Giovanni the team has undergone a refresh Pokémon Go after the winter event “Fashion Week: Taken Over” arrives.
How he stands January 2025after the January 15 update, Giovanni’s team sees several possibilities, including a final against Palkianewest legendary to see shadow treatment.
Those looking to grab Shadow Palkia should try to do so sooner rather than later, as there will likely be another Team Rocket refresh in the coming months that will see the Legendary replaced with a fresh one.
However, remember that whenever you face Giovanni, he is a complex opponent to fight, and you will find a list of his on this page current team AND counters if you’re in trouble.
How to find Giovanni in Pokémon Go
Team Go Rocket’s boss, Giovanni, is usually only available for battle after completing the Team Go Rocket Special Research. Every few months we get a fresh set of these types of research, usually with a fresh Legendary Shadow Pokémon as the reward at the very end.
From mid-January 2025, this activity will be called “Fashion Week: Taken Over”.
As part of the task, after defeating all three Team Go Rocket leaders, you will receive a reward Super missile radarallowing you to hunt down Giovanni.
Like leaders, Giovanni will appear in Team Go Rocket balloons or in captured PokéStops with the Super Rocket Radar equipped. He won’t often be the first one you see – there will be decoys grunting along the way – but keep trying and Giovanni will show up.
Once you find it and operate your radar, you can fight it as many times as needed to defeat it – as long as you’re within walking distance of a PokéStop – which is great because it’s usually a pretty complex fight.
Giovanni’s Pokémon Go team lineup
Currently, Giovanni will have the following team:
- Persian (normal)
- Kingdra (water/dragon)
Rhyperior (earth/rock) - Palkia (water/dragon)
Pokémon Go Giovanni counters
Since Giovanni has fewer potential team options than the Rocket leaders, it is actually easier to plan against him, even if his Pokémon are much stronger. You’ll need to bring the strongest Pokémon you have, in addition to your A-game, to defeat it.
Opening Pokémon counters (Persian).
For Persian, bring combat type Pokémon such as:
- Terrakion with Double Kick and Holy Sword
- Machampa with counter and vigorous punching
- Lucario with Counter and Aura Sphere
- Conkeldurr with counter and vigorous punching
Second possible Pokémon counters
If he uses Kingdra during the second meeting, think about it types of fairies such as:
- Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Shine
- Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Shine
- Sylveon with Charm and Dazzling Shine
If he uses Rhyperior during the second meeting, think about it grass types such as:
- Decidueye with Leafy and Crazy Plant
- Venusaurus with Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant
Closing Pokémon counters (Palkia).
For the final meeting with Palkiawe recommend using a fairy type Pokémon such as:
- Xerneas with Geomancy and Moonblast
- Togekiss with Charm and Dazzling Shine
- Gardevoir with Charm and Dazzling Shine
How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go
As with the fight against the leaders, Giovanni will block the first two charged shield attacks. As such, you’ll ideally want a Fighting Type that can drain the Persian’s health while also having charged moves to destroy those two shields as quickly as possible. Then go to the counters that match the following set.
After defeating Giovanni, you will be able to capture any Shadow Legend that appears in the final fight. This is a guaranteed catch, so be sure to operate Pinap Berry to get extra candy.
Finally, remember that winning against Giovanni is an effective way to earn Shadow Shards for Purified Gems, with each battle rewarding you with four Shards – enough to craft one Gem.
