On Giovanni.

[Infinite Master Sceptile]

Through countless fics I've read, Giovanni is always portrayed as an evil villain out to kill Our Hero. Few of them attempt to explain what motivates him, though xXSaberXx's fic is an exception. I realize that the games, the show, and the manga all portray him as the ultimate villain, but they never give us any understanding of him. The purpose of fanfiction as I see it is to delve deeper into an already existing universe to tell a unique and enjoyable story. Few have dared to delve into Giovanni's soul. Are they afraid that they might find someone not so inhuman as they thought?
The fic I've been working on for the last four months intermittently is a rethinking of the events of Fire Red/Leaf Green. I'm reinvisioning Giovanni as a businessman. No less ruthless, but much more understandable. In it, Giovanni used to be CEO of a company called Rocket Corp, that produced many wonderful Pokemon products. Silph, desiring a monopoly on Pokemon products, used its influence among the politicians of Kanto to have Giovanni declared a criminal, and the company's assets frozen. Enraged, Giovanni decided to wreak revenge on Silph, and rebuild his company. He turned what was left of Rocket Corp. into an underground organization known as Team Rocket.
I feel this much better explains Giovanni's actions. But this really isn't about my fic altogether, though I would like comments on my idea of Giovanni.
This is about Giovanni, a discussion of his role in fics, and how to make him more than just a 2-D evil mastermind. So, what do you think?

 

[The Big Al]

I've always pictured him as a megalomaniac. He does what's needed to increase his own power. The world and history is filled with them. The fact he stoops to the level of terrorism (and I've always pictured Team Rocket as terrorists) tell you he has no redeeming qualities.

 

[Psychic]

This isn't discussing Giovanni's roles in fics. This is creating theories about who Giovanni really is- his history, personality and motivations. You don't need a thread in the Author's Café to talk about that- this probably goes in the general Pokémon forum, if anything. Why? Just because you can do this with pretty much absolutely any character, because so few from the cannon have real, concrete pasts we can go on. Unless you want to make a thread that is open to talk about any of these characters, this is a bit...unneeded.


And anyways, a portion of Giovanni's past is known, already such as the fact that his mother originally ran Team Rocket and he took over for her at some point. We also get the impression that his mother did not like him all that much, calling him a 'spiled brat' at one point. This was told in the Prequel of the first movie, broadcasted only once on the radio in Japan, if I remember correctly.


~Psychic

 

[Banov]

It's interesting, but I read a giovanni backstory fic before myself.

Spoiler: NOTE: This part's mostly spoiler. You can read the actual story in the link I put at the bottom, or you can just read my very basic summary.

In the other one, though, he was a carefree happy guy until his opinions on raising pokemon were rejected by Oak and the league of pokemon researchers, and he begins going mad as a failed researcher, beginning his quest for more power by trying to contruct the ultimate pokemon (mewtwo).

It's later revealed that there's some dark prescence which goes around and which influenced Giiovanni (as well as Maxie and Archie, who became later focuses of the story) although as of today the dark thing's true nature hasn't been completely revealed, although it's on the verge of coming into light.

Here's the actual fic:
http://pokmonx.proboards19.com/index.cgi?board=fanfic&action=display&thread=1133030130

EDIT: Giovanni's mom ran team rocket?! I never knew that. I dunno, i's an interesting twist but that's not how my story would go if I wrote it. I'm going to pretend I don't know that >______>

 

[CHeSHiRe-CaT]

If you really want to know more about Giovanni, here is the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_(Pokémon)

 

[Neko Godot]

Well, in my fic, Giovanni isn't really evil, he just works for someone who works for someone. Oh, and he's a murse stealing maniac!

 

[Klaus]

oh yeah! Go Gio! I've always thought of him as cliniclly ill,and i've always been interested in his background.I dove into his past in my fic, firends of legend. I was fun.

I also like way you made him sound. Brilliant, in my view. I can't wait to see it.

As always,be kind to the mime.;122;

 

[Elemental Charizam]

I was fun

But no longer

Actually, I've read a lot of fics which explain his past, or try to. The Bittersweet Reunion, some fic Billy wrote on GHPF 'bout Mewtwo, and many more...

