Giovanni, the real mastermind behind Team Rocket, is back in January 2025, ready for you to take him on in Pokémon GO. He’ll be using the same Pokémon lineup as seen in the Galarian Expedition: Taken Over event, featuring some formidable foes that can present quite the challenge. After you finish the Special Team Rocket Research designed to face him, gear up for an intense battle where you can earn some exclusive rewards.
Once you complete the Special Research in Pokémon GO, you’ll receive the Super Rocket Radar, which helps pinpoint Giovanni’s secret location. However, you must defeat two decoys posing as him before locating the actual Giovanni at a different PokéStop. If you lose to Giovanni, you have one chance to rematch him, but losing twice will use up your Super Rocket Radar.
Giovanni’s Team Rocket Lineup & Counters (January 2025)
Bring Your Best Pokémon Into Battle
Like other Team Rocket leaders, Giovanni’s battle consists of three waves with multiple Pokémon. The first and third waves will always have one Pokémon that remains consistent across rematches. However, there are three different Pokémon you might face in the second wave, making it difficult to determine which counters to prepare for.
All of Giovanni’s Pokémon are Shadow versions, which means they are slightly stronger than their regular counterparts. Each Pokémon on Giovanni’s team is either a Legendary Pokémon or the final evolution of a Pokémon. Given the unpredictability of which ones he’ll use, it’s crucial to know the possible Pokémon you may encounter.
The table below lists Giovanni’s lineup for January 2025, showcasing their types, weaknesses, and recommended Pokémon counters:
|
Wave |
Pokémon |
Type(s) |
Weaknesses |
Best Counters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
(Shadow) Persian |
Normal |
Fighting |
|
|
2 |
(Shadow) Nidoking |
Poison/Ground |
Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water |
|
|
2 |
(Shadow) Kingdra |
Dragon/Water |
Dragon, Fairy |
|
|
2 |
(Shadow) Rhyperior |
Rock/Ground |
Grass, Water, Fighting, Ground, Ice, Steel |
|
|
3 |
(Shadow) Heatran |
Fire/Steel |
Ground, Fighting, Water |
|
Some of the top Pokémon to bring against Giovanni include:
- Swampert
- Garchomp
- Machamp
Swampert’s Water and Ground types make it an excellent choice against Giovanni’s Pokémon, as it can effectively handle most of his team. It poses a serious threat to Heatran, his strongest opponent, while also dealing with Rhyperior and Nidoking if they show up in the second wave. Meanwhile, Machamp can quickly take care of the Shadow Persian that opens the battle.
While Machamp can counter both Shadow Heatran and Rhyperior, Swampert has greater durability as a Water type, enabling it to withstand more bouts against those tricky foes on Giovanni’s team.
Garchomp also boasts Ground-type moves to challenge many Pokémon on Giovanni’s potential roster, while its Dragon typing allows it to battle Giovanni’s Shadow Kingdra effectively. Just keep in mind that Kingdra can land super-effective hits on Garchomp too, so feel free to try out other Dragon-type counters if you have stronger options.
Rewards For Defeating Rocket Leader Giovanni (January 2025)
Acquire A Legendary & Other Items
Defeating Giovanni nets you 5,000 Stardust along with two bundles of items from various possibilities. The rewards for your victory may include:
- 4x Revive
- 4x Max Revive
- 4x Hyper Potion
- 4x Max Potion
- 1x Unova Stone
Though you won’t receive any Shadow Eggs from this battle, you will have the opportunity to capture Giovanni’s stolen Shadow Heatran. After the fight concludes, you’ll engage in a standard encounter with Shadow Heatran, providing you a chance to catch it. While it won’t be shiny, it’s still a highly powerful and rare Pokémon that’s not commonly found elsewhere.
Having a Shadow Heatran in your collection can prove useful for future confrontations with Giovanni when he and Team Rocket make their return. Whether it’s Heatran or another Legendary he brings along, defeating the hidden criminal leader in Pokémon GO will always yield fantastic rewards.
