THE VIRIDIAN FOREST
It is said that once every ten years, a child is born possessing the mysterious powers of the forest.
In the climax of the Lance and Yellow show down on Cerise Island it’s revealed that not only is Lance also a Viridian Trainer with special abilities, he makes the bold statement that only another trainer from the Viridian Forest is capable of defeating him due to his powers. Giovanni shows up at this moment and when Yellow warns him to leave, essentially parroting Lance’s claims, Giovanni also reveals that he too is a Viridian Trainer, hence his affinity with Beedrill, a Pokémon he captured from the Forest, despite him being a ground-type specialist.
The implication here is that Giovanni was supposed to be one of those chosen by the forest when he was born, but this is never again touched on and we never see Giovanni display any of the same preternatural abilities that Yellow and Lance have beyond a few super-human moments that could be explained away as more anime cliche than anything. There is one instance in which Giovanni was able to sense that he was being watched from a distance and managed to freeze his spy into near total paralysis with only a stare. Could this be an ability born from being a Viridian Trainer or simply an anime cliche? Again, never answered.
But as Kusaka refuses to touch on this again, then guess what I’ll do his job for him.
With Giovanni, Lance and Yellow, we have three generations that actually line up almost perfectly with the ten year gap with only a missing fourth person that should probably fit between Giovanni and Lance. If one were to believe this ten year gap is more of a guideline and less of a strict repetition, give or take a few years then generations do fit perfectly this way.
Giovanni was actually meant to be a chosen guardian of the forest much like Lance and Yellow, but channelling the forest’s gifts requires a certain spirituality and ability to commune with it. Yellow, having spent most of her life within those woods is possibly the strongest Viridian Trainer as a result. The reason why Giovanni lacks these gifts is that he purposely chose a more material and personal path rather than follow his calling. Thus shunning his duties and diminishing his connection with the Forest as a result.
We also find out that Giovanni had Team Rocket exploiting the Forest’s natural resources, causing it harm in the process, something I’m quite certain that angered it enough to completely rescind whatever gifts Giovanni might have possessed.
That said, his connection with the Forest isn’t wholly severed. No matter how Giovanni might scoff at the idea of being beholden to some ancient tree deity, there is still a primal part of his soul that feels the calling of the Forest. It’s no real secret to those around him that he often considers the Viridian Forest as a sanctuary, his real home that he often has to revisit time and time again through the years, treating these sojourns more as a pilgrimage as sorts rather than a week long hike. He often leaves the Forest feeling recharged and energized, his soul more at peace.
Surprising no one, this is the very reason why Giovanni had his home built right next to the Viridian Forest so that his very backyard stretches into the expanse of ancient trees. After his battle with Lance and Yellow and his near death experience along with being saved by another forest guardian in the form of Celebi, Giovanni these days tends to be more devoted in the duties he’s shirked ages ago though still not quite able to wholly commit. After all, why should he when Yellow is more than capable of shouldering that responsibility?













