Go? Easiest Way

Why Is It Hard to Beat Giovanni?

Giovanni is one of the toughest bosses in Pokémon GO, with his Shadow Pokémon dealing extra damage and his clever use of two shields. His second Pokémon is unpredictable, adding to the difficulty as you never know if you'll face Shadow Rhyperior, Nidoking, or Kangaskhan. Additionally, his Pokémon, like Shadow Giratina, have high CP, and a single mistake in the battle can cost you the encounter, making him a challenging opponent.

Best Tips & Strategy for Beating Giovanni

The best way to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon Go is to follow some proven strategies and top Giovanni Pokémon Go counters.

• Burn his shields early: Open with fast-charging moves (e.g., Lucario with Power-Up Punch, Machamp with Cross Chop) to remove both shields quickly.
• Use the switch/charge “pause.”: After you switch or anyone fires a Charged Attack, Giovanni briefly stops attacking—use that window to land extra Fast Attacks.
• Bring dual-type coverage: Picks like Mega Swampert (Water/Ground) or Mega Sceptile (Grass/Dragon) cover multiple threats in slot two while staying efficient.
• Build a solid plan: Choose one Fighting-type for Shadow Persian, one specialist for the second slot, and one hard counter for the main boss. This August 2025, strong options for Shadow Giratina include Mega Rayquaza, White Kyurem, or Gardevoir.
• Rematch and refine: If the lineup surprises you, back out, adjust your team, and try again. The best way to defeat Giovanni in Pokémon Go is to learn the set and counter it.

Easier to find Giovanni through PoGoskill

Since Giovanni has multiple decoy hideouts that turn out to be just Grunts when you visit them, it can make your traveling go to waste. To prevent yourself from tiring out in finding Giovanni, we recommendPoGoskill

PoGoskill is a top-notch GPS spoofer app for Pokémon Go. With it, you can teleport to any location on the world map, create custom routes there, and use the Joystick mode to simulate your virtual movement in 360-degree freedom.

Key Features include

• Ban Protection: Built-in cooldown timer and natural spoofing techniques protect your account from being flagged by Niantic
• 1-Click Teleport: With just a finger-tap, you can travel to any popular Pokémon Go hotspot on the world map
• Auto-Spin PokeStops: PoGoskill automatically collects useful items from PokeStops whenever you are nearby them.

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How To Use PoGoskill to find nearby Rocket Teams?

• Step 1Click the Download button above and install PoGoskill.

  

• Step 2Connect your device and choose “Game Mode”.

  

• Step 3Find a nice hotspot location and hit teleport!

  

FAQs about Fighting Giovanni Pokémon GO

Is Giovanni's Pokémon 100% catch rate?

Giovanni's Legendary Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon GO have a 100% catch rate, similar to a Master Ball, meaning they cannot flee or break free. This guaranteed catch rate applies only to his final Pokémon in the battle. Other Pokémon Giovanni uses may still flee or break out of the Poké Ball.

What single team comp consistently beats Giovanni’s lineup？

A strong team to beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO (2025) includes Machamp, Mega Lucario, and Primal Groudon. Machamp counters Giovanni's first Pokémon, Persian, while Mega Lucario effectively deals with Persian, Kangaskhan, and Dialga. Primal Groudon handles Nidoking, Rhyperior, and Shadow Dialga, covering multiple threats with its bulk and power, and the team is designed to break Giovanni's shields quickly and efficiently.

Which Pokémon did Giovanni clone in Pokemon Go?

Giovanni has cloned several powerful Legendary Pokémon as Shadow versions in Pokémon GO, including Shadow Mewtwo, Shadow Lugia, and the Legendary Beasts like Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. These Shadow Pokémon appear in special events or limited-time raids, such as Shadow Mewtwo as a major boss in the Team Rocket storyline. Giovanni has also cloned the Regi Trio (Regice, Registeel, and Regirock) as part of special raid battles.

What level should you be to fight Giovanni in Pokemon Go?

In Pokémon GO, there is no strict level requirement to fight Giovanni, but it's highly recommended to be at least Trainer Level 25 or higher to have access to strong Pokémon with sufficient CP and movesets to handle his challenging lineup.

How to get rocket radar for Giovanni?

In Pokémon GO, to face Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, you need a Rocket Radar. Here’s how you can obtain and use it:

• Complete Team GO Rocket Special Research
• Participate in Rocket Takeover Events
• Complete Giovanni-Related Timed Research

Final Thoughts

So I hope you now know how to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go 2025. Yes, I agree, facing Giovanni is never easy, but with the right plan, counters, and smart shield bait, you can beat his Shadow Persian, adapt to the second slot, and finish Shadow Giratina fast. And when you finally get the Super Rocket Radar, use PoGoskill to quickly locate Giovanni’s hideout and save valuable time that would otherwise be wasted by physically visiting all the decoy hideouts on the map.

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