Pokémon Go Giovanni counters team lineup May 2025 beat battle guide

Giovanni returns this May with a new shadow powerhouse, challenging trainers to rethink their tactics. Here’s the full breakdown of his current team and the best counters to bring him down in Pokémon Go.

For those who want to catch Shadow Dialga, try to get it done sooner than later, as there will likely be another Team Rocket refresh in coming months that’ll swap out the legendary for a new one.

However, know that whenever you face Giovanni, he’s a tough opponent to battle, and this page will list out his current team and counters if you’re having trouble.

How to find Giovanni in Pokémon Go

To find Giovanni in Pokémon Go, you first need a Super Rocket Radar, which can be earned by completing the monthly Team Go Rocket Special Research taskline. Once equipped, this radar reveals potential Giovanni hideouts marked as Rocket Stops or Balloons. Several of these may turn out to be decoys featuring other Rocket Leaders, so it might take a few tries before facing the real boss. Keep the radar active, check each possible encounter, and be prepared for battle once you locate him.

Team Go Rocket boss Giovanni is typically only available to battle while completing Team Go Rocket Special Research. We get a new set of this type of research every few months, typically with a new Shadow legendary Pokémon as a reward at the very end.

From mid-May 2025, this quest is “Crown Clash: Taken Over.”

As part of the quest, after beating all three Team Go Rocket leaders, you’ll get a Super Rocket Radar, allowing you to hunt down Giovanni.

Just like the leaders, Giovanni will appear in Team Go Rocket balloons or at taken over PokéStops with the Super Rocket Radar equipped. He won’t often be in the first you encounter – there will be decoy grunts along the way – but keep trying and Giovanni will appear.

Once you find him and use the radar, you can battle him as many times as it takes to beat him – as long as you’re within distance of the PokéStop – which is great, because he is typically a pretty tough battle.

Pokémon Go Giovanni team line-up

Giovanni’s team in May 2025 features a strong lineup that keeps players on their toes. He begins battles with Persian, followed by one of three possible second Pokémon-Kingler, Rhyperior, or Nidoking. His final Pokémon is Shadow Groudon, which demands well-planned counters like powerful Water or Ice types. Knowing his possible choices helps trainers prepare balanced teams to handle each stage of the fight.

Currently, Giovanni will have the following team:

• Persian (normal)
• Kangaskhan (water/dragon)
  Rhyperior (ground/rock)
  Nidoking (poison/ground)
• Dialga (steel/dragon)

You’ll kind of notice that if you bring a fighting-type, a grass-type, and a ground-type Pokémon, you should be mostly set to counter Giovanni this time around due to some nicely shared counters across his team. Not too shabby! We list some options for you below.

Pokémon Go Giovanni counters

Giovanni’s May 2025 line-up in Pokémon Go includes his signature Persian, followed by one of three possible middle Pokémon, and ends with a powerful Shadow version of the month’s featured Legendary. To defeat him, players should bring strong Fighting-types such as Lucario or Conkeldurr to handle Persian, counter his second choice with type-advantaged Pokémon, and save their best counters for the final battle. Shields are best used early to preserve damage output later, as Giovanni’s Shadow Pokémon often hit hard and have high defense.

Because there are fewer potential party options for Giovanni than there are for the Rocket leaders, he’s actually easier to plan against, even if his Pokémon are much stronger. You will need to bring the strongest Pokémon you have, in addition to your A-game in order to take him down.

Opening Pokémon (Persian) counters

For Persian, bring a fighting-type Pokémon, such as:

• Terrakion with Double Kick and Sacred Sword
• Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
• Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
• Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch

Second possible Pokémon counters

If he uses Kangaskhan during the second encounter, consider fighting-types such as:

• Terrakion with Double Kick and Sacred Sword
• Machamp with Counter and Dynamic Punch
• Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
• Conkeldurr with Counter and Dynamic Punch

(Yes, these are the same Pokémon from the recommended list for Persian. You can bring two if Persian ends up taking one of them out.)

If he uses Rhyperior during the second encounter, consider grass-types such as:

• Decidueye with Leafage and Frenzy Plant
• Venusaur with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant

If he uses Nidoking as his second Pokémon, you can use water-, grass-, or ground-types like:

• Kyogre with Waterfall and Hydro Pump
• Primarina with Waterfall and Hydro Cannon
• Kartana with Razor Leaf and Leaf Blade
• Rillaboom with Razor Leaf and Grass Knot
• Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
• Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power

Closing Pokémon (Dialga) counters

For the final encounter against Dialga, we recommend using a ground-type Pokémon, such as:

• Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades
• Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power

How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go

Giovanni’s line-up in May 2025 begins with his signature Persian, followed by one of three possible Pokémon-Nidoking, Garchomp, or Rhyperior-and ends with Shadow Groudon. Focus on bringing strong Fighting-type attackers such as Machamp or Lucario to counter Persian, and use Water- or Ice-type Pokémon like Kyogre or Mamoswine against his tougher second slot. For Shadow Groudon, rely on Water- or Grass-type powerhouses such as Swampert or Zarude to finish the battle quickly. Switching strategically and shielding carefully can make the fight much smoother.

As with fighting the leaders, Giovanni will block the first two charged attacks with shields. As such, you’ll ideally want a fighting-type that can chip away at Persian’s health, while also having charged moves to destroy these two shields as fast as possible. From there, it’s a case of switching to the counters which suit the line-up that follows.

After defeating Giovanni, you will get to catch whichever Shadow legendary appears in the final encounter. It’s a guaranteed catch, so don’t forget to use a Pinap Berry to score some extra candy.

Best movesets for Mega Lucario against Giovanni

Mega Lucario excels against Giovanni due to its powerful Fighting-type moves that target Shadow Persian, Rhyperior, Kangaskhan, and even Dialga effectively.

Optimal Moveset

The top moveset for Mega Lucario in Giovanni battles is Force Palm (Fast), Power-Up Punch (Charged), and Aura Sphere (Charged).

• Force Palm delivers steady Fighting damage with good energy generation.

• Power-Up Punch quickly burns shields (low energy cost) and boosts Attack for more power.

• Aura Sphere provides high DPS STAB Fighting damage against most of his team.

Usage Tips

Use Power-Up Punch early on Persian to force shield use, then spam Aura Sphere.
This setup shines as a lead or switch-in, handling Normal, Rock/Ground, and Steel/Dragon weaknesses.​
Unlock the second charged move beforehand for flexibility.​

Best team lineup with Mega Lucario to beat Giovanni February 2026

Mega Lucario remains a top pick for Giovanni battles in February 2026, handling his Shadow Persian lead and most second-phase Pokémon effectively.

Giovanni’s February 2026 Lineup

Giovanni’s team features Shadow Persian (lead), Shadow Rhyperior, Nidoking, or Kangaskhan (second), and Shadow Thundurus Incarnate (final boss, Electric/Flying).

Best Team with Mega Lucario

This lineup leverages Mega Lucario’s Fighting strength while covering Nidoking and Thundurus weaknesses.

Strategy: Use Power-Up Punch early to boost Attack and force shields. Switch to White Kyurem if Nidoking appears. Dodge Thundurus’ Hurricane/Wild Charge.​