Giovanni (Pokémon)
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| Giovanni Fabrizio de Rocketo | |
|---|---|
 Don Giovanni |
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| Japanese name | Sakaki |
| Voice actor(s) (English) | Ted Lewis |
| Voice actor(s) (Japanese) | Hirotaka Suzuoki (Deceased), Kenta Miyake (From Diamond and Pearl) |
| First appearances | |
| Game | Pokémon Red and Blue |
| Anime episode | Ep. 15, Battle Aboard the St. Anne (voice only) Ep. 63, The Battle of the Badge |
| In-Universe Information | |
| Preferred Pokémon type | Ground-type Pokémon (in the video games only) |
| Occupation | Viridian City Gym Leader; Rocket Family's Leader and Organized Crime. |
Giovanni (サカキ Sakaki?) is the leader of Team Rocket in the fictional world of Pokémon. He is also a former Viridian City Gym Leader. His localized name, in reference to his crimelord background, is likely meant as a play on the Italian mafia stereotype.
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[edit] The Rocket Family's leader
As The Rocket Family's Don, Giovanni is very ambitious and intolerant of failure. As such, in the anime he has kicked Jessie, James and Meowth out of the Family on multiple occasions. However, they always manage to find a way to rejoin the Family. In one episode, he even gets aggravated when the three say their famous motto over the phone, shouting out "ENOUGH!!" to silence them.
Giovanni seems to have a large sum of money at his disposal. The money probably comes from the Family's main source of income—the profit of selling stolen Pokémon,—which can be seen in some of his properties such as the amusement park of giant robotic Pokémon which appeared in the anime episode "Island of the Giant Pokémon". Don Giovanni also has control over various Police Officer Jennys. Giovanni also gains a lot of money from smuggling pokemon, pokeball trafficing, prostitution, and other crime rackets. He may also be a corrupt industrialist, which is constantly alluded to in his legitimate business interests, such as the previously mentioned theme park and his attempts to rid himself of the soldatos Jessie and James, whose foolish actions in his name are a constant embarrassment. Not that maintaining a good reputation seems high on his priority list. In one episode, he said, that he hadn't done any repairs on a fleet of old, decrepit blimps in years and that "The only thing I've maintained on them is the insurance." This insinuates that collecting the money from their crashes was far more important to him than the deaths of whoever happened to be traveling on them.
The Rocket crime Family consists of different structures. The Family structure is based on the Sicilian Mafia system. There is the Don(Giovanni), the sotto capo(currently vaccant), consigliere-(vaccant), caporegimes(also vaccant), and soldatos(Jesse and James).
Being a Gym leader and a boss of a wanted crime organization (how he manages to do both when the Pokemon League has supposedly such high standards for its Gyms isn't addressed) , he is very busy. Giovanni hardly has time to spend with his wife and kids. He also becomes very lonely. Just before Ash and company arrived in Viridian, he appoints the Rocket soldato trio to fight off challengers. When Ash Ketchum attempted to win his badge, he found that Jessie and James were the people called to defend the gym. Since there isn't always a "made man" nearby at the time Giovanni calls, many trainers often find the Gym closed the first time they come to it. However, when he is present, he is seen using Mewtwo against the Trainers' Pokémon. After Mewtwo destroys the Gym, he decides not to be the leader anymore. Agatha of the Elite Four takes over until a replacement can be found. Giovanni was then on the run, trying to escape the police force and somehow survive in the pokemon world.
Giovanni acts somewhat like an Italian mafia leader--a similarity further hinted at by his name, which is common in Italy. He can always be found scratching his pet Persian's head. Perhaps not coincidentally, his behavior with the Persian looks very similar to other evil mastermind-and feline pairs: Inspector Gadget's Dr. Claw and Mad Cat as well as Ernst Stavro Blofeld of the James Bond films and his pet angora cat. Giovanni enjoys good Italian food and wine. He also likes to watch baseball games and to spend time with his family. Giovanni has three sons and a daughter. They are never seen in the anime or manga due to the fact that Giovanni does want his children to be taken away from him. Giovanni also has a wife. She is the head of the corrupt Police force under Giovanni's control. Her name is never mentioned in the anime and manga but is likely to be Jenny since all the other officers have the name of Jenny.
Despite his lead villain role in the early games, Giovanni's role in the anime is fairly minor compared to his least favorite minions, Jessie and James. This is because he does not to be seen in public. He makes a few appearances in the Johto League seasons, based on the Gold/Silver games in which he did not appear in. He also has a few cameos in the Hoenn League seasons, based on the Ruby/Sapphire games in which Team Rocket is not even mentioned. These cameos usually pertain to Meowth's fantasies as to how Giovanni is going to thank him, Jessie, and James for bringing him rare Pokemon.
