“Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.” - Team Rocket Motto
Team Rocket is a global organization intent on taking over the world. It has wormed its way into society like an octillery, sticking its tentacles into everything it can. Team Rocket’s influence is everywhere: your corporations, your factories, your governments—even your Pokémon leagues.
At the top, there is The Boss, a ruthless man named Giovanni. He surrounds himself with cruel and capable Executives such as Archer, his second-in-command. Executives command smaller teams, which they use to carry out the boss’s will.
Some executives break up their teams into self-governed squads, which perform smaller tasks. While squad supervision is typically minimal, your leadership expects results. The members of these squads are known as grunts. They are the bottom of the barrel.
▶️ You are the bottom of the barrel.
Though Team Rocket has grunts in every alley and pocket of the world, its primary base of operations is Goldenrod City in the Johto region. Your squad is stationed here, under the watchful eye of a top executive. You have your orders: protect Rocket HQ at all costs and continue to advance the interests of Team Rocket wherever you can.
Working for Team Rocket isn’t the best, but it’s not the worst either. While you may not be paid super well and you are doing crimes, you’re treated with respect. Nobody tries to get you to work overtime or take extra unpaid shifts. And you’ll be set for life if you find a way to impress a man as rich and powerful as Giovanni. Most grunts adore him, or at the very least want to be just like him.
Setting isn’t just the where. It’s about the when. There are two moments in time that this game is very well-suited for: the events of the Kanto Pokémon Games (Gen 1), and the events of the Johto Pokémon Games (Gen 2).
Giovanni has succeeded in taking over most of Kanto’s criminal underworld. He spends most of his time there. Most grunts don’t know why, but we as players know it’s because of his duties as Viridian City’s Gym Leader.
Giovanni and his executives are preoccupied with his escaped science experiment. The creature is still at large, hiding out just north of Cerulean City, and contains enough power to wipe out civilization as we know it. You have no idea how Giovanni can fix this, but you leave that up to him.
It’s been three years since Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket. Recently, you got the call from Executive Ariana that Team Rocket is reforming, with her as the interim boss. You have one goal: rebuild Team Rocket and reinstate Giovanni at the top. You have no idea how you’ll even find him, but you leave that up to your executives.