"All Pokémon exist solely for the use of Team Rocket."
—Rocket Leader Giovanni, after his getaway from Viridian Gym.
Giovanni makes his getaway.
The investigation into Team Rocket continues in Kanto, as detectives trace several foiled plots. It leads them to Viridian Gym, where Detective Looker hopes to finally capture Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Comic Relief: Inverted. While Looker is often played for comic relief in the games, here he becomes much more serious and competent.
- Adaptational Villainy: The episode takes place right after Giovanni's Heel–Face Turn... except in this continuity, it was just a ruse and he intends to reform Team Rocket. Which fits, since he returns as the villain in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
- Call-Back: The Celadon casino and Silph Co., sites of two of the Team Rocket incidents foiled by the player in Pokémon Red and Blue, are mentioned.
- Continuity Cavalcade: The foiled Team Rocket plots at the Celadon City casino and the Silph Co. are mentioned. Giovanni's line references the motto of Team Rocket.
- Didn't Think This Through: Two SWAT team members use their Arcanine to burn a hole through the wall—and find themselves looking at a hole with molten slag dripping through. No doubt they're thinking "Okay, what the hell do we do now?"
- Policeman Dog: The SWAT team brings an Arcanine to melt a hole into the Viridian Gym and Looker has his Growlithe at the ready to face Giovanni.
- Undying Loyalty: When Looker asks if any of the Rocket Grunts will reveal anything about Giovanni, his companion tells him that the grunts are so loyal to Giovanni that they would never talk even if they knew anything useful.
- You Are Too Late: Looker arrives at Viridian Gym too late, just missing Giovanni, only finding evidence of his battles against Blue and Red.
