How to Beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO (January 2025)

Getting ready to face Giovanni in Pokemon GO? The Team GO Rocket boss is back for January 2025, and he’s not making things easy with his Shadow Pokemon lineup. You’ll face him in a three-phase battle, with Shadow Heatran as his powerful final Pokemon. This battle can be tough if you go in unprepared, as you need the right counters and a good understanding of your team’s weaknesses to win. Want to know how to win? Keep reading as we break down exactly how to beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO here.

Team Rocket Giovanni Lineup (January 2025)

Giovanni uses a three-phase battle format with Shadow Pokemon. While his first and third Pokemon are fixed, he can choose from three different options for his second Pokemon which makes it challenging.

Phase	Pokemon	Image	Type	Weaknesses
First	Shadow Persian		Normal	Fighting
Second	Shadow Rhyperior		Ground/Rock	Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Ice, Steel
Second	Shadow Nidoking		Poison/Ground	Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water
Second	Shadow Kingdra		Water/Dragon	Dragon, Fairy
Third	Shadow Heatran		Fire/Steel	Ground, Fighting, Water

Shadow Persian Counters

Persian always appears first in Pokemon GO. As a Normal-type Pokemon, it’s weak to Fighting-type moves. Persian can hit pretty hard with its Shadow boost, so you’ll want to take it down quickly. Here are the best Shadow Persian counters in Pokemon GO:

Pokemon	Image	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega Lucario		Force Palm	Aura Sphere
Terrakion		Double Kick	Sacred Sword
Machamp		Counter	Dynamic Punch
Conkeldurr		Counter	Dynamic Punch
Mega Blaziken		Counter	Focus Blast

Shadow Rhyperior Counters

If Giovanni sends out Rhyperior, you’ll want to use Water or Grass-type Pokemon for maximum effectiveness. Its dual Ground/Rock typing gives it several weaknesses to exploit. These are:

Pokemon	Image	Fast Move	Charged Move
Primal Kyogre		Waterfall	Origin Pulse
Mega Sceptile		Bullet Seed	Frenzy Plant
Kartana		Razor Leaf	Leaf Blade
Zarude		Vine Whip	Power Whip

Shadow Nidoking Counters

Nidoking’s Poison/Ground typing makes it vulnerable to Psychic and Water moves. Ice-type attacks also work well against it. The best Shadow Nidoking counters are:

Pokemon	Image	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mewtwo		Psycho Cut	Psystrike
Mega Garchomp		Mud Shot	Earth Power
Therian Landorus		Mud Shot	Sandsear Storm
Mamoswine		Powder Snow	Avalanche

Shadow Kingdra Counters

Kingdra can be tricky due to its Dragon/Water typing. Dragon and Fairy-type moves are your best options here. The best Shadow Kingdra counters are:

Pokemon	Image	Fast Move	Charged Move
Mega Rayquaza		Dragon Tail	Outrage
Origin Forme Palkia		Dragon Tail	Spacial Rend
Mega Garchomp		Dragon Tail	Outrage
Salamence		Dragon Tail	Outrage
Gardevoir		Charm	Dazzling Gleam

Shadow Heatran Counters

For Giovanni’s final Pokemon, Shadow Heatran, Ground-type moves are particularly effective due to its Fire/Steel typing. These are:

Pokemon	Image	Fast Move	Charged Move
Primal Groudon		Mud Shot	Precipice Blades
Mega Garchomp		Mud Shot	Earth Power
Therian Landorus		Mud Shot	Sandsear Storm
Excadrill		Mud Shot	Scorching Sands
Rhyperior		Mud-Slap	Earthquake

How to Find Giovanni in Pokemon GO

To battle Giovanni, you need to complete Team GO Rocket Special Research tasks to obtain a Super Rocket Radar. After reaching Level 8, you’ll get access to these quests.

You’ll need to defeat multiple Team GO Rocket Grunts and the three Team Leaders (Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra) first. Once you have the Super Rocket Radar, equip it to locate Giovanni at PokeStops or in Team GO Rocket balloons.

Rewards for Beating Team Rocket Leader Giovanni

Beating Giovanni in Pokemon will give you several rewards. These are:

• 5,000 Stardust
• Chance to catch Shadow Heatran
• Four item bundles which can include:
  • Max Potions
  • Max Revives
  • Hyper Potions
  • Regular Revives
  • 1x Unova Stone

Remember, Shadow Heatran is a guaranteed catch, so use a Pinap Berry to get extra candy if you want. While it can’t be shiny, Shadow Heatran is still a powerful addition to your collection. And that’s how you beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO. Still confused? Drop your questions in the comments below.