James

James コジロウ Kojirō
[[File:|{{{size}}}]] Art from the TCG
Age	25 (est. by Pokeani)
Gender	Male
Eye color	Green
Hair color	Blue
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Kanto
Relatives	His parents
Trainer class	Agent
Generation	I
Games	Yellow
Member of	Team Rocket
Rank	Agent
Partner	Jessie
Anime debut	Pokémon Emergency!
English voice actor	Ted Lewis (temp.) Eric Stuart (4Kids) Jimmy Zoppi (PUSA)
Japanese voice actor	Shin'ichirō Miki

James (Japanese: コジロウ Kojirō) is one half of of the Team Rocket duo that follows around Ash Ketchum and friends in the Pokémon anime, usually trying to steal Ash's Pikachu, but always failing. His voice actors are 三木眞一郎 Shin'ichirō Miki in Japanese and Ted Lewis (4Kids dub, EP002-EP009), Eric Stuart (4Kids dub, EP010-AG145) and Billy Beach (PUSA dub, AG146-present) in English, Márcio Araújo in Brazilian Portuguese, Peter Michael and Rui Quintas in Iberian Portuguese, José Antionio Macías in Latin-American Spanish. He is somewhat famous for carrying a rose, though in more recent episodes he does not display it often. Mostly, his rose is displayed in the Team Rocket motto.

In the anime

Character

File:Currentjames.jpg

James

The only child of millionaires, James was forced to endure formal society. At a young age, he was forcefully engaged to a girl of whom he was terrified, Jessiebelle, all because his parents wanted to have a wealthy daughter-in-law. Thus, he ran away from home, leaving behind his beloved pet Growlie. He attempted to enroll in Pokémon Tech, a trainer's school, but, along with his new friend Jessie, flunked out. Then, with Jessie, he joined the Sunny Town bicycle gang, where he was popular for being the only gang member to have to use training wheels (nicknamed "Trainer Jim"). Eventually James, Jessie, and the bike gang went their separate ways.

Due to conflicts in canon between Kanto and Johto episodes and the special episode Training Daze, what happened between James and Jessie after the bike gang is unknown. What is known, as shown in the special episode, is that they joined Team Rocket separately and were on initially unfriendly terms after being grouped with Meowth. However, they quickly made up and the rest is history.

Since he is proficient in several activities, including Pokémon haiku and PokéRinger, it is possible that he developed his skills during his temporary separation from Jessie, but this is not known for sure.

In the episode Holy Matrimony!, James returned to his home as a result of a trap by his parents, who pretended to be dead. He was reunited with his old pet Growlie and managed to avoid marrying Jessiebelle. Growlie stayed behind when James returned to Jessie and Meowth.

James has a tendency to be swindled by a Magikarp Salesman, who has on many occasions tricked him into buying a Magikarp or other useless Pokémon for large sums of money.

James also has a tendency to cross-dress, but has not done it since Pros and Con Artists. He does, however, dress up like famous celebrities as well, such as Professor Oak, Juan, and Norman.

James seems to have a fondness for carnivorous Template:Type2 Pokémon, owning both a Weepinbell and a Carnivine. It is not shown how he captures either of these Pokémon, since he has owned them for a long period of time before their first appearances. He did, however, capture a Cacnea early in Hoenn, furthering his seeming preference for Grass-types.

While James' role in the Pokémon anime has not yet ended, in Toshihiro Ono's manga, The Electric Tale of Pikachu, he ended up married to Jessie, about to start a family. The belief, hope, or theory that Jessie and James will become a romantic couple in the Pokémon anime is RocketShipping.

James loves, and has an impressive collection of, rare bottle caps. In the episode All That Glitters! it is revealed that he has "drunk enough soda pop to float an aircraft carrier".

For unknown reasons, he, Jessie and Meowth mostly use hot air balloons instead of faster ways of transportation.

Pokémon

File:Rocketpaper1280.jpg

Jessie and James surrounded by most of the Pokémon they ever owned, up to DP079.

Travels With

Meowth

On hand

Mime Jr.

Carnivine

In training

Cacnea

At home

With parents

Growlie

With relatives

Chimecho

In Game Winning Assist, James mentions that his grandfather brought him some Numel to warm him in the winter.

Temporary

Pikachu

Ivysaur

Charizard

• James was given a team of Pikachu, Ivysaur, and Charizard to use in The Ultimate Test. He was disqualified for battling with both Ivysaur and Charizard at the same time, and attempted to steal all three, but failed.

Venusaur

• James used a Venusaur in One Trick Phony!. It belonged to a Pokémon park and the team had it taken away shortly before being blasted off.

Aggron

• TRDelibird ([[{{{2}}} (move)|{{{2}}}]]) delivered an Aggron to James by mistake in Grating Spaces. It was taken back at the end of the episode, as it was intended for Butch.

Borrowed

Dustox

In That's Just Swellow, James borrowed Dustox from Jessie to use in a Pokéringer competition.

