Giovanni: Difference between revisions

If you were looking for the character in the games whose Japanese name is Giovanni, see Earl Dervish. For the episode of Pokémon Origins, see File 3: Giovanni.

Giovanni サカキ Sakaki
"The Self-Proclaimed Strongest Trainer"
Artwork from Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee!
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Black
Hometown	Viridian City
Region	Kanto
Relatives	Silver (son) Madame Boss (mother, anime) Unnamed twin brother*
Trainer class	BossRBYFRLG/Rocket BossHGSS/Team Rocket BossPE Gym LeaderRBYFRLGPE Pokémon TrainerB2W2USUM Team Rainbow RocketUSUM The BossGO
Generation	I, III, IV, V, VI, VII
Games	Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black 2, White 2, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee!, Stadium, Masters EX, Pokémon GO
Leader of	Viridian Gym
Badge	Earth Badge
Specializes in	Ground types
Member of	Team Rocket Team Rainbow Rocket Team GO Rocket
Rank	Boss
Game animation debut	File 3: Giovanni
English voice actor	Jamieson Price (Origins) Richard Epcar (Generations) Andrew Russell (Masters EX)
Japanese voice actor	Rikiya Koyama (Origins) Akio Ōtsuka (Generations) Kōji Ishii (Masters EX)
Anime counterpart	Giovanni
Counterpart debut	Battle Aboard the St. Anne
Manga counterpart(s)	Giovanni (Adventures), Giovanni (Pocket Monsters)

Giovanni (Japanese: サカキ Sakaki) is the former head of Team Rocket, who served as the secretive Gym Leader of Viridian City's Gym, known officially as the Viridian Gym. He handed out the Earth Badge to Trainers who defeated him. As a Gym Leader, he specialized in Ground-type Pokémon, but his master plan includes collecting rare Pokémon of all types. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, he makes a return appearance as the leader of Team Rainbow Rocket. He is the only character in the games to have the Trainer classes Boss^FRLG/Rocket Boss^HGSS/Team Rocket Boss^PE (Japanese: ロケットだんボス Team Rocket Boss) and Team Rainbow Rocket (Japanese: Rロケットだん Team R Rocket).

In the core series

Giovanni is the primary antagonist of the games taking place in Kanto.

In the first games Giovanni appeared in, he served a dual role: one that was well known to the residents of Kanto, and one that was more secret. He was first shown as the leader of the villainous Team Rocket, the first of many criminal organizations to grace the Pokémon games. After the player defeated him and his team of Grunts at Silph Co., Giovanni fled to a hideout that the player is unaware of. Once the player returned to Viridian City, one of the major plot twists of these games revealed that Giovanni, in addition to his role as a criminal, was the final Gym Leader to be fought before the Elite Four—albeit one without a formal title. Here, he specializes in the Ground type. Once defeated, he disbanded Team Rocket and left the player with the Earth Badge and TM27 (Fissure). If talked to again, he then vanishes and is not seen again for the rest of the game.

Giovanni's role in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen is much the same; the one difference is that defeating him in the Gym battle will earn the player TM26 (Earthquake), instead of TM27 (Fissure). He also implies that he intends to return to power one day rather than being moved to dedicate his life to the study of Pokémon. There is a side-plot in the Sevii Islands that revolves around Giovanni; a group of Team Rocket members are trying to continue the aims of Team Rocket, but they abandon this when they realize that their leader has been defeated once and for all.

In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Giovanni's story is slightly expanded from his first appearance. During his first appearance, he is seen talking with Archer and giving him the permission to proceed with the plan to take over Silph Co. After being defeated for the first time, he gives the player the Silph Scope as a token of apology for mocking them, as opposed to just leaving the device behind before leaving, like in previous games. At the Silph Co., a part of his conversation with the Silph Co. President is shown, with Giovanni demanding him to hand over the Master Ball like they had previously agreed. In the Gym battle, Giovanni's reward TM once again contains Earthquake, although now, it's TM41, instead of TM26.

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, a group of Team Rocket members tries to relaunch the old team. They take over Goldenrod Radio Tower, and broadcast a radio announcement intended for Giovanni. Only in HeartGold and SoulSilver is it revealed that Giovanni does hear the broadcast, from his hideout in Tohjo Falls - an event in the remakes involving a time-traveling Celebi allows Ethan and Lyra to travel back in time and defeat Giovanni at the same time the rest of Team Rocket is being defeated at the Radio Tower. Upon defeat, he will begin ranting about how he keeps losing to children and, like before, Giovanni will leave the room and disappear. Later, in Kanto, it is revealed that Blue took over the Viridian Gym after his disappearance.