Personally, I always thought of him as a godfather-esque character. Perhaps because of the name.

 

[Seiryu]

Hmm...well, in my coming fanfic Fallen Angels...

Spoiler: Warning! Motivation for antagonist in fic that's not out yet!

Giovanni became what he is due to the messages implanted into his mind by his mother. He was born into the Team Rocket syndicate and never given a chance by his mother, the former boss of the gang, to become someone more upstanding. By the time he took over, he figured that he was far beyond redemption, as so aims to corrupt as many "angels" as he can, destroy (or at least break) any "angels" who cannot be corrupted by him, and recruit as many "devils" as possible to his side. He doesn't care that this goal, should it ever be fully realized, would plunge the entire world into chaos; he believes that if he can't have something, then nobody else should have it either. Of course, this means that he has just as many disloyal subjects as he does loyal ones, which also leads to him being quite cautious, even paranoid.

However, I can't really say that I've seen many fics that've attempted to explain his past. Many fics I've seen that have him as a villain just have him there for the sake of there being a bad guy for everyone to hate or something and make him look like your average 2-d villain.

 

[The Doctor]

My interpretation of Giovanni connects to the anime (my upcoming fic Fire, Rain and Leaf is in that same universe) and gives him some shading. My idea is that

Spoiler

his mother committed suicide when the police came for her and Team Rocket disbanded. Giovanni swore he would carrry on the name as head of said organisation but there was no will of his mothers, meaning he didn't recieve any of her riches to restart.

Desperate for money, he got a job in the rival mafia and eventually became the right-hand man of the old mafia boss and his new protege, earning the most money out of all the group. Reading the old man's will, Giovanni discovered he planned to leave Giovanni his estate, as his heir, so he got rid of him in a car "accident". Using the estate, Giovanni resurrected Team Rocket but assumed a double role as a politician, setting up incidents and forcing the government to fund a private army, eventually resurrecting Team Rocket to a new high.

EDIT: While I was typing this, I got the rank Earth Trainer!

 

[Infinite Master Sceptile]

The Doctor, that's an excellent use of Giovanni. Much better than usual.
And I don't honestly know if the radio dramas are canon. But even so, fanfics are allowed to utilize the characters in any number of different ways. And a fic involving Giovanni falls under one of these categories: Manga-based, game-based, anime-based, totally original, and synthesis. Only in anime-based fics, and then only ones that adhere totally to canon, can be put to standards.

Why? Just because you can do this with pretty much absolutely any character, because so few from the cannon have real, concrete pasts we can go on.

Giovanni is one of the few Pokemon human characters that appears in a large number of fanfics. The others are Ash/Red and Misty. I feel that because of the enormous role he plays in countless fics, all featuring him as the bad guy, there deserves to be discussion. I would like to establish how he should and should not be used in fics, as he has been dangerously abused as a villain.

 

[purple_drake]

I feel that because of the enormous role he plays in countless fics, all featuring him as the bad guy, there deserves to be discussion. I would like to establish how he should and should not be used in fics, as he has been dangerously abused as a villain.

Well, see, that's the problem. He is the villain. That's why people use his character as such. Let's face it, there are people like that who would do things like that without justification, and Giovanni is one of them. Can you blame people for writing him as a evil jerk?

I'd say the problem isn't so much using him as a villain but the fact that some people make him into a cliche (and I use that term loosely). A good writer could have him as the spawn of Satan and still make him a well-rounded character.

 

[icemew]

And I don't honestly know if the radio dramas are canon. But even so, fanfics are allowed to utilize the characters in any number of different ways. And a fic involving Giovanni falls under one of these categories: Manga-based, game-based, anime-based, totally original, and synthesis. Only in anime-based fics, and then only ones that adhere totally to canon, can be put to standards.

What do you mean? I agree there are a bunch of different options, but why can't a manga-based or game-based fic be held to standards like anime-based ones?

 

[Virtual Chatot]

Did anyone here know that Ash's Mom dated Giovanni, but she dumped his arse? Maybe this is why he's trying to kill Ash.

