How to Beat Giovanni in Pokemon GO (August 2022): Best Counters for Shadow Latios

Giovanni is back once again in Pokemon GO, and this time he’s added a powerful Shadow Latios to his team that will be a challenge for unprepared trainers to defeat. With the right team of Pokemon and the appropriate counters, however, you can make quick work of Giovanni and the rest of Team Rocket this month. Before you can challenge the leader of Team Rocket in Pokemon GO, you’ll have to take down his subordinates. We have guides for the best Arlo counters, the best ways to beat Sierra, and the best weaknesses for Cliff in August 2022 though, so they shouldn’t be too difficult to defeat.

With that trio out of the way, it’s time to face Giovanni. While his Persian and other Pokemon are easy to counter since trainers battle him basically every month, the Shadow Latios he uses to finish the battle is a bit tricker to take down. Here are the best counters and weaknesses for Shadow Latios and the rest of Giovanni’s Pokemon GO team in August 2022.

Giovanni’s Team Composition in August 2022

This month, Giovanni uses his signature Persian and other standard Pokemon in addition to Shadow Latios as the final opponent.

• Phase 1: Persian
• Phase 2: Nidoking/Machamp/Rhyperior
• Phase 3: Shadow Latios

Best Persian Counters

If you’ve faced Giovanni before, then you already know that Persian is hardly a threat. It’s a Normal-type Pokemon, so you’ll want to use Fighting-type attacks to capitalize on its weakness. These are the best Persian counters.

Best Nidoking Counters

Nidoking is a dual Poison/Ground-type Pokemon. Its weaknesses are Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water-type attacks. Use these Pokemon and moves to easily defeat Nidoking.

Best Machamp Counters

Machamp is a pure Fighting-type Pokemon, so it’s weak to Fairy, Flying, and Psychic-type moves. These are the best counters to help you defeat Machamp.

Best Rhyperior Counters

Rhyperior is a Ground/Rock-type Pokemon, making it extremely weak to Grass and Water-type moves. It’s also weak to Fighting, Ground, Ice, and Steel-type attacks, but you should prioritize Grass and Water-type attacks to capitalize on the double weakness. Use these Pokemon and moves to counter Rhyperior.

Shadow Latios Counters and Weaknesses

Shadow Latios is a dual Psychic/Dragon-type Pokemon, so it’s weak to Bug, Dark, Dragon, Ice, Fairy, and Ghost-type moves. These Pokemon are the best counters to battle Shadow Latios with.

With Shadow Latios defeated, you’ll be finished with the Giovanni battle for August 2022. There’s still plenty to do this month in Pokemon GO, however, and you’ll want to make sure you get everything done before the Season of Go ends soon.  There’s an all-new Research Breakthrough this month that gives you a chance to catch a Galarian Stunfisk, and there are weekly Spotlight Hours to keep you busy in the meantime. August 2022 is packed with plenty of Pokemon GO events, so stay tuned to see what’s in store for trainers in the coming weeks.

Pokemon GO is available now on mobile devices.