To me, it seems as if Giovanni is a 'jack-of-all-trades', which includes casino profits and pokemon manipulation. (And he had a bone to pick w/ Marowak, pardon the pun. Seriously, they marched to Lavender Tower just to murder pokemon?) Quite ruthless on the outside and in, (Makes me wonder as to how he obtained the Viridian Gym seat. Blackmail, hostages mayhaps?) In anime, he had Mewtwo contained, real bad***.
I also wonder as to what kind of person he was during his pre-Rocket days. Origins hinted that Red reminded him of his youth when he was idealistic and filled w/ wonder. Was Giovanni another 'Rookie Trainer' just like everyone else? I wonder if Rhyhorn was his first partner?
In any case, would Giovanni even predict that Johto's division would e a lot more ruthless, actually mutilating Slowpokes and successfully provoking the evolution of a Red Gyarados? The earlier program insists that only Gen1 types exist, but maybe he had knowledge on Johto's pokemon, even before his defeat. I consider him quite mysterious, w/ these passing questions. I refuse to simply label him an 'antagonist', rather, another rival w/ his own reasons. (Keeping in mind, it' a VG w/ a loosely writting plot, but I let my mind roam.)
Oh, and, btw, rumour has it...HE HAD A SON!?!? Wow, when'd THAT happen? A b****** son he left back in Johto. I wonder who Silver's mother was? Does she die before G/S's current storyline? If not, then what DID happen to her? Wow, GF had the guts to write in a son for him.