Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni is once again set to cause trainers a host of problems in Pokémon GO for August 2025, as he returns with a strong line-up. The Boss is by far the hardest of the AI opponents you can tackle in the game, but you can take him down if you use the right Pokémon.
In Pokémon GO, you can face off against the Team GO Rocket Leaders Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff, as well as Grunts and Giovanni himself. Once you have defeated all three Leaders, Giovanni will start appearing at PokeStops and in GO Rocket Balloons. His Pokémon all have high CP and are also Shadow Pokémon, making them even stronger. If you don’t select the best counters, he will make quick work of your Pokémon.
Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni Lineup & Counters (August 2025)
No Surprises For The New Month
Boss Giovanni’s line-up regularly changes in Pokémon GO, but for the start of August 2025, he uses the same team as in July 2025. This means he comes into every battle with the same five Pokémon, of which he will use three each time. Giovanni will always start with Normal-type Persian, but his second choice will change with each battle. It will be randomly chosen out of Kangaskhan, Nidoking, and Rhyperior. His final Pokémon remains the har
dest to beat, and currently, it’s the Legendary Dialga.
|
Wave |
Pokémon |
Weaknesses |
Best Counters |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Shadown Persian (Normal) |
Fighting |
|
|
2 |
Shadow Nidoking (Poison/Ground) |
Ground, Ice, Psychic and Water |
|
|
2 |
Shadow Kangaskhan (Normal) |
Fighting |
|
|
2 |
Shadow Rhyperior (Rock/Ground) |
Ground, Water, Ice, Fighting, Grass and Steel |
|
|
3 |
Shadow Dialga (Dragon/Steel) |
Fighting and Ground |
|
To defeat Giovanni, you want to pick a team that is super-effective against all his potential Pokémon. A great line-up to use is Lucario, Machamp, and Groudon. Lucario and Machamp are two of the strongest Fighting-type attacking Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Both are super-effective against four of Giovanni’s Pokémon, including Persian and Dialga.
It’s worth using two Fighting types in your team to ensure you can switch between them if one starts to take a lot of damage. The only Pokémon that Fighting types don’t have an advantage against is Nidoking, so Groudon is a strong option to bring to the fight in case it is needed. This month is a great time to try and take on Giovanni ahead of the biggest event in Pokemon GO’s history in August.
Rewards For Beating Rocket Boss Giovanni (August 2025)
A Shadow Encounter And Further Items
Every time you defeat Boss Giovanni, you will receive a host of rewards. This includes 5,000 Stardust, which can be used to increase the CP of your Pokémon. You can also potentially receive Max Revives, Revives, Max Potions, Potions, or an Unova Stone. While these items are common in Pokémon GO, they are all useful for taking on Team GO Rocket in future battles.
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Despite receiving the above items, the biggest reward remains an encounter with the Legendary Dialga in its Shadow Form. While it is incredibly difficult to catch, you can increase your chances of doing so by using Golden Berries and timing your throws perfectly. To defeat Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni in August 2025 in Pokémon GO, it’s vital that you use a strong team like Machamp, Lucario, and Groudon.
