Select Language:
Giovanni has been a tough opponent in Pokémon GO for a long time, but recent updates to his team make battling him in October 2025 even more difficult. The “Psychic Spectacular: Taken Over” event changed many of his Team Rocket teams, including which Pokémon he uses as his main leader. With new powerful Shadow Pokémon, Giovanni offers great rewards for trainers who bring the right counters to defeat him.
After the disappointing results of the Eternatus event, the Taken Over series returned, bringing back something familiar for fans. Like in previous events, you can only find Giovanni in battle by defeating other Team Rocket leaders. Once you craft the Super Rocket Radar, you can track him down and battle him multiple times until you succeed.
Giovanni’s Team Lineup & Counters (October 2025)
One Major But Important Change
In October 2025, Giovanni’s team has only one new Pokémon, giving players a better idea of what to expect in each phase of the fight. His battles are divided into three waves, with multiple Shadow Pokémon to defeat. Sometimes, Giovanni will send out one of three different Pokémon in the second wave, requiring you to adjust your strategy. Planning your counters carefully is important to handle the different possibilities.
Below is a table outlining Giovanni’s team for October 2025, including each Pokémon’s weaknesses and the best counters:
| Wave | Pokémon | Weaknesses | Best Counters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadow Persian (Normal) | Fighting | Lucario, Machamp, Heracross, Conkeldurr, Blaziken |
| 2 | Shadow Kangaskhan (Normal) | Fighting | Lucario, Machamp, Heracross, Conkeldurr, Blaziken |
| 2 | Shadow Rhyperior (Ground/Rock) | Ground, Water, Ice, Fighting, Grass, Steel | Machamp, Swampert, Sceptile, Zarude, Kyogre |
| 2 | Shadow Nidoking (Ground/Poison) | Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water | Groudon, Garchomp, Alakazam, Mamoswine, Mewtwo |
| 3 | Incarnate Tornadus (Flying) | Electric, Ice, Rock | White Kyurem, Magnezone, Zekrom, Mega Diancie, Shadow Raikou |
Strategy Tips:
- Giovanni’s team is more vulnerable to Fighting and Ice types this month.
- A strong Fighting-type Pokémon is essential—Lucario and Heracross are good options, but Machamp or Conkeldurr are even better as they only have one weakness.
- Against Tornadus, Ice Pokémon like White Kyurem work best. Water types such as Swampert also handle Rhyperior and Nidoking well.
Rewards for Beating Giovanni (October 2025)
Lots of Items and a Legendary Encounter
The main reward for defeating Giovanni is the chance to catch his Shadow Incarnate Tornadus right after the battle. This legendary Flying-type Pokémon is available for capture immediately afterward.
In addition, you’ll receive three item bundles, each containing useful battle tools. Possible items include:
- 4 Revives
- 4 Max Revives
- 4 Hyper Potions
- 4 Max Potions
- 1 Unova Stone
If you want to battle Giovanni multiple times to farm Candy for Tornadus, it’s smart to stock up on these items beforehand. Beating Giovanni also completes Special Research tasks that can give you extra rewards, such as rare Pokémon encounters or more battle items.
You also get 5,000 Stardust for defeating him, which helps improve your Pokémon or trade with friends. While past battles with Giovanni sometimes awarded Eggs, that’s no longer the case. However, you can still earn additional rewards from Special Research.
Note: Once you’ve defeated Giovanni, you’ll need to craft another Super Rocket Radar to fight him again. In October 2025, it’s a good idea to challenge him multiple times while you know the best counters for his team before he might change again.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
