Pokemon GO: How to Beat Giovanni (October 2025)

Pokemon GO Giovanni’s team has been updated for October 2025, and players eager to face the leader of Team Rocket are getting their strongest Pokemon ready to take him on. He’s now including Shadow Tornadus Incarnate Forme, meaning defeating him and earning the chance to catch this Shadow Legendary won’t be easy.

Tornadus Incarnate is already a powerful Pokémon, but its Shadow form is even more formidable. If you’re struggling to figure out the best way to defeat Giovanni, here’s a complete guide to building a strong team to take him on in the next Team Rocket Takeover event.

Pokemon GO – All Giovanni Shadow Pokemon (October 2025)

Giovanni’s team in Pokémon GO for October 2025 is mostly the same, but the new addition of Shadow Tornadus Incarnate Forme does make a difference. While it’s not a very tough opponent, players need to be careful during the third round. This round isn’t fixed, meaning Giovanni can choose any of the three Pokémon listed below. This unpredictability could make the battle challenging for players who aren’t ready.

Round Pokemon
First Shadow Persian
Second
  • Shadow Rhyperior
  • Shadow Kangaskhan
  • Shadow Nidoking
Third Shadow Tornadus (Incarnate Forme)

Players have the option to battle Giovanni to see which Pokemon he’s chosen for that round. They can then exit the fight and build a stronger, more well-rounded team to prepare for the next round.

Pokemon GO: How To Beat Giovanni (October 2025)

To defeat Giovanni, players need to carefully choose their team. It’s a good idea to include Machamp or Mega Lucario to effectively counter Shadow Persian, Shadow Rhyperior, and Shadow Kangaskhan. Swampert and Kyogre are also useful against Nidoking or Rhyperior. If you’re facing Shadow Tornadus Incarnate, the best Pokémon to use are Black Kyurem, White Kyurem, or Zekrom. Shadow Raikou and Tyranitar are options, but aren’t as strong. Depending on what you have available, more affordable choices include Xurkitree, Shadow Rampardos, or Crowned Shield Zamazenta (which was recently available in events, so you might already have one).

  • Machamp or Mega Lucario are the best Fighting-types that counter Persian (Machamp is especially good since he is fast and can take down Persian before it causes too much damage). Shadow Rhyperior and Shadow Kangaskhan are no match for these Pokemon.
  • Swampert and Kyogre are optimal choices to deal more damage to Shadow Nidoking and Shadow Rhyperior, who are weak to Water-type moves.
  • Black Kyurem, with its powerful moveset (Ice Fang/Ice Burn), is currently the best Ice-type attacker in the Pokemon GO roster. And for Shadow Tornadus Incarnate, Ice-type moves are lethal. This Shadow Pokemon is also affected by Rock and Electric-type moves, and there’s a wide array of decent counters ready to take it down in a few blows.

Using Charged Moves rapidly at the beginning of the battle can be a good tactic. Giovanni will consistently block the first two Charged Moves you use, and this can leave him open to attack in the following rounds.

After defeating Giovanni, players should utilize a Pinap Berry when catching Tornadus Incarnate to maximize candy collection, as it’s a guaranteed catch – much like Shiny Pokemon encountered in Raids.

Pokemon GO – All Giovanni Pokemon Counters (October 2025)

Giovanni’s team for October 2025 includes five unique Pokemon, and Pokemon GO players want to know the most effective counters for each one. Here’s a breakdown of every Pokemon Giovanni might use in battle, along with the best counters and suggested movesets to help you win.

Shadow Persian Counters

Pokemon Fast Move Charged Move
Mega Lucario Force Palm Aura Sphere
Machamp Counter Close Combat
Lucario Force Palm Aura Sphere
Shadow Conkeldurr Counter Dynamic Punch
Urshifu Counter Dynamic Punch

Shadow Rhyperior Counters

Pokemon Fast Move Charged Move
Swampert Force Palm Aura Sphere
Kyogre Waterfall Origin Pulse
Quaquaval Waterfall Hydro Cannon
Kartana Razor Leaf Leaf Blade
Zarude Vine Whip Power Whip

Shadow Kangaskhan Counters

Pokemon Fast Move Charged Move
Mega Lucario Force Palm Aura Sphere
Machamp Counter Close Combat
Lucario Force Palm Aura Sphere
Shadow Conkeldurr Counter Dynamic Punch
Urshifu Counter Dynamic Punch

Shadow Nidoking Counters

Pokemon Fast Move Charged Move
White Kyurem Ice Fang Ice Blast
Kyogre Waterfall Origin Pulse
Garchomp Mud Shot Earth Power
Mewtwo Psycho Cut Psystrike
Alakazam Confusion Psychic

Shadow Tornadus Incarnate Forme Counters

Pokemon Fast Move Charged Move
White Kyurem Ice Fang Ice Blast
Shadow Raikou Thunder Shock Wild Charge
Xurkitree Thunder Shock Discharge
Zekrom Charge Beam Wild Charge
Tyranitar Smack Down Stone Edge

Read More

2025-10-01 20:59