Giovanni’s battles remain some of the toughest encounters in Pokémon Go. As the Team GO Rocket boss, he brings Shadow Pokémon with boosted damage, difficult move sets, and enough pressure to wipe out unprepared teams.
For December 2025, Giovanni continues using the same lineup introduced during the Psychic Spectacular: Taken Over event, making it easier to plan ahead once you know what to expect.
Giovanni Lineup for December 2025
Giovanni always follows a three-slot pattern. For this month, the structure and Pokémon remain unchanged from the September update.
Giovanni December 2025 Pokémon lineup:
- Shadow Persian (always first)
- Shadow Rhyperior / Shadow Nidoking / Shadow Kangaskhan
- Incarnate Shadow Tornadus (always last)
This lineup is confirmed by the latest Rocket event update and remains active through December.
Best Giovanni Counters (December 2025)
Because Giovanni’s Pokémon use boosted Shadow damage, the safest strategy is to combine high bulk, fast Charged Moves, and type-superior matchups.
See also: Pokémon Go Dynamax Lugia Counters and Best Tactics
You must also burn Giovanni’s two Protect Shields early, which makes your opener extremely important.
1. Best Counters for Shadow Persian
Persian hits fast and is notorious for soaking time and pressure in the opening seconds. Fighting-types remain the most stable answer.
Recommended counters:
- Terrakion – Double Kick + Sacred Sword
- Lucario – Force Palm + Aura Sphere
- Machamp – Counter + Close Combat
- Conkeldurr – Counter + Dynamic Punch
- Urshifu (Single-Strike/Rapid-Strike) – Counter + Dynamic Punch
Persian’s main weakness is to Fighting, and opening with a strong Fighting-type burns Giovanni’s shields fast.
2. Best Counters for Giovanni’s Slot Two
Giovanni’s second Pokémon can be one of three options—each demands a slightly different approach.
Shadow Rhyperior Counters
Weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel.
Top picks:
- Swampert – Mud Shot + Hydro Cannon
- Kyogre / Primal Kyogre – Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- Kartana – Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade
- Rillaboom – Razor Leaf + Grass Knot
- Zarude – Vine Whip + Power Whip
- Quaquaval – Waterfall + Hydro Cannon
Rhyperior takes double weakness to Water and Grass, making these the safest picks.
Shadow Nidoking Counters
Weak to Ground, Water, Ice, and Psychic.
Best counters:
- White Kyurem – Ice Fang + Ice Burn
- Mewtwo – Psycho Cut + Psystrike
- Groudon / Primal Groudon – Mud Shot + Precipice Blades
- Kyogre – Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- Garchomp – Mud Shot + Earth Power
- Therian Landorus – Mud Shot + Sandsear Storm
Shadow Kangaskhan Counters
Pure Normal-type → only weak to Fighting.
Recommended Pokémon:
- Lucario – Force Palm + Aura Sphere
- Machamp – Karate Chop + Cross Chop
- Terrakion – Double Kick + Sacred Sword
- Conkeldurr – Counter + Dynamic Punch
- Keldeo – Low Kick + Sacred Sword
- Urshifu – Counter + Dynamic Punch
3. Best Counters for Incarnate Shadow Tornadus (Final Boss)
Tornadus is a pure Flying-type, leaving it weak to Ice, Electric, and Rock.
Top counters:
- Black Kyurem – Dragon Tail + Freeze Shock
- White Kyurem – Ice Fang + Ice Burn
- Zekrom – Charge Beam + Wild Charge
- Therian Thundurus – Volt Switch + Wildbolt Storm
- Xurkitree – Thunder Shock + Discharge
- Raikou – Thunder Shock + Wild Charge
These matchups reliably shut down Tornadus regardless of its charged move set (Hyper Beam, Hurricane, Grass Knot, Dark Pulse).
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Recommended Team Setup (December 2025)
Based on matchup coverage and shield pressure, these teams perform consistently well:
Team A – Most Reliable
- Machamp or Mega Lucario – Shield burning + Persian cleanup
- Swampert or Kyogre – Handles Rhyperior and Nidoking
- Black/White Kyurem or Zekrom – Hard counters Tornadus
Team B – High-Power Legendary Core
- Terrakion
- Primal Kyogre
- Therian Thundurus/Xurkitree
Team C – Free-to-Play Friendly
- Machamp
- Rillaboom / Garchomp / Vaporeon
- Magnezone or Mamoswine
These patterns match the optimal meta recommendations for defeating Giovanni’s December rotation.
How to Find Giovanni in December 2025
Giovanni only appears if you have an active Super Rocket Radar.
Steps to locate Giovanni:
- Complete the current Team GO Rocket Special Research
- Defeat Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra to progress the Research.
- Receive the Super Rocket Radar in step four of the questline.
- Check nearby PokéStops for Giovanni or decoy Grunts.
- Battle Giovanni once you find his real hideout.
You may re-challenge Giovanni repeatedly until you win, but the Radar expires after victory.
Rewards for Defeating Giovanni (December 2025)
Winning against Giovanni gives some of the best one-battle rewards in the game.
Guaranteed Reward
- 5,000 Stardust
Item Bundles
Three random bundles, each containing:
- 4 Revives
- 4 Max Revives
- 4 Hyper Potions
- 4 Max Potions
- Chance of 1 Unova Stone
(Each bundle rolls independently; it’s common to walk away with 8–12 Max Revives or Potions.)
Legendary Shadow Encounter
For December 2025, Giovanni’s catch reward is: Shadow Incarnate Forme Tornadus
A Shadow Legendary encounter is the main incentive and cannot be obtained elsewhere.
Pro Tips for Beating Giovanni This Month
- Burn his shields early using quick Charged moves (Machamp/Lucario/Mega Lucario).
- Expect heavy damage — Shadow moves hit harder than standard moves.
- Avoid Fighting-types vs Tornadus — they fold fast.
- Bring at least one Water-type or Grass-type to avoid getting walled by Rhyperior.
- Use Mega Evolutions smartly to boost team damage and tank hits.
If you prepare around his lineup, Tornadus becomes the only major threat — and even that matchup becomes simple once you lock in a strong Electric or Ice finisher. Play Now!
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