In the movies, however, he only appeared at the beginning of the first movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back. Giovanni financed the cloning of the rarest Pokémon, Mew, which led to the birth of Mewtwo. After an unfortunate end to his "partnership" with Mewtwo, Giovanni went looking for it. Giovanni eventually found it in the special episode Mewtwo Returns (which was released in the U.S a direct-to-video episode). Despite his attempt at recapturing Mewtwo, Mewtwo escaped and erased all memory of itself from Giovanni's mind. Giovanni's role in the movie ends with him stating that he feels that he has somehow been utterly defeated. Brief pictures of Mewtwo have been seen in the alley ways of a city in a faraway place as stated in Mewtwo Returns.
[edit] Giovanni in Pokémon Live!
Although Giovanni's screen time in the anime was rather minimal compared to his least competent minions, he had a big part in the USA stage musical, Pokémon Live!, where he was played by Darren Dunstan (the dub voice actor of Maximillion Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh! and the voice actor of Master Splinter in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series). In the musical, he builds a mechanical Pokémon called MechaMew2, based on Mewtwo. MechaMew2 duplicates and amplifies the attacks of the Pokémon it faces, using these powers to destroy all who challenge it. In the hopes of expanding MechaMew2's repertoire, Giovanni lures unsuspecting trainers to his Gym with the promise of a special prize—the Diamond Badge. As MechaMew2's attack collection nears completion, Giovanni realizes that the last two attacks left are possessed by electric Pokémon. He sends Jessie, James and Meowth to try and get Ash's Pikachu. Not to be outdone by the rest of the shows cast, Giovanni has a few musical numbers himself, his most memorable one being his solo number, "It Will All Be Mine".
While his bumbling baddies screw up (as always), Giovanni lures Professor Oak into a trap, and as a result, also captures Ash Ketchum's mom, Delia, whom he seems to recognize. After Giovanni brings them to his hideout, Delia reveals to Oak that she was Giovanni's girlfriend in her teenage years. Giovanni gloats over them about how his MechaMew2 will soon be unbeatable, which is then interrupted by Jessie, James, and Meowth coming in with Pikachu, whom they've actually managed to capture successfully. Surprised that his worst minions actually did something right for a change, Giovanni orders Pikachu to attack MechaMew2, but the rodent refuses to listen. During the struggle that follows, Delia and the Professor escape. Giovanni is too egotistical about MechaMew2 to bother sending anyone to recapture them, and instead sends Jessie, James and Meowth, to fetch Ash, figuring that Pikachu will only listen to his trainer.
Shortly afterward, the trio returns with Ash, who wastes no time in getting the battle with Team Rocket's leader underway. After Ash has Pikachu use Thundershock and Thunderbolt against MechaMew2, Giovanni declares his victory when Mewtwo suddenly shows up and throws a collection of Ash's happy memories at MechaMew2. MechaMew2, now having learned of the values of friendship and caring, turns on its creator and Self-destructs. Before it self-destructs, Giovanni pulls out his .45 calibur and fires three shots to Mew's head and destroys it. Giovanni survives, though, because he manages to show up for the curtain call at the end.
[edit] Pokémon
[edit] On Hand
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- Persian is constantly at Giovanni's side, and Giovanni never uses his Persian in battle. Persian is more of a pet.
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- Though it wasn't seen in battle, Giovanni's Cloyster was seen briefly in a fish tank.
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- Machamp was used against Ash by Jessie and James, it beat Squirtle.
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- Rhydon was used against Ash by Jessie and James, but lost to Pidgeotto.
[edit] Lost
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- Mewtwo was the third pokemon used against Gary, and is seen in "Pokemon: The First Movie" fighting various pokemon alongside Giovanni. Some of the pokemon include a Magneton, Nidoking, Arcanine and Onix. In the anime TV show, Mewtwo is seen briefly as a blue line escaping the destroyed Team Rocket Lab.
[edit] Given Away
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- Although it is unconfirmed if Giovanni ever battled with Meowth or indeed spent much time with him (save for Meowth's own flashbacks which may not have been canonical) it is clear that the talking Pokémon adores him. Giovanni is best described as having accidentally befriended Meowth (much like how Misty became Togepi's owner after the baby 'imprinted' on her). Despite showing rare intelligence, Giovanni was displeased with his new acquistion, and appointed him mascot/overseer for two bumbling recruits (Jessie and James). This ploy has served Giovanni well throughout the series, as Meowth is kept out of the way of major projects yet remains loyal to the Team Rocket cause.
[edit] Games
[edit] Pokémon Giovanni has used in the video game series
- Nidorina → Nidoqueen
- Nidorino → Nidoking
- Rhyhorn → Rhydon
- Kangaskhan
- Dugtrio
- Persian (although he prefers not to use it, though he does have it battle in Pokémon Yellow)
In the Pokémon Red and Blue, Yellow, and Fire Red and LeafGreen video games, Giovanni is the owner and Gym Leader of the Viridian City Gym. It remains closed most of the time.
The explanation for the closure of the gym is that Giovanni is too busy leading Team Rocket and only worries about his Gym when his team is beaten at their hideout in Celadon City, probably because the Gym is one of the few things he has left at that point.
