Mastering Giovanni in Pokémon GO: January 2026 Strategy Guide

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In January 2026, a new year begins, but Pokémon GO keeps up its tradition of challenging Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, to a battle. Beating Giovanni earns you valuable rewards, but facing his powerful team of Shadow Pokémon can be tough. Luckily, some familiar Pokémon from 2025 will help trained players prepare to face him again.

Getting to Giovanni is not easy. You’ll need a special item called the Super Rocket Radar. Like in previous battles, you can earn the Super Rocket Radar by completing Rocket Special Research, which involves challenges like defeating other Team Rocket leaders and grunts. Once you have it, you can locate Giovanni at a Poké Stop.

### Giovanni’s Team & Counters (January 2026)

To win the fight, you’ll battle through three waves of Giovanni’s Pokémon. Since the same “Taken Over” Team Rocket event from late 2025 isn’t active yet in 2026, Giovanni will have the same team from December 2025. This might make some of the research more difficult or even impossible if players can’t access certain parts of the event. But if you’re able to challenge him, be ready for the three waves of Pokémon.

Giovanni only uses Shadow Pokémon, which are much stronger than their regular versions. He always uses the same Pokémon in the first and third waves but will choose among different options for the second wave, making it harder to prepare counters for every possible Pokémon.

You can create a solid team for this battle using type knowledge and strategic planning. Here are the Pokémon Giovanni may use and some suggested counters:

In 2026, Pokémon from the Paldea region are also available as counters. For example, Nacli and its evolutions are helpful against Giovanni’s Legendary Pokémon and are good for early battles.

A recommended team for January 2026 includes:

– Black Kyurem
– Conkeldurr
– Torterra

This team is bulky and can withstand hits well. Conkeldurr is particularly effective against Shadow Persian and Kangaskhan, using Fighting-type moves. Black Kyurem’s Ice moves and Torterra’s Grass/Ground typing help target Giovanni’s Pokémon weaknesses.

### Rewards for Beating Giovanni

Winning against Giovanni grants you 5,000 Stardust, a useful currency in the game. You’ll also receive three item bundles, each containing valuable items like Revives, Max Revives, Hyper Potions, Max Potions, and Unova Stones—items useful for future battles and raids.

After defeating Giovanni, you’ll have the opportunity to catch his Legendary Shadow Tornadus, just like past Legendaries he captured. This is a good chance to add him to your collection before future events possibly change Giovanni’s lineup.

Although some changes may come later in 2026, for now, Giovanni offers some of the best rewards available in Pokémon GO, provided you prepare well and triumph in a challenging battle.