Giovanni Pokemon Go Guide: Best Counters and How to Beat Him

Giovanni is one of the toughest Team GO Rocket battles in Pokémon GO, and the fight can feel frustrating if you walk in with the wrong counters. His team changes over time, his first two shields can waste your strongest charged attacks, and his Shadow Pokémon hit hard enough to punish weak team building.

This guide covers the current Giovanni Pokemon Go lineup, the best counters, how to find Giovanni, and what rewards you can get after beating him. You’ll also find practical preparation tips to help you farm Rocket encounters, collect items, and get ready before using your Super Rocket Radar.

Giovanni Pokemon Go June 2026 Lineup

Giovanni’s current Pokémon GO team starts with Shadow Persian, rotates between three possible second-slot Pokémon, and ends with Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus.

The most important part of the lineup is the final Shadow Legendary. Right now, Giovanni’s Shadow Pokémon reward is Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus, so players who still have a Super Rocket Radar should prepare counters that can handle Ground, Rock, Normal, Poison, and Flying-type threats.

Because Giovanni’s second Pokémon is random, you should not build a team for only one possibility. A good Giovanni team needs one strong Fighting-type, one flexible Water-type, and one Pokémon that can handle Landorus safely.

Best Team to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO

For most players, one of the best teams to beat Giovanni is:

A team like Lucario, Poliwrath, and Swampert works well because it does not depend too heavily on guessing Giovanni’s second Pokémon. Lucario or Machamp gives you Fighting-type pressure against Persian and Kangaskhan. Poliwrath and Swampert give strong Water-type coverage for Rhyperior, Nidoking, and Landorus.

If you do not have those Pokémon built, focus on roles instead of names. You need a fast Fighting-type, a strong Water-type, and either an Ice-type or another bulky Water-type for Landorus.

Giovanni Pokemon Go Counters and Weaknesses

Giovanni counters should be chosen by weakness, move speed, and survivability. High CP helps, but it is not enough if your Pokémon charges too slowly or takes too much damage from Persian.

Shadow Persian Counters

Shadow Persian is a Normal-type Pokémon, so it is weak to Fighting-type attacks. It appears first every time, and it is often the reason many players lose before they even reach Giovanni’s second Pokémon.Best Persian counters include:

Lucario is especially useful because it can charge quickly and pressure Giovanni’s shields early. If you use Machamp, make sure it has a fast charged move so it can force Giovanni to use shields instead of simply taking Persian down slowly.

Persian Weakness: Best Counters for Pokémon GO & Giovanni

Shadow Rhyperior Counters

Shadow Rhyperior is a Ground/Rock-type Pokémon. It is double-weak to Water and Grass, while also being weak to Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel.

Best Rhyperior counters include:

Water-types are the safest picks here because they also help against Nidoking and Landorus. Swampert is especially practical because Hydro Cannon charges quickly and keeps pressure on Giovanni.

Shadow Nidoking Counters

Shadow Nidoking is a Poison/Ground-type Pokémon. It is weak to Water, Ice, Ground, and Psychic-type attacks.

Best Nidoking counters include:

If you want a simple team that works across multiple Giovanni possibilities, Swampert or Kyogre is safer than a narrow Psychic-only counter. Water coverage helps against both Nidoking and Rhyperior, then remains useful against Landorus later.

Shadow Kangaskhan Counters

Shadow Kangaskhan is a Normal-type Pokémon, so it is weak to Fighting-type attacks. If Giovanni uses Kangaskhan in the second slot, your Persian counter can often help again.

Best Kangaskhan counters include:

This is why bringing at least one strong Fighting-type is almost mandatory. It covers Persian and gives you a direct answer to Kangaskhan if it appears.

Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus Counters

Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus is a Ground/Flying-type Pokémon. It is double-weak to Ice and also weak to Water.

Best Landorus counters include:

Ice-types hit Landorus extremely hard, but they can be risky if they are underpowered or if Landorus has coverage that punishes them. For many players, a strong Water-type like Swampert or Kyogre is more consistent because it can survive better while still dealing reliable damage.

How to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO

The biggest mistake players make is treating Giovanni like a normal trainer battle. Giovanni always uses shields on your first two charged attacks, so your opening goal is not to land a huge attack. Your first goal is to remove his shields as quickly as possible.

