Ariana

Ariana
Species	Human
Affiliation	Team Rocket
Hair color	Red
Eye color	Red
Voiced by	Amber Lee Connors (2023)
Debut	Pokémon: HeartGold/SoulSilver Versions

Ariana is one of the four Team Rocket Executives featured in Pokémon: HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, based on unnamed executives from the original Gold, Silver and Crystal. She is the only female Executive.

Background

Ariana was a high-ranking member of Team Rocket during Giovanni's reign. Unnamed Team Rocket Admins who appeared to be Archer and Ariana made an appearance in FireRed/LeafGreen at the Rocket Warehouse. They were unaware of Giovanni's defeat at the hands of Red and his subsequent decision to disband Team Rocket until Red came to the warehouse himself and battled them. She claimed not to care whether or not what she did was right or wrong, and that she did what she was told out of faith in Giovanni. She understood that Red was acting out of beliefs and morals, and she switched around one of the directional tiles so that he could leave and return to the warehouse more easily, suggesting that he get refreshed for the upcoming challenge. She admitted that the other Admin (Archer) outranked her as a trainer, with politeness that starkly contrasted her strict characterization in HeartGold/SoulSilver.

Over the next three years, Team Rocket secretly operated underground, until they finally resurfaced during the second generation in Johto, committing a series of schemes with the ulterior motive of bringing Giovanni back to lead them. Ariana acted as the interim boss, although Archer seemed to have equal or higher footing. In their hidden base at Mahogany Town, they experimented with radio waves that forced the Magikarp of the Lake of Rage to evolve prematurely into Gyarados. Ethan/Lyra and Lance arrived to shut this operation down, but Ariana showed up to stop the trainer when they were about to enter the control room. She claimed to be unwilling to let them hurt Team Rocket's pride. She and a Rocket Grunt were ready to double-team the trainer, but Lance arrived to help Ethan/Lyra in the double battle. After being defeated, Ariana brushed off the loss because their experiments with broadcasting had been a success, and they then retreated.

Soon afterwards, Team Rocket took control of Goldenrod City's Radio Tower, sending out a message to attract Giovanni. She battled Ethan/Lyra there (being the last opponent before Archer), thinking it would be easy now that the trainer was alone, but she was shocked to lose again. She felt that it was a waste that Ethan/Lyra did not use their strength for acts of evil and said that people like them would never understand Team Rocket's brilliance, while regretting that she had come to truly respect his strength. The Executives all disappeared after Archer was defeated and officially disbanded Team Rocket, leaving it unclear who (if anyone) was arrested and who went into hiding.

Pokémon Roster

In Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/Soulsilver, she uses Arbok, Gloom and Murkrow in the first battle, and the same Pokémon in the second battle except that her Gloom has become Vileplume. The Rocket Admin in FireRed/LeafGreen uses Muk, Arbok and Vileplume.

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Stadium 2, the executive she was based on appeared as one of the bosses faced at the Johto Gym Leader Castle. In the first round, her team consisted of Sneasel, Muk, Lickitung, Vileplume, Raticate and Arbok. In the second round she used Vileplume, Arbok, Magcargo, Kabutops, Victreebel and Golbat.

In Pokémon Masters EX, Ariana appeared with her Arbok as a playable sync pair who could be recruited through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature starting in September 2023 after making previous appearances in some of the game's story events. Ariana prominently appeared in multiple chapters of the Villain Arc as one of the lieutenants serving under Giovanni after she showed up with the other executives in the "Johto: Team Rocket Returns" chapter. She first teamed up with Archer in a battle against Lance, Morty and Karen, and she was later battled by Lyra and Kris. She also accompanied Archer in reporting their survey of Pasio in the Hoenn chapter and fought alongside Archer and Petrel against Looker and Emma until they retreated after Anabel, Diantha and Paulo joined up with Looker. During the Final Chapter, she and Archer fought alongside Giovanni against Paulo, and although she and Archer were beaten, Giovanni was able to sway Hoopa over to their side. Hoopa's power allowed Team Rocket to use numerous Legendary Pokémon in battle. Ariana and Archer were seen using Dialga and Palkia in a battle against Lear, Sawyer and Rachel. During the climax of the arc, Ariana used Entei, Raikou and Suicune in a battle against Oleana, Lusamine and Malva. Outside of the main story, Ariana also appeared in Part 2 of "Trainer Files: Kanto Elite Four" in which she was shown to be frustrated after losing to Agatha.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Initially, the character of Sham was introduced in the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga and was based on the unnamed female Executive. Sham and Carl (who was based on the male Executive) were among the children abducted and brainwashed by the Mask of Ice, then acting as a subleader of Team Rocket for him throughout the arc, ultimately with both of them being defeated by Gold and Kris. The actual Ariana has since been introduced with the beginning of the HeartGold/SoulSilver arc, where the four executives were first shown taking control of Team Rocket from the ineffectual villain Carr. Ariana battled Silver and Crystal during Team Rocket's plan to use the power of Arceus, and during the climax of the arc she instead hid while everyone else battled. In the end, she retreated with Giovanni.

Trivia

• She is named after the Ariane family of real-life Europeon rockets. Her Japanese name, Athena, refers to a Lockheed Martin expendable launch system.
• Unofficially, her first appearance was in Gold/Silver/Crystal as the only female Rocket Executive, and her unofficial second appearance was the aforementioned FireRed/LeafGreen appearance, where she wore a grunt's uniform. It was in HeartGold/SoulSilver that she was redesigned and given a name as well as a more specific character. The main connecting point between her appearances, aside from using mostly the same Pokémon, is her red hair, which is always evident.