The Celebi event also reveals some of Giovanni's background from the three years between Generation I/III and Generation II/IV. While it was mentioned by Scientist Gideon in FireRed and LeafGreen that Giovanni has a son with red hair, the son's identity wasn't revealed until the time travel event in HeartGold and SoulSilver. As many fans speculated (and as was mentioned in the Pokémon Adventures manga series), this son is the rival of the Johto player character, Silver. Much of Silver's personality is a result of the treatment he received from Giovanni, which includes abandonment. Like many of Giovanni's other actions throughout the games, this reflects on his selfishness.

Giovanni reappears in Black 2 and White 2 in the Pokémon World Tournament, replacing Blue, who instead participates in the Champions Tournament. Giovanni returns to using Ground types exclusively. While the announcer usually introduces Gym Leaders by their title, Giovanni, who does not have a title, is introduced as "The Self-Proclaimed Strongest Trainer" (Japanese: さいきょうの トレーナーと なのる Self-Proclaimed Strongest Trainer).

Giovanni appears again in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon as the Boss of the new Team Rainbow Rocket, featured in Episode RR. He is first seen during the Aether Foundation's broadcast from Aether Paradise, where he seizes control of the organization from Lusamine. He fortifies himself inside Team Rocket's Castle and stations versions of Archie, Maxie, Cyrus, Lysandre, and Ghetsis from other worlds as his guards, along with an army of Team Rainbow Rocket Grunts. After battling through his army, the player and Lillie find Giovanni holding an unconscious Lusamine inside his control center deep within the castle. He introduces himself and reveals that he plans to create an army of Ultra Beasts in order to conquer all worlds. For that purpose, he needs the Aether Foundation's resources, and intends to brainwash Lusamine into serving him. Feeling nostalgic that a child would challenge him, Giovanni battles the player with a party that includes Mewtwo, and is ultimately defeated. Accepting his loss, Giovanni abandons his plans for the Aether Foundation but swears that Team Rainbow Rocket will never fall. He leaves as Colress begins working to revert Team Rocket's Castle back into Lusamine's mansion, and is last seen reflecting on what he will do next before being warped away.

A battle program based on Giovanni appears as a boss in the Battle Agency within Festival Plaza.

Fame Checker

This is a list of the Fame Checker's information on Giovanni in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

Rocket HQ - Giovanni

What does this person do?

Team Rocket captures Pokémon from around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going. I am the leader, Giovanni!

Silph Co. - Scientist

Favorite kind of Pokémon?

Those thugs that took over our building... Their Boss said he was looking for strong Pokémon.

Silph Co. - Scientist

What is this person like?

Team Rocket's Boss is terribly cruel! To him, Pokémon are just tools to be used.

Viridian Gym - Giovanni

What does this person do?

Welcome to my hideout! It shall be so until I can restore Team Rocket to its former glory.

Viridian Gym - Man

What does this person do?

Blow me away! Giovanni was the Gym Leader of Viridian?

Rocket Warehouse - Team Rocket Scientist Gideon

Family and Friends?

You... You're not Giovanni's kid, are you? No, that can't be right. Giovanni's kid has red hair.

Message from Giovanni

• From: Giovanni
• To: [Player]

"There is nothing I wish to say to you.

I will concentrate solely on bettering myself, and none other."

Pokémon

Pokémon Red and Blue

First battle

Giovanni Rocket Hideout Red, Green, and Blue Reward: $2871

Types: Rock Ground Onix Lv.25 Screech Normal   --       Bind Normal   --       Rock Throw Rock   --       Rage Normal   --       Types: Ground Rock Rhyhorn Lv.24 Horn Attack Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Type: Normal Unknown Kangaskhan Lv.29 Comet Punch Normal   --       Rage Normal   --       Bite Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --

Second battle

Giovanni Silph Co. Red, Green, and Blue Reward: $4059

Type: Poison Unknown Nidorino Lv.37 Horn Attack Normal   --       Poison Sting Poison   --       Focus Energy Normal   --       Fury Attack Normal   --       Type: Normal Unknown Kangaskhan Lv.35 Comet Punch Normal   --       Rage Normal   --       Bite Normal   --       Tail Whip Normal   --       Types: Ground Rock Rhyhorn Lv.37 Horn Attack Normal   --       Stomp Normal   --       Tail Whip Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Types: Poison Ground Nidoqueen Lv.41 Scratch Normal   --       Tail Whip Normal   --       Body Slam Normal   --       Poison Sting Poison   --