 

[Faerie]

Sakaki always seemed like a pretty interesting character to me, although I think the writers sort of botched him up with the 'secluded villain who just sits in his office all day and runs everything like a puppetmaster' complex. In fan writing he's often much cooler. Although I don't really like to write about him (subordinates are way more interesting than the leaders >D), it's interesting to see what other people do with his character in fanfics.

And yes, he does have a mother who ran Roketto-dan, who's known as Onna Boss. Bulpapedia article -> http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/On'na_Boss

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I think Mewtwo Returns was a great foray into Giovanni's character. Prior to that, we hadn't really seen him do much. But in there, we see him be controlling, manipulative, sadistic, and mad to the point that one of his agents tries to calm him down.

 

[Smile Guy]

Well once my re-write for a certain story is up and running and into the story after a few chapters, I'll be delving into the mysteries of Giovanni just like that. It's going to be quite the adventure.

 

[Act]

Am I the only one who is mildly insulted by and/or has noticed the Italian mafia boss implications? They couldn't just call him 'Jonathan' or something?
(or am I the only one who is Italian...?) *shrug* Always sort of bothered me.

With that in mind though, you *could* make a really interesting character out of someone who does nothing but sit back and pull strings. What does he think? is he invariably amused? Give him motivation in his canon character. I think that'd be infinitely interesting, now that I aatually think about it. What does someone who basically control the whole underground world think about in his spare time?

Just because the anime doesn't do something doesn't mean you should think it can't be done or shouldn't be done. (Of course, the inverse of that is also true.)

Actually, that's an interesting one-shot idea...

 

[CHeSHiRe-CaT]

Am I the only one who is mildly insulted by and/or has noticed the Italian mafia boss implications? They couldn't just call him 'Jonathan' or something?
(or am I the only one who is Italian...?) *shrug* Always sort of bothered me.

With that in mind though, you *could* make a really interesting character out of someone who does nothing but sit back and pull strings. What does he think? is he invariably amused? Give him motivation in his canon character. I think that'd be infinitely interesting, now that I aatually think about it. What does someone who basically control the whole underground world think about in his spare time?

Just because the anime doesn't do something doesn't mean you should think it can't be done or shouldn't be done. (Of course, the inverse of that is also true.)

Actually, that's an interesting one-shot idea...

I think you might like my variation of Boss Rocket, Act; I too can't stand to see his canon character be used in plots as a simpleton tool in the storyline to cause "evil." In my upcoming fic, Pokemon: Deoxys' Shadow, Giovanni is rather misunderstood than evil, and has different intentions on his mind than wreaking havoc on OTs so that the writer can include some kind of villain in their story. Giovanni is not just a character you throw into a plot just so that he can serve as the antagonist, since the author could not think of a better one.

MAYBE Giovanni had a past. MAYBE it could incorporate into the plot. MAYBE he was simply misunderstood and took something to the extremes because he was under circumstances that would force a person such as himself to do it. I'd love to go on about my Giovanni, but it'd give away almost the entire plot of my story. Just think about it; Giovanni's not someone you insert into a piece of fan fiction to do what he's done in countless other fics. He's a character with a history from game, anime, and manga sources that can be strung out farther than any of you think.

Giovanni could have had a family (he certainly did in the anime). However, there are so many things and even other countless other characters that can be incorporated to make your own original Giovanni, with so many gaps in his history to be filled. Ever think of why he took the position of the leader of Rocket in the first place? Ever think of his life before evil? Maybe even consider him being a good person, despite all he's done as the antagonist of several Pokemon games/series? I did, and certainly, you can too.

Giovanni can be molded by bad writers to become a Gary-Stu with no personality, and no motive other than to make the protagonist suffer. The mediocre authors can either give him a past or a motive to cause havoc in a story, and make him some slightly less-degraded oaf that wants to kill the main character.

Only the truly smart authors will take Giovanni and analyze his life, and what actions led him to do all the things that he has done in his lifetime. They will also see how these consequences have affected his present appearance in a story, and in a way, will connect him to significant characters in the story. These writers will add a twist to the nefariously powerful Giovanni, and show the reader what a real villain should be: a real human with feelings and virtues that have been affected by life circumstances and influenced by people he has known throughout his life, becoming a complex individual.

People aren't born wicked