Boss
Boss (Japanese: ロケットだんボス Team Rocket Boss) is a type of Pokémon Trainer that first debuted in the Generation I games. They only appear in Generation I games, and in the remake of Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. It specifically refers only to Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, though Giovanni's class changes to Leader when the player challenges him in the Viridian Gym. The boss appears to be a shady pereson that always wears a suit. He has a badge on the left side of his suit, revealing to be a badge with an "R" on it, from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen representing their status as boss of Team Rocket.
Boss, or more specifically Giovanni, was first seen underneath Celadon City's Rocket Game Corner, were he first battles the player, but gets away after losing. He later appears at Silph Co., where Team Rocket orchestrated a takeover of the building. The boss waits on the highest floor were the player must defeat him, and obtain a Master Ball as an reward by the owner. From then, the Boss trainer class cannot be seen again, as Giovanni's class changes to Leader due to his status as the eighth Gym Leader of Kanto. Once defeated again at his own Gym, Giovanni mysteriously disappears, apparently seeking to train and start anew after being shown how his methods failed him against the player; Team Rocket has been waiting for his return ever since.
Appearance
File:GiovanniRBYsprite.png Image from Pokémon Red and Blue |
File:Giovanni Y sprite.png Image from Pokémon Yellow |
Trainer List
Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/FireRed/LeafGreen
| Name | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Boss Giovanni (First battle) | Lv.25 Onix Lv.24 Rhyhorn Lv.29 Kangaskhan |
| Boss Giovanni (Second battle) | Lv.37 Nidorino Lv.37 Rhyhorn Lv.35 Kangaskhan Lv.41 Nidoqueen |
Pokémon Yellow
| Name | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Boss Giovanni (First battle) | Lv.25 Onix Lv.24 Rhyhorn Lv.29 Persian |
| Boss Giovanni (Second battle) | Lv.37 Nidorino Lv.37 Rhyhorn Lv.35 Persian Lv.41 Nidoqueen |
In the anime
Boss's only trainer, Giovanni makes a specific role in the anime. Like the game, he is boss of Team Rocket, along with the main antagonists, Jessie, James, and Meowth. While Giovanni very rarely takes the role of antagonist, his agents often have him in mind during missions due to the chance of power, be it through promotion or other means. This gave him a unique series of appearances, mainly during the Hoenn saga, where Meowth often saw how the Pokémon in each episode could be used to help Giovanni and win the trio promotions. These boss fantasies never show his actual personality and occasionally even show Giovanni in chibi form. However, very little is known about his past in any timeline; he is generally shrouded in mystery.
Pokémon
 Persian |
 Machamp |
 Kingler |
 Rhydon |
 Golem |
 Cloyster |
Trivia
- Giovanni's Pokémon Yellow sprite badge shows an extreme resemblance to Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Milleneum Sheild.
In other languages
- French: Boss
- German: Boss
- Italian: Capo
- Spanish: Jefe