"What, you wuz expectin' somethin' else? Some blubberball with a freakin' egg or somethin'? Not today cupcake. Now are you gonna sit your butt down in that chair and let me have a look at that leg or do I gotta rip it off and look at it over here?"

Mr. Rocco may seem like an odd choice to serve as head nurse of the Poke-Combat Academy, but in many ways he's the perfect 'mon for the job. Rocco Gordon had a short but notable career as a heavyweight arena fighter until his career was sidelined by an injury. Although it wasn't severe and he could have made a full recovery if he had taken time off to heal, his greedy manager insisted he just "play through the pain". Unfortunately the injury grew worse and soon he was no longer able to compete. He still walks with a slight limp in his left leg to this day.

Rocco went back to school, training in medicine with a specialty in sports medicine. He served on several professional teams as the team's doctor and trainer, although many felt he was too conservative. When Principal Felinduce offered him a position as head nurse for the P.C.A. he accepted, feeling that was where he could do the most good.

Despite his gruff demeanor, Mr. Rocco cares greatly for the students in his care. If anything he's a bit too cautious. He's determined to not let what happened to him extinguish any of the future stars he sees at the academy. He also serves as an unofficial coach, usually telling war stories to the students as he patches them up and teaching them how to avoid getting sent back to see him again.