Best Counters & Tips: How to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO
Giovanni, the notorious leader of Team Rocket, is one of the toughest challenges in Pokémon GO. After battling through Arlo, Cliff, Sierra, and countless Grunts, you’ll finally face Giovanni. His powerful Shadow Legendary Pokémon, high defense, and ever-changing lineup make him a formidable foe. This guide provides the best strategies to defeat Giovanni, so read on to master this epic battle!
Why is Giovanni So Hard to Beat?
Giovanni’s battles are tough due to his Shadow Legendary Pokémon, which deal extra damage and have boosted defense. He also uses two shields to block your first two charged attacks, making early hits tricky. His team changes regularly, so you must adapt your strategy each time.
How to Find Giovanni Instantly?
Tracking down Giovanni is a challenge in itself. Follow these steps to locate him:
1. Get Super Rocket Radar
To find Giovanni, you need a Super Rocket Radar, earned through Special Research missions from Professor Willow. These tasks include:
- Defeating Team GO Rocket Grunts.
- Collecting Mysterious Components to build Rocket Radars.
- Battling and defeating Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra.
- Completing storyline missions.
Once completed, you’ll receive the Super Rocket Radar.
2. Filter Out Decoys
Activating the Super Rocket Radar reveals Giovanni’s hideouts, but some are decoys manned by Grunts. Check each hideout to find the real Giovanni.
3. Use MocPOGO
MocPOGO is a location spoofing tool that teleports you to areas with higher chances of finding Giovanni. Its user-friendly interface and features like Joystick Mode make it ideal for Pokémon GO players.
- ✔ Real-time GPS spoofing for seamless virtual location changes.
- ✔ User-friendly interface ideal for beginners with no tech skills needed.
- ✔ No jailbreak or root required to change your device location.
- ✔ No error 12 or signal found issue.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using MocPOGO
Step 1. Download MocPOGO from the official site, launch it, and connect your device via USB.
Step 2. Select “Teleport” mode, enter a high-Giovanni-probability location, and click “Search.”
Step 3.Click “Go” to teleport to the location.
Step 4.Use “Scan Nearby Pokémon” to locate Giovanni or other Pokémon.
Top Pokémon to Beat Giovanni’s Current Lineup [May 2025]
To defeat Giovanni’s team, you need the right counters. Here’s the breakdown for his May 2025 lineup:
Slot 1: Persian
Weakness: Fighting
Best Counters: Lucario, Machamp, Conkeldurr, Hariyama
Slot 2: Nidoking
Weaknesses: Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water
Best Counters:Mewtwo, Kyogre, Excadrill, Swampert
Slot 3: Shadow Regice
Weaknesses: Fire, Rock, Fighting, Steel
Best Counters: Metagross, Reshiram, Lucario, Chandelure
| Pokémon | Types | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Persian | Normal | Fighting |
| Nidoking | Poison/Ground | Ground, Ice, Water, Psychic |
| Shadow Regice | Ice | Fire, Rock, Steel, Fighting |
How to Counter Giovanni’s Team Slot-by-Slot
Slot 1: Persian
Top Counters: Lucario, Machamp, Conkeldurr
Use fast-charging Fighting-type moves like Power-Up Punch or Cross Chop to burn Giovanni’s shields early.
Slot 2: Nidoking
Top Counters: Mewtwo, Kyogre, Swampert
Focus on Water, Psychic, or Ground-type moves to exploit Nidoking’s weaknesses.
Slot 3: Shadow Regice
Top Counters: Metagross, Reshiram, Chandelure
With Giovanni’s shields down, use hard-hitting Fire or Steel-type charge moves.
Pro Battle Strategy Tips to Defeat Giovanni Easily
Tip 1. Bait Giovanni’s shields with low-energy charge moves like Power-Up Punch.
Giovanni uses two Protect Shields in battle, which block your first two Charged Attacks. To counter this, lead with a Pokémon that has a fast-charging, low-energy Charged Move, such as Power-Up Punch (Machamp or Lucario) or Cross Chop (Machamp). These moves force Giovanni to waste his shields early, especially against the weaker Shadow Persian in the first phase.
📌 For example, Mega Lucario with Force Palm and Power-Up Punch can quickly charge, deal damage, and boost its Attack stat, setting you up for success in later phases. Prioritize moves that charge in 5-7 Fast Moves to maximize efficiency and preserve your stronger Pokémon for later.
Tip 2. Save your strongest charge moves for after his shields are down.
Once Giovanni’s shields are depleted, his Pokémon are vulnerable to your most powerful Charged Attacks. Save high-damage moves like Dynamic Punch (Machamp), Precipice Blades (Primal Groudon), or Hydro Cannon (Mega Swampert) for the second and third phases, especially against tough opponents like Shadow Dialga.
📌 For instance, after burning shields on Persian, switch to a heavy hitter like Primal Groudon with Precipice Blades to deal massive Ground-type damage to Dialga. Timing is key—ensure you’ve built enough energy with Fast Moves like Mud Shot or Counter before unleashing these attacks to maximize their impact.
Tip 3. Switch Pokémon strategically to preserve your counters for Shadow Regice.
Shadow Dialga, Giovanni’s final Pokémon, is a Steel/Dragon-type with high durability and powerful moves like Draco Meteor or Iron Head. To ensure your key counters (e.g., Primal Groudon or Mega Lucario) are ready for Dialga, use strategic switching in the early phases.
📌 Start with a tanky lead like Melmetal or Swampert to absorb hits from Persian, then switch to a Fighting-type like Machamp to handle Persian or Kangaskhan. This preserves your Ground-type counter (e.g., Excadrill or Groudon) for Dialga, where its Fighting or Ground-type moves deal super-effective damage. Additionally, switching triggers a 3-second pause, allowing you to deal free damage and manage energy efficiently.
Conclusion
This guide equips you to take down Giovanni in Pokémon GO with confidence. Use the right counters, bait his shields, and consider MocPOGO to locate him easily. Get ready to claim victory and catch those Shadow Legendaries!
NOTE: Always check for Giovanni’s latest lineup, as it changes monthly.
168,282 people have downloaded it.
- Change GPS location on iOS/Android device without jailbreak or root.
- Simulate GPS movement with customized speeds.
- Change the location of all location-based games/apps, including Pokemon Go, MHN, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Tinder, etc.
- Support GPS joystick to play AR game on PC.
- POGO error 12 fixed.
- Support the latest iOS 18/Android 15.
