Pokemon Go Giovanni Boss Battle In November 2025 | Best Counters, Phase Breakdown, And Rewards
Posted: Nov 06, 2025 Views: 44
In Pokémon Go, besides other real players, you can battle as a trainer against several bosses from the villainous Team Rocket - you can think of these as PvP and PvE gameplay, respectively. These evil PvE enemies possess formidable Pokemon abilities.
Of all Team Rocket trainers, the most dangerous is undoubtedly their leader, Giovanni. Even more troublesome is that you have to defeat him periodically, as he changes his team's main Pokémon each season to cause you trouble.
Based on this, we'll introduce Pokémon Giovanni can use in Pokemon Go November 2025 season, and the best way to deal with them.
Preparation Before The Battle
If you're new to the game, you need to make sure you've completed the quest Psychic Spectacular: Taken Over and obtained Super Rocket Radar by defeating other Team Rocket bosses in it. This is how you'll have a chance to find the elusive Giovanni.
Furthermore, Giovanni and other Team Rocket trainers own Shadow variants of Pokémon, meaning they have greater combat strength and survivability.
Therefore, regardless of which Pokémon you choose for your team in battle, you must buy Pokemon Go PokeCoins in advance to redeem items that can enhance your Pokémon and increase your chances of victory in boss battles.
Based on this, we recommend prioritizing Mega Evolutions and Shadow Pokemon. If you don't have them, quickly invite your friends to catch some together!
Which Pokémon Does Giovanni Send Out?
First, although Pokémon appearing in Giovanni encounters may vary depending on the season, the entire battle is always divided into three phases. Pokémon appearing in the first and third phases are fixed, while the second phase features a random Pokémon.
Pokémon available for Giovanni in Pokemon Go in November, along with their attributes and weaknesses, are as follows:
- Phase 1: Shadow Persian (Normal) - Fighting
- Phase 2 (Alternative 1): Shadow Rhyperior (Ground/Rock) - Ground, Water, Ice, Steel, Grass, Fighting
- Phase 2 (Alternative 2): Shadow Nidoking (Poison/Ground) - Ground, Ice, Water, Psychic
- Phase 2 (Alternative 3): Shadow Kangaskhan (Normal) - Fighting
- Phase 3: Incarnate Forme Tornadus (Flying) - Electric, Ice, Rock
How To Defeat Giovanni?
You should choose different Pokémon to battle based on the characteristics of Pokémon Giovanni has at each stage. Phase 2 is more complex because you need to consider three possibilities simultaneously.
Phase 1
In this phase, Giovanni sends out Shadow Persian. Your Pokemon choices include Machamp, Lucario, Heracross, etc. - basically, any Fighting-type Pokémon will be a safe bet.
Phase 2
If the opponent's Pokémon is Shadow Rhyperior, although many types are super effective against it, it's recommended to prioritize Grass-type Pokémon, such as Decidueye or Venusaur.
To deal with Shadow Nidoking, the following Pokémon are quite effective:
- Kyogre
- Primarina
- Kartana
- Rillaboom
- Groudon
- Garchomp
As for Giovanni's third alternative Pokemon in Phase 2, Shadow Kangaskhan, you can choose Fighting Pokémon that performed well in Phase 1. So, if you're lucky enough to encounter this opponent, you'll save more time and effort.
Phase 3
Incarnate Forme Tornadus is the newest legendary Pokémon to receive Shadow Treatment in the game, and also the most dangerous Pokémon in this boss battle. Using the following Pokémon will increase your chances of defeating it:
- Mamoswine
- Galarian Darmanitan
- Zekrom
- Electivire
Note that besides Pokemon battles, Giovanni himself will use a shield to block your first two charged attacks. Therefore, at the start of Phase 1, you need to ensure your Fighting Pokémon has a charged attack to quickly break the boss's shield.
Optimal Team Composition
Although there are many Pokémon to choose from, you can only bring three to form a team. Therefore, considering all phases, we recommend Zekrom, Swampert, and Lucario as your team members.
Lucario's Fighting attribute allows it to successfully complete Phase 1, and if Phase 2 boss sends out Kangaskhan, Lucario can also handle it.
If you're unlucky enough to encounter Nidoking or Rhyperior in Phase 2, don't worry, you still have Swampert, which is super effective against Ground type, and this is one of the weaknesses of the other two Phase 2 enemy Pokemon.
As for Phase 3, you'll witness a thrilling battle between two Legendary Pokémon. More importantly, Zekrom's Electric type perfectly counters Tornadus, making victory a breeze.
What Rewards Do You Get For Completing The Boss Battle?
After completing all three phases to defeat this season's Giovanni, the most important reward is that you can recruit Incarnate Forme Tornadus, making this powerful new Pokémon work for you!
In addition, you'll receive 5,000 Stardust and three item bundles. Opening these bundles may yield the following items:
- 4x Revive
- 4x Max Revive
- 4x Hyper Potion
- 4x Max Potion
- 1x Unova Stone
If you fail in your first boss battle this month due to misjudgment or other reasons, don't be discouraged. You can continue challenging him without consuming any items until you win.
However, after winning once, your Super Rocket Radar will disappear from your inventory. After that, if you want to experience battling Giovanni again, you may need to complete the prerequisite quests again.
That's all for this introduction. However, Giovanni's Pokemon team will continue to change with each season update, so don't forget to stay updated and adjust your team accordingly after November!
