Giovanni (game)

"So! I must say, I am impressed you got here. Team Rocket captures Pokémon from around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going. I am the leader, Giovanni! For your insolence, you will feel a world of pain!"- Giovanni, Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed.

Giovanni (サカキ Sakaki) doubles as the Gym Leader for Viridian City's Gym, and as the Boss of the criminal organization Team Rocket. As the Gym Leader, Giovanni holds the Earth Badge for the trainers that defeat him, and specializes in Ground-type Pokémon.

In the Generation II games, Giovanni has disappeared inexplicably after his final loss to Red, leaving Team Rocket scrambling and confused.

In Anime
Giovanni in the anime series serves as the Head of Team Rocket, never really shown taking action in field work, but rather sends the grunts and other members for that. Jessie, James, Meowth, Butch and Cassidy along with other members, are constantly striving to please him in their actions, usually without his compliance.

Giovanni has only been shown once as the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym in the episode The Battle of the Badge, facing off against Gary. In this episode he used Mewtwo, which he was controlling with a machine, against Gary's Pokémon, brutally defeating him. By the time Ash challenged the Gym, Giovanni left on account of an emergency, leaving Jessie, James and Meowth in charge. Ever since the destruction of the Gym, he had never returned to it. Giovanni in the anime series might be some sort of businessman,because he is revelead to own Pokemon Island.

Yellow Arc
Just like in the game he disbanded Team Rocket. In the Manga, he is not the Gym Leader.

FireRed and LeafGreen Arc
He discovered about Deoxy and captured it. He battled Red and Mewtwo while trying to locate his son which is Silver.

In Game
Giovanni first appeared in the Generation I games as the Leader of Team Rocket. Eventually, it was revealed that he was the Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym, and the final Gym Leader the player faces. Upon defeating him, Giovanni states that he's giving up on Team Rocket and disappears.

Later on, in the Generation II games, Team Rocket still functions without Giovanni, and believe that he will return. The lost Team Rocket attempt several acts, in order to call their former Leader, though he never makes an appearance.

In the Generation III remakes, Giovanni retains his first role in exactly the same way, with the exception of his updated appearance.

In Generation IV, Giovanni is still missing, but appears as an optional battle in the Celebi Event where it is revealed Silver is his son.

There is a Generation V event which you can get a Celebi. If you transfer Celebi to Pokemon Soulsilver or Heartgold, you can fight Giovanni.

Pokemon Red and Blue
First Encounter

Second Encounter

Gym Battle

Pokemon Yellow
First Encounter

Second Encounter

Gym Battle

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
First Encounter

Second Encounter

Gym Battle

Pokemon Stadium
Gym Leader Castle

Gym Leader Castle Round 2

Trivia

 * Giovanni is believed by some to be the father of Ash Ketchum. This is due to his relationship with Delia Ketchum while they were teenagers (which has never been mentioned in the anime).
 * Giovanni's name may come from the word GEO for the first part of his name. Geo is Greek for Earth and this is because he is a Ground type trainer.
 * It may also be a pun on how most 20's and 30's American gang members had Itallian names like Alfonso (Al) Capone. Giovanni is a very Italian name and this is because he is a gang leader himself (Team Rocket).
 * Giovanni's outfit in Black and White seems to be based on a general's uniform.
 * In Pokemon Yellow, Giovanni replaced Kangaskhan with Persian since Yellow was based on the anime.
 * He is maybe inspired by the villain of James Bond series, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In Bond films and novels, Blofeld leads his own criminal organization, the S.P.E.C.T.R.E., to become rich and reign on the world. As a companion, Blofeld has a cat.
 * In the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Celebi event, your rival is found out to be the son of Giovanni.
 * Some fans speculate that in Celebi Event after player defeats Giovanni, he (Giovanni) commits suicide, because after he leaves a splash sound is heard and some speculate that Giovanni killed himself, although it could have been radio static.

Voice Actors

 * English: Ted Lewis (current)
 * English: Craig Blair
 * Japanese: Kenta Miyake (Diamond & Pearl)
 * Japanese: Hirotaka Suzuoki (Pocket Monsters & Advanced Generation)