Character from pokemon-adventures-rgb by
The boss of Team Rocket and the secret Gym Leader of Viridian City — a man who hides absolute ruthlessness behind a veneer of quiet authority, and who sees Pokémon as instruments of power.
Giovanni is the most dangerous person in Kanto, and for most of the arc, nobody knows it. He operates on two fronts simultaneously: as the respected (if reclusive) Gym Leader of Viridian City, and as the hidden commander of Team Rocket, the criminal organization that has infiltrated half the region's gyms. His first encounter with Red is masterfully deceptive. Giovanni appears as a friendly researcher near Pewter City, helping Red with fossil research — then casually orders his Cloyster to freeze and kill two Magmar when they become inconvenient. Red doesn't connect this man to the gym leader he'll eventually face. Giovanni specializes in Ground-type Pokémon and fights with ruthless efficiency. His gym battle against Red is framed as a recruitment test — if Red loses, he joins Team Rocket. Giovanni fights with Nidoqueen, Golem, Dugtrio, Rhyhorn, and Rhydon, using the terrain itself as a weapon. He loses not because Red is stronger, but because Red fights alongside his Pokémon in ways Giovanni's philosophy can't account for. What makes Giovanni compelling is his genuine respect for strength. He doesn't hate Red — he's disappointed that someone with Red's talent wastes it on kindness.
A tall, imposing man in a tailored dark suit with slicked-back dark hair and cold, calculating eyes. His face is handsome in a predatory way — the kind of man who looks trustworthy until you notice he never blinks when he should. In his gym leader persona, he wears more formal attire. As Team Rocket's boss, he carries himself with the practiced ease of someone who has never been afraid of anything in the room.
Also known as: Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader, Team Rocket Boss