How to Beat Giovanni in Pokémon GO (October 2026) — Full Counter Guide

Giovanni’s October 2026 Lineup

Giovanni’s team has changed significantly for October 2026. The Harvest Festival: Taken Over event, which began October 2, brought a major shakeup to all Team GO Rocket lineups. Here’s what you’re facing:

Phase 1 — Shadow Persian (Fixed)

Giovanni always leads with Shadow Persian, a Normal-type. Normal-types are weak to Fighting-type moves and resistant to Ghost. This is the easiest phase — bring a strong Fighting-type and burn through it quickly.

Phase 2 — Random (One of Three)

The second phase is randomly selected from one of three Pokémon:

Shadow Rhyperior (Ground/Rock) — Weak to Water (2x), Grass (2x), Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel
Shadow Machamp (Fighting) — Weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic
Shadow Kangaskhan (Normal) — Weak to Fighting

You won’t know which one you’re facing until the battle starts, so prepare a team that can handle all three possibilities.

Phase 3 — Shadow Zekrom (Fixed)

This is the big change for October 2026. Shadow Zekrom has replaced Shadow Reshiram as Giovanni’s final Pokémon — making its Pokémon GO debut. Zekrom is a Dragon/Electric type, weak to Dragon, Fairy, Ground, and Ice moves. It’s resistant to Electric, Fire, Flying, Grass, Steel, and Water.

Best Counters for Each Phase

Phase 1 — Shadow Persian

Any strong Fighting-type will work here. Top picks:

Lucario — Counter / Power-Up Punch + Aura Sphere
Machamp — Counter / Cross Chop + Dynamic Punch
Terrakion — Double Kick / Sacred Sword
Conkeldurr — Counter / Dynamic Punch + Focus Blast

Phase 2 — Shadow Rhyperior

Swampert — Mud Shot / Hydro Cannon
Kyogre — Waterfall / Origin Pulse + Surf
Mamoswine — Powder Snow / Icicle Spear + Avalanche
Kartana — Razor Leaf / Leaf Blade
Mega Sceptile — Fury Cutter / Frenzy Plant

Phase 2 — Shadow Machamp

Mewtwo — Psycho Cut / Psystrike
Rayquaza — Air Slash / Dragon Ascent
Gardevoir — Charm / Dazzling Gleam
Metagross — Zen Headbutt / Psychic
Yveltal — Gust / Oblivion Wing

Phase 2 — Shadow Kangaskhan

Same counters as Persian — any strong Fighting-type works.

Phase 3 — Shadow Zekrom

This is where the battle gets tough. Zekrom’s Electric moves hit hard, and its Dragon coverage is dangerous. The key is Ground-types, which are immune to all Electric moves:

Rhyperior — Mud-Slap / Breaking Swipe (immune to Electric, bulky)
Excadrill — Mud-Slap / Scorching Sands (immune to Electric, resists Dragon and Flash Cannon)
Mamoswine — Powder Snow / Avalanche (immune to Electric, dual Ice/Ground damage)
Groudon — Mud Shot / Precipice Blades (Ground immunity to Electric)
Xerneas — Fairy moves (immune to Dragon moves)
White Kyurem — Ice Fang / Ice Burn (Ice damage, resists Electric)
Black Kyurem — Dragon Tail / Freeze Shock (Dragon + Ice coverage)

Garchomp (Dragon Tail / Breaking Swipe) can deal heavy damage but takes 2x from Outrage and Dragon Breath — use with caution.

Recommended All-Purpose Team

If you want one team that handles every phase without switching:

Lucario (Lead) — Counter / Power-Up Punch + Aura Sphere — Covers Persian, Kangaskhan, and Rhyperior
Mewtwo (Middle) — Psycho Cut / Psystrike — Handles Machamp if it appears
Rhyperior or Excadrill (Closer) — Mud-Slap / Breaking Swipe or Scorching Sands — Ground immunity to Zekrom’s Electric attacks

Alternative team: Lucario, Gardevoir, Mamoswine — Fighting + Fairy + Ice/Ground coverage.

October 2026 Mechanics Changes

Several important changes affect how you find and fight Giovanni this month:

Super Rocket Radar is now GO Pass-gated. You must rank up the Harvest Festival GO Pass and claim the radar by October 7. It’s no longer available through recurring Special Research.
Giovanni no longer appears in Team GO Rocket balloons. He only appears at invaded PokéStops — you’ll need to sift through decoy grunts to find him.
Remove Frustration from your Shadow Pokémon before the event ends if you want them at full strength.

Battle Tips

Burn Giovanni’s shields early. He always blocks the first two charged attacks with Protect Shields. Lead with a fast-charging move like Lucario’s Power-Up Punch to burn both shields quickly.
Exploit the 3-second cooldown. After you use a charged attack or switch, there’s a 3-second cooldown before Giovanni attacks. Use this window to avoid damage.
Read the taunt hints. Giovanni’s taunt text before each phase hints at the typing of his next Pokémon — adjust your switch order accordingly.
Power up fully. A powered-up Pokémon with correct movesets is more valuable than an unprepared Legendary.
Use a Pinap Berry on the Shadow Zekrom encounter for extra candy. The catch is guaranteed after victory.
Don’t worry about losing. The Super Rocket Radar is only consumed when you win. You can challenge Giovanni as many times as needed.