I don't care what any of you say, GIOVANNI WAS GOAT.
He led a crime unit while being a gym leader. He also had the most
powerful pokemon of them all at his disposal.
By the time you get around to Giovanni, your team is usually so trained up he's a piece of cake.
Whitney is tougher and is one of the only ones to withhold a badge from you and Lt. Surge always gives me a hard time with the layout of his gym and his double teaming also.