How to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: Best Counters and Team

Leading with a Shadow Persian for his first, follows it up with a guessing game for his second, and then throws a Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus for his final slot. Giovanni is as difficult as they come in April 2026 for Pokémon Go bosses.

Let's analyze his strengths and weaknesses so you can prepare a team with a fair chance of overcoming battle Giovanni to defeat Giovanni.

Giovanni's Current Lineup in April 2026

Giovanni will always lead with Shadow Persian. Next, he'll pick from a pool of three for Phase 2, and will always finish with his Legendary, and currently, that's Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus. He's been fielding this lineup since late January of 2026.

Phase 2 is a game of chance, so your best bet is to prepare for the three possible outcomes.

Best Counters for Shadow Persian

As a normal-type, Persian is weak to fighting type moves, so a Lucario with Counter and Power-Up Punch is a good way to manage here. It works like this: you use Counter to deal damage and build energy. Since Power-up Punch only needs a small amount, you're able to use it repeatedly, thereby making Giovanni waste his two shields. As you reuse Power-up Punch, it also boosts your Pokémon's attack, making a fast attack like Counter deal damage like a charge attack.

If you don't have Lucario, don't fret. Other strong Pokémon exist, like Nidoking in Pokémon GO and Machamp with its Counter and Cross Chop. Equally viable are Conkeldurr and Blaziken. The strategy is simple: use fighting-type moves to win as fast as possible while burning through his shields.

Giovanni Counters for Phase 2

The issue with Phase 2 is that there are 3 distinct Pokémon that can appear, and there's no way of confirming which is gonna come out. Here are the three possible Pokémon you might face:

Shadow Rhyperior has double weakness to Water and Grass, so a water-type pokemon with water-type moves like Swampert with Hydro Cannon is the standard go-to pick. A more premium option would be Terrakion with Sacred Sword or Kyogre with Origin Pulse.

Shadow Machamp is weak to Flying and Psychic types, so Mewtwo with Psystrike or Gardevoir with Charm and Psychic should make short work of this.

Shadow Kangaskhan, as a normal-type pokemon, can be dealt with the same way as Persian.

If you're struggling with phase 2 or you just want to avoid a headache, trainers looking to defeat Giovanni in Pokemon Go have developed a technique to make this easy: do a scouting run. Start the Giovanni encounter, and when you reach phase 2, remember which Pokémon shows up and proceed to retreat. Giovanni's lineup is static, meaning it will stay the same for the whole encounter. Reform your team based on the info and re-engage. You'll now be ready to take on his second slot shadow pokemon.

How to Defeat Shadow Thundurus (Incarnate Forme)

As Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus is an Electric/Flying type, you can go with either Ice-type Pokémon or Rock types.

Mamoswine with Powder Snow and Avalanche is the Ice-type “budget” hard counter that packs a punch. For a premium flex, Kyogre with Origin Pulse or White Kyurem with Ice Fang and Ice Burn is a solid moveset pick. If you decide to go with Rock types, a Rhyperior with Smack Down and Rock Wrecker or a Tyranitar with Smack Down and Stone Edge will work wonders. Remember to keep your Ice/Rock Pokémon like Glaceon healthy past phase 2 if you want to increase your chances of winning against Thundurus.

Best Team to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go

This guide shows the team composition to beat Giovanni in Pokemon Go most trainers end up with:

Lead: Lucario (Counter+Power-up Punch/Aura Sphere) - Made specifically to burn through shields as fast as possible while being able to handle Persian and Kangaskhan/Rhyperior.

Mid: Swampert (Water Gun+Hydro Cannon) - Take down Rhyperior or deal significant damage to others.

Anchor: Mamoswine (Powder Snow+Avalanche) - Anti-Thundurus pick, also reliable against Rhyperior

If you're matched up against Machamp, replace Swampert with either Mewtwo or Gardevoir. This team focuses on being budget-friendly while still flexible enough to handle different Giovanni configurations. Trainers looking to defeat Giovanni in Pokemon Go consistently can field Mega Lucario or White Kyurem for a more stable run.

Missing Pokémon to complete your team? Head on over to igitems to grab what you need and defeat the Pokémon GO Giovanni encounter today.

How to Find Giovanni in Pokémon Go

To encounter Giovanni, you need to complete the Team GO Rocket special research “Precious Pals: Taken Over,” which will reward you with a “Super Rocket Radar”, which is reusable. This will act as your key to access Giovanni's hideout via a Rocket-invaded PokéStop or Team GO Rocket balloons at PokéStops. He employs decoy grunts to misdirect you, so expect a few Team GO Rocket grunt battles before fighting Giovanni.

Key Battle Tips Against Team GO Rocket boss Giovanni Giovanni

This guide provides a few more tips before taking on Giovanni Giovanni. As shadow variants, Giovanni's Pokémon traded in defense for higher attack, so expect a fast-paced challenge that goes both ways.

Like the three Team GO Rocket leaders Arlo, Sierra, and Cliff, Giovanni suffers from a 3-second delay after charged moves whenever he uses a charge attack. Take advantage of this by maximizing hits or switching Pokémon during this window. Proper utilization of this gap will be key in taking down his Thundurus.

If you stumble the first time, don't immediately re-engage. Power up your Pokémon, utilize Fast and Charge Attack TMs (if there's ever a time to use your rare Elite TM, this would be it), and come back stronger. A failed attempt won't consume your Super Rocket Radar.

A strong Electric Attacker for both Raids and PvP, Shadow Incarnate Forme Thundurus is among the better legendary offerings you can get from Giovanni. Decided all this grief just isn't for you? Go to igitems and get a POGO account that's ready to take on Giovanni and more.