A schoolgirl attending the Pokémon Technical Institute, situated between Cerulean City and Vermilion City. She is a character of the day in "The School of Hard Knocks" and also appears in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga.
In "The School of Hard Knocks," Ash, Misty, and Brock meet a schoolboy named Joe who attends the Pokémon Trainer's School called Pokémon Tech. Upperclassmen were bullying younger or less experienced students under the guise of "tutoring." The culprit was Giselle, a pretty, popular, and highly experienced student.
Giselle shows up to confront and belittle Joe after his recent loss against Misty. During their conversation, it becomes clear that Giselle is quite mean and cares little for young, inexperienced trainers. Angered by Giselle’s attitude, Misty challenges her to a Pokémon battle. Despite the type disadvantage, Giselle defeats Misty using a Graveler against Starmie. After taunting Misty, Giselle lectures her fellow students.
Ash gets angry and argues that Pokémon training involves more than just types and levels; one needs to be friends with them too. Giselle mocks him, calling him a beginner. She teases him about having two badges and three Pokémon after two months on his journey. She claims Pikachu are awful first Pokémon choices, better suited as pets for little girls, and begins to spout trivia about Pikachu and Raichu. Ash and Pikachu, insulted and angered, challenge Giselle to a battle.
Giselle uses a Cubone. Unable to use Electric-type moves, Ash instructs Pikachu to fight back any way it can. Pikachu attacks Cubone physically—biting, scratching, etc. Eventually, Pikachu covers Cubone’s eyes with its skull helmet, causing Cubone to knock itself out with Bonemerang. Shocked by the defeat, Giselle admits people can’t learn solely from books.
Team Rocket tries to raid the school, but Giselle leads the charge against them, getting all the students to help chase the criminals away. Joe and Giselle reconcile, and Joe leaves to collect badges for the Pokémon League.
Giselle makes cameo appearances in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. She travels through Kanto catching high-rank Pokémon and is seen with Joe in one of the cameos.
Trivia:
- Giselle is the only female Ash found attractive enough to abandon his usual indifference towards romance.
- Giselle was the only girl younger than Brock that he found attractive during the series.
- A Trainer based on Giselle appears in Pokémon Yellow; a female Junior Trainer with a Cubone is on Route 6, which, like Pokémon Tech in the anime, is between Cerulean City and Vermilion City. She says, "I'm training for my love. Don't bother me!"
- Giselle is one of the few characters whose Japanese name isn’t spelled using katakana but kanji instead.