Step 1 Start with a fast-charging Pokémon

Lucario, Machamp, or Poliwrath can pressure Persian while charging moves quickly. Power-Up Punch, Cross Chop, and similar fast charged moves are valuable because they force Giovanni to shield early.

Step 2 Use charged attacks to burn shields

Do not worry if your first two charged attacks are blocked. That is expected. Once Giovanni’s shields are gone, your later Pokémon can land stronger attacks safely.

Step 3 Use switching to create breathing room

Team GO Rocket battles have a short delay after switching Pokémon or using charged attacks. You can start with one Pokémon, quickly switch into your real Persian counter, and gain a few free fast attacks before Giovanni resumes pressure.

Step 4 Save your strongest counter for the final Pokémon

Do not let your Landorus counter take too much damage before the final round. If your Mamoswine, Kyogre, or Swampert faints too early, you may reach Landorus with no clean answer left.

Step 5 Retry after seeing Giovanni’s second Pokémon

Giovanni’s second slot is random, but once you see it, you can adjust your team. If he uses Rhyperior or Nidoking, Water-types become more valuable. If he uses Kangaskhan, your Fighting-type becomes even more important.

How to Find Giovanni in Pokémon GO

To fight Giovanni, you need a Super Rocket Radar. This is different from a regular Rocket Radar, which only helps you find Team GO Rocket Leaders like Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra.

In general, Super Rocket Radars are earned through Team GO Rocket-related research, special events, Timed Research, or GO Pass rewards. In 2026, one major way to get Giovanni access was through the Steeled Resolve: Taken Over GO Pass, so availability can depend on the current event schedule.

Step 1 Complete the required Team GO Rocket research

You may need to defeat Grunts, defeat Team GO Rocket Leaders, and complete related objectives before receiving a Super Rocket Radar.

Step 2 Equip the Super Rocket Radar from your Bag

Once equipped, it helps locate Giovanni hideouts. You can also unequip it if you are not ready to fight Giovanni yet.

Step 3 Check marked PokéStops carefully

The Super Rocket Radar may reveal both real Giovanni hideouts and decoy Grunts. You need to investigate the marked PokéStops to find the real Giovanni.

Step 4 Watch for Team GO Rocket balloons

Giovanni can also appear through Rocket balloons when you have a Super Rocket Radar equipped. If you are saving your radar for a better Shadow Legendary, unequip it before interacting with Rocket balloons.

Why Giovanni May Not Appear

If Giovanni is not showing up, the issue is usually related to radar access, event timing, or research progress.

You may not be able to find Giovanni if:

A regular Rocket Radar will not find Giovanni. It only tracks Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra, so make sure you are using the correct radar before searching.

Prepare for Giovanni with PoKeep Location Changer

PoKeep Location Changer can help Pokémon GO players prepare for Giovanni by making exploration and item farming more flexible. Instead of waiting around a low-density area, you can change your GPS location, move with a joystick, or create routes around PokéStops and Rocket encounter areas.

Try It Free

Try It Free

For Giovanni preparation, PoKeep is most useful in these scenarios:

PoKeep supports iPhone and Android location changing without jailbreak or root. It also includes teleport, joystick, two-spot movement, multi-spot movement, jump teleport, favorite routes, history records, and GPX import, making it useful for Pokémon GO players who want more control while preparing for major encounters like Giovanni.

Giovanni Pokémon GO Rewards

After defeating Giovanni, you can receive Stardust, item bundles, and an encounter with his current Shadow Legendary Pokémon. For June 2026, that reward encounter is Shadow Incarnate Forme Landorus.

Common Giovanni rewards include:

The Shadow Legendary is the main reason most players fight Giovanni. If you already have Shadow Landorus and want to save your Super Rocket Radar for a future Shadow Legendary, you may choose to wait until Giovanni’s lineup changes.

Giovanni Pokemon Go FAQ

Final Thoughts on Giovanni Pokemon Go

Giovanni is difficult because his team combines high Shadow damage, random second-slot coverage, and shield pressure. The easiest way to win is to build around roles: a Fighting-type for Persian, a Water-type for Rhyperior or Nidoking, and an Ice or Water counter for Shadow Landorus.

Before challenging him, make sure you have enough healing items, the right movesets, and a plan for his shields. With the right preparation, Giovanni becomes much more manageable—and if you want to farm routes, PokéStops, and Rocket-heavy areas more efficiently, PoKeep Location Changer can make the preparation process smoother.

Try It Free

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