Like the Celadon City Team Rocket hideout, the Viridian Pokémon Gym had a small puzzle with panels that make the challenger slide uncontrollably until he or she reaches another panel that looks like four squares.
Giovanni's motives and overall plan is kept secret. We can only make assumptions of Giovanni's ultimate goal. We know that in the Red, Blue, Yellow, Fire Red, and Leaf Green games, after the player defeats Giovanni at the Viridian City Gym, Giovanni feels what may be regarded as remorse for his actions and says that he is going to disband Team Rocket and devote his life to Pokémon research. In the Gold/Silver games, remnants of team Rocket continue to commit various criminal acts in order to keep Team Rocket going. They finally decide to take-over the Goldenrod City radio station in Johto to try to convince Giovanni to return to lead Team Rocket, but are ultimately defeated by the player and Team Rocket is disbanded again. There is one more rocket however you have to fight once you reach Kanto who steals a machine part from power plant. He is surprised when he finds out Team Rocket is disbanded and promptly vanishes. No more rockets are faced.
[edit] Family
Giovanni's mother appears in the first act of an Audio CD play that concerns the origins of Mewtwo and its life until the events of the first movie. Its transcript may be viewed here.
In the play, set twenty years in the past, Giovanni's mother (a "very beautiful woman" according to his narration) is the leader of Team Rocket. She is never identified by name, referred to only as the On'na (Japanese for "woman") Boss. Special Agent Miyamoto brings to her attention the existence of Mew from an audio tape containing its cry, recorded in the Andes, and On'na Boss sends her there to investigate. Miyamoto never managed to return, but Team Rocket did not forget about Mew, and when Giovanni became the leader of Team Rocket, he continued searching for the elusive Pokémon, which ultimately resulted in Mewtwo being created.
In On'na Boss's only appearance she is portrayed as having the ruthlessness and leadership qualities also displayed by Giovanni, but their characters are not exactly alike. For example, the first thing that she asks when she hears the recording containing Mew's cry is whether they can sell it as a CD, and continues commenting on the price of the recording equipment throughout her conversation with Miyamoto. In contrast, Giovanni is more interested in the Pokémon's power and the control he can exert over it and through it. On'na Boss also seems like a less than ideal mother; in conversation with Miyamoto about their children she refers to Giovanni as a "brat" (on which Giovanni the narrator comments with a gruff "hmph!")
It is often speculated that, in the anime, Giovanni is Ash Ketchum's father due to a scene in Pokémon Live! in which Delia states that she dated Giovanni when she was younger. So far, this is the only piece of canonical evidence to support this theory in any way. Some have pointed out that Giovanni didn't even recognize Ash on the one occasion they've met (in Mewtwo Returns) as evidence against the theory. However, if Giovanni had no role in raising his son (which would certainly be the case if he were Ash's father), he would have no way of recognizing the boy more than a decade after his birth. The frequently-cited photograph in Pokémon 3 does not actually contain Ash's father; rather, the mysterious male in question is the missing father of Molly, the little girl whose dreams conjured up Entei.
The identity of the child is unknown, though there is much speculation, with likely candidates (i.e., notable characters with red hair) being the Rival from Pokémon Gold and Silver and Crystal, Lance, Misty,Gary Oak, and Lorelei. The most likely theory is that the child is the Gold/Silver/Crystal rival, as the child has red hair, wears a black uniform, accuses the members of Team Rocket being weak, and thinks of Pokemon as mere objects to be controlled by humans. Much like Giovanni in the first series of games, the rival learns the meaning of friendship with Pokemon after consistent losses to Lance and the player. He then vanishes, only appearing in certain places on certain days to challenge the player to a rematch. Though, it also makes clear sense for Lance to be Giovanni's son, seeing as in the series he tries to get rid of Team Rocket, possibly regretting that he is the son of the leader.
| Pokémon Gym Leaders and Frontier Brains | |
|---|---|
| Kanto Gym Leaders | Brock • Misty • Lt. Surge • Erika • Koga • Janine • Sabrina • Blaine • Giovanni • Blue |
| Kanto in Anime Only | Brock's family • Daisy, Lily, and Violet • Jessie, James, and Meowth • Agatha |
| Orange Island Gym Leaders | Cissy • Danny • Rudy • Luana • Drake |
| Johto Gym Leaders | Falkner • Bugsy • Whitney • Morty • Chuck • Jasmine • Pryce • Clair |
| Hoenn Gym Leaders | Roxanne • Brawly • Wattson • Flannery • Norman • Winona • Tate & Liza • Wallace • Juan |
| Sinnoh Gym Leaders | Hyouta • Natane • Sumomo • Maxi • Melissa • Tougan • Suzuna • Denji |
| Leaders of Unofficial Gyms | Kiyo • A.J. • Yas & Kas Gym • Dorian |
| Frontier Brains | Noland • Greta • Tucker • Lucy • Spenser • Brandon • Anabel |
