Marco

> "*Perdente!"* — Marco's favorite word
>
>

Marco is the rival of the Antoria region and is a member of Team Rocket.

Art by Emi Luna

### Relationships

Patricia/Giorno (rival), Antonio (father, boss), Giovanni (mentor), Professor Cypress (professor)

## Appearance

Marco is a teenage boy with a very stern face. He wears a blue and white button down shirt, emblazoned with a R on the breast. He wears light blue shorts and a white belt with a R on the buckle. His slip-on shoes are white. He wears a blue trilby hat. His ear is pierced multiple times and he wears a watch on his right hand.

## Personality

Marco is a very aggressive person, feeling angry more often than not. He takes most conversations as a challenge and takes advantage of moments of weakness to try to get a win. However, his attitude covers up his low self-confidence and his frustration about his lack of skills. He wants to follow in his father's footsteps and gain his approval, so he doesn't care about the morality or legality of his actions along the way. He reacts poorly to people offering to help him, not wanting to seem weak or incapable in any way.

## Early Life

At some point, Marco decides that he wants to be a trainer and become strong enough to join Team Rocket. In the "What if Italy Was a Pokémon Region?" video, Antonio mentions that Marco's mother believed that he wasn't good enough to be a trainer. Antonio disagreed with her sentiment at first and tried to help Marco become strong enough to hold his own in Team Rocket, but later says that he should've listened to her.

## *What If Italy Was a Pokémon Region?*

After stepping off his family's boat, Marco joins Patricia/Giorno in choosing one of the starters from Professor Cypress. He spends a good portion of the interaction insulting Patricia/Giorno and professor and insists that Patricia/Giorno choose their starter first so he can pick the stronger one. Despite Professor Cypress's attempts to quell the tension between the two, Marco jumps at the chance to challenge Patricia/Giorno to a battle. He plays off his defeat as letting Patricia/Giorno win and swears that he won't go easy next time before leaving.

The next time Patricia/Giorno encounters Marco is after he uses his Pokémon to blast a hole in the wall of some ruins that Sophia was studying. Patricia/Giorno gives Marco the PokéDex that Professor Cypress intended to give Marco at his lab; however, Marco never showed up. Sophia asks if Marco is a friend of Patricia/Giorno but makes the mistake of saying that he seems lost, which sends Marco into a fury denying the accusation. He does allow Sophia to lead him out of the tower so he doesn't destroy anything else.

Patricia/Giorno later follows him across a southern route and arrives in front of Antonio's mansion. Marco tries calling for someone to let him through the gate, but no one responds. He is enraged when he notices that Patricia/Giorno followed him to the mansion, but is cut off when Antonio arrives. Antonio claims that Patricia/Giorno doesn't seem to be that strong and that Marco should be able to take them down easily, which cows Marco into silence. He sits through Antonio's casual insults, only exploding in rage when Antonio says that he would rather have Patricia/Giorno in Team Rocket than Marco. He challenges Patricia/Giorno to a battle, only to silently break down after losing in front of his father. As Patricia/Giorno and Antonio walk into the mansion, Marco meets Patricia's/Giorno's eyes before the gates close.

When Patricia/Giorno visits the museum dedicated to the ancient civilization of the Egypt region, they find Marco struggling to get away from a swarm of Unovan Cofagrigus. He vehemently tells Patricia/Giorno that he doesn't need their help, so Patricia/Giorno immediately helps him by taking on the swarm. He berates Patricia/Giorno for helping him when he didn't want it and for making him look weak. He initiates another battle after Patricia/Giorno's team is exhausted by the swarm, only to lose again. Before he can make some comment, the ground shakes and a giant Antorian Cofagrigus snatches Marco and forces it within its body. Patricia/Giorno intervenes to save Marco's life. Once released from the Cofagrigus's grip, he throws a red gem that he stole at it and exists the museum without thanking Patricia/Giorno.

Marco makes his next appearance on Vittoria Island to challenge Patricia/Giorno to a battle in order to decide who will take on the league first. After losing, he runs off, completely distraught, with his starter following close behind.

Marco doesn't appear again until the Razzo Episode. When Patricia/Giorno infiltrates the Team Rocket warehouse, they find Marco in front of the retrained legendary Pokémon, demanding for it to obey him. He initially panics when he sees the trainer, but quickly composes himself. He reveals that he has joined Team Rocket and that Antonio gave him the mission to capture the legendary Pokémon. He challenges Patricia/Giorno, but shouts in frustration at Patricia/Giorno and the disobedient legendary after he loses. He receives an order from a radio piece and reluctantly abandons the mission.

During the post-credits scene of the "What if Italy Was a Pokémon Region?" video, Marco calls out Antonio for stopping his mission and calling him back to the mansion. He is dumbstruck when Antonio admits that he's proud of how strong Marco has gotten, but doesn't understand why Antonio called him to the office. He is somewhat insulted when Antonio tells him that he will follow a mentor for the time being, but apparently accepts after Antonio says his piece and Giovanni enters the office.

## Pokémon Teams

Encounter 1: The Lambello, Illuminewt, or Oakub line (picks what is strong against Patricia's/Giorno's starter)

Encounter 2: Cornalata/Geckglow/Arbear, Goomy, Houndour

Encounter 3: Cornalata/Geckglow/Arbear, Goomy, Houndoom, Excavian, Antorian Mudtruff

Encounter 4: Capralata/Sardindra/Grizzleaf, Houndoom, Goodra, Drillavian, Antorian Mudtruff

Encounter 5: Capralata/Sardindra/Grizzleaf, Houndoom/Mega Houndoom, Goodra, Drillavian, Antorian Mudtruff, Galvantula

## Trivia

* GodKnight voices Marco.
* Unlike most rivals, who are usually at least one gym ahead of the player, Antonio specifically states that Marco is one gym behind Patricia/Giorno.
* In a Twitter post, Mr. Buddy revealed that Antonio helped Marco catch his Terravian when he was younger. Although Marco has forgotten that day, Antonio has a picture hidden in his office of Marco's accomplishment.
* Marco is one of the few characters to sneak in some light swearing; however, it is easily missable as it is an Italian curse.
* The positioning of his watch implies that Marco is right-handed.