Giovanni Counters August 2025: What Most People Get Wrong

So, Giovanni is back for August 2025, and honestly, if you aren't prepared, he’s going to roll right over your team. He isn't like the Grunts or even the Leaders. He’s mean. He’s efficient. And this month, he’s packing Shadow Giratina as his final heavy hitter.

You’ve probably seen some generic advice online. "Just use Fighting types," they say. While that’s sort of true for his lead, the middle of his lineup is a total minefield. If you go in blind, you’re basically throwing away your Max Revives.

I’ve spent the last week testing different builds and checking the latest data from the "Delightful Days: Taken Over" event. Here is the actual, no-nonsense strategy for the Giovanni counters August 2025 rotation.

The August 2025 Lineup Explained

Before we talk about who to bring, you need to know who you’re actually fighting. Giovanni’s team is a three-act play. Act one is always the same. Act two is a random choice of three. Act three is the legendary.

1. Slot 1: Persian (Always)
2. Slot 2: Nidoking, Rhyperior, or Kangaskhan
3. Slot 3: Shadow Giratina (Altered Forme)

The real problem here isn't Persian. It's the RNG of that second slot. If you bring a team designed to crush Nidoking but he pulls out Kangaskhan, you’re in for a rough time.

Dealing with Persian: The Shield Baiter

Persian is annoying. It’s fast, and its Scratch fast move chips away at your health way quicker than you’d expect.

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Don't start with your counter. Seriously. This is the biggest mistake people make. Start the battle with a different Pokémon and immediately swap into your Fighting-type counter. This triggers a "stun" where Giovanni stops attacking for about three seconds. In a Rocket battle, those seconds are everything.

Top Counters for Persian

• Terrakion: Use Double Kick and Sacred Sword. It’s probably the best choice because it builds energy so fast.
• Lucario: Counter and Power-Up Punch. The goal here isn't just damage; it's baiting Giovanni’s two shields. He will always shield the first two charged moves you throw. Use Power-Up Punch to burn them while boosting your own attack.
• Annihilape: If your Lucario is too glass-cannon, Annihilape is a tanky alternative. Counter and Night Slash or Close Combat work wonders here.

The Middle Slot: The Real Challenge

This is where most trainers fail. You don't know which one he has until the first Pokémon faints.

Shadow Rhyperior

Rhyperior is double-weak to Water and Grass. If you see this guy, you’re actually in luck.

• Kyogre/Primal Kyogre: Waterfall and Surf. It deletes Rhyperior.
• Swampert: Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon. Swampert is the king of Rocket battles because Hydro Cannon charges in about two seconds.
• Kartana: If you prefer the Grass route, Razor Leaf will cut through him before you even need a charged move.

Shadow Nidoking

Nidoking is a Poison/Ground type. He’s weak to Ground, Water, Psychic, and Ice.

• Mewtwo: Psycho Cut and Psystrike. This is the gold standard.
• Garchomp: Mud Shot and Earth Power.
• Kyogre: Again, the whale is a safe bet here if you don't want to swap.

Shadow Kangaskhan

This is the "uh-oh" pull. Like Persian, she’s a Normal type. If you used your Fighting type to beat Persian and it has half health left, it might not survive Kangaskhan.

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• Machamp: Counter and Cross Chop. It’s the classic for a reason.
• Conkeldurr: Just a beefier version of Machamp.
• Keldeo: If you have it, Low Kick and Sacred Sword make this a joke.

How to Crush Shadow Giratina

Finally, the big prize. Shadow Giratina (Altered Forme) is incredibly bulky. It’s a Ghost/Dragon type, which means it’s weak to Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Ice, and Fairy.

Because it’s a Shadow, it deals 20% more damage but takes 20% more too. You need to hit hard and fast.

The Best Tactical Counters

1. Dawn Wings Necrozma: This is the current MVP. Shadow Claw and Moongeist Beam will melt Giratina. Honestly, it's kind of unfair.
2. Mega Rayquaza: Dragon Tail and Breaking Swipe. The attack boost from Mega Evolving helps your whole team if you haven't won by the time Rayquaza comes out.
3. Tyranitar (Mega or Shadow): Bite and Brutal Swing. Tyranitar resists almost everything Giratina throws at it except for the occasional Ancient Power.
4. Sylveon: If you’re a budget player, a high-level Sylveon with Charm and Moonblast is surprisingly effective. Fairy types are the "safe" play because they resist Giratina's Dragon moves.

Expert Tactics Most People Ignore

Winning isn't just about the right Pokémon. It's about the "Rocket AI."

The AI pauses for a few seconds after:

• You switch a Pokémon.
• You use a Charged Attack.
• The enemy uses a Charged Attack.
• A Pokémon faints.

You need to "chain" these pauses. If you have a charged move ready, wait until the AI starts attacking again before you use it. Don't just spam. By timing your moves, you can prevent Giovanni from attacking for almost half the battle.

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Also, focus on energy generation over raw damage. A Pokémon like Swampert or Greninja that can spam low-energy moves is way more valuable than a slow heavy-hitter like Groudon. You want to keep the boss in a constant state of being stunned.

The Perfect Team for August 2025

If I had to pick one team to handle every possible variation, it would be:

1. Lucario (Lead - immediately swap to this if not in slot 1)
2. Kyogre (Handles Rhyperior and Nidoking)
3. Tyranitar or Dawn Wings Necrozma (To sweep Giratina)

Actionable Next Steps

To get your Shadow Giratina, you first need a Super Rocket Radar. You get this by completing the "Delightful Days: Taken Over" Special Research.

1. Check your items: Make sure you don't have an old Super Rocket Radar equipped or an unfinished Team Rocket research in your "Special" tab. You can't get the new one until the old one is done.
2. Find the Boss: Giovanni hides in PokéStops or in the Team Rocket balloons that appear every few hours. Decoy Grunts will look like him at stops, so use the radar to filter them out.
3. Save your TMs: Once you catch Shadow Giratina, use a Charged TM during the event window (until August 17) to remove the move Frustration. If you miss this window, you’ll be stuck with a useless move for months.

Don't forget to stock up on Max Potions. You might lose the first time just to "scout" his second Pokémon. If you lose, don't worry—the lineup stays the same for that specific PokéStop or balloon. Just heal up, swap your middle counter, and go back in for the win.