Traded away

→ Weepinbell → Victreebel

Released

→ Koffing → Weezing

→ Weepinbell → Victreebel

→ Magikarp → Gyarados

Not properly caught

Hoppip

• Bought from the Magikarp Salesman while disguised as a Chimecho. Flew off after its true identity was revealed.

Achievements

As a member of Team Rocket, he hasn't accomplished too much. However, he is very good at some activities and has even won some contests.

• Pokémon Orienteering (Winner)
• PokéRinger (2nd place)

In the games

Pokémon Yellow

Both Jessie and James appear in Pokémon Yellow as in-game bosses. They first attack the main character in Mt. Moon, while trying to take one of the rare fossils uncovered there.

Later, in Celadon City's Rocket Game Corner, Jessie and James guard Giovanni's room in the Team Rocket base. During that time, as the player runs into them, they are eager for revenge after the main character busted up their plans at Mt. Moon.

They hold Mr. Fuji hostage at Pokémon Tower. They attack the main character on the seventh floor.

Finally, at Silph Co. in Saffron City, Jessie and James make their final appearance, once again trying to stall the main character from reaching their Boss.

Unlike in the anime, Jessie and James do not follow the main character around and come up with their usual evil plans to capture Pikachu.

First battle

• Level 14 Ekans
• Level 14 Meowth
• Level 14 Koffing

Second battle

• Level 25 Koffing
• Level 25 Meowth
• Level 25 Ekans

Third battle

• Level 27 Weezing
• Level 27 Arbok
• Level 27 Meowth

Fourth battle

• Level 31 Weezing
• Level 31 Arbok
• Level 31 Meowth

Pokémon Puzzle League

Along with many other anime characters, both Jessie and James appeared in Pokémon Puzzle League.

In the TCG

Jessie and James appear on both versions of the card Here Comes Team Rocket!, which originally released in the Team Rocket set; it was re-released with different artwork in EX Team Rocket Returns. In that expansion, there was also a preconstructed Theme Deck based on James.

It is rumored that James may also be on the Gym Challenge set card Rocket's Secret Experiment, as there is a Rocket in the background, seen only from the back, who has his hairstyle, but what he may be doing in the lab is left to the imagination.

Trivia

• Both Jessie and James have used a Charizard at separate times. They used a third one together as well. None of the three remained in their care, however.
• James hasn't evolved any of his Pokémon since Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid!.
• He is the only main character to, after being given his first Pokémon, at one point not have any Pokémon on hand. This was in A Poached Ego! during the brief moment after he released Weezing and before he caught Cacnea.
• James questions his sexuality in episode The Water Flowers of Cerulean City when he comments "It's times like these that make me want to go straight."
• James is the only main character to have one Pokémon and release/give it away, then get another Pokémon of the same species.
• James and Meowth are the only main characters to have their voice actors replaced during the 4Kids run of the show, then again when Pokémon USA took over.
• James is, as of the most recent Japanese episode, the only Trainer on the main cast who has not yet owned a Generation II Pokémon during the Diamond & Pearl series.
  • In fact, the only Generation II Pokémon James ever had was a Hoppip, though it flew away before he could put it in a Pokeball.

Name origin

James's English name is taken from Jesse James, an American outlaw. His Japanese name, Kojiro, is taken from 佐々木小次郎 Sasaki Kojirō, a prominent Japanese swordsman most famous for being killed by his rival, 宮本武蔵 Miyamoto Musashi, the namesake of Jessie. Also, 二郎 Jirō is a name meaning "second son," while 三郎 Saburō means "third son." Kojiro takes advantage of Jirō, while the Japanese name of Butch, Kosaburo, takes advantage of Saburō.

He is based on a combination of the character of Leonardo Medici Bundle from the anime Sengoku Majin GoShogun and 弁天小僧菊之介 Sarasvati boy Kikunosuke from the kabuki 『白波五人男』 The Five Scoundrels of White Waves.

Related articles

• Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
  • Episodes focusing on James

External links

• Roketto, the fanlisting for James
• Kojirō's Profile on Pokeani (Japanese)
• Kojirō's Pokémon on Pokeani (Japanese)

Team Rocket's Pokémon
Travel with:	Meowth	Rotom Phone
	Jessie			James
On hand:	Wobbuffet	Seviper	Yanmega	Mime Jr.	Carnivine	Yamask
	Woobat	Frillish	Gourgeist	Amoonguss	Inkay	Morpeko
In training:				Cacnea
At home:				Growlie	Chimecho
Released:	Arbok	Dustox	Mimikyu	Weezing	Gyarados	Mareanie
Traded away:	Lickitung			Victreebel
Lived with (all three):	Bewear	Stufful
Worked with (all three):	Delibird	Pelipper
Temporarily owned:	Porygon Zero	Shellder	Magikarp	Second Victreebel	Hoppip
	Mawile
Befriended:	Blissey
Status unknown:	Starmie			Pidgey	Numel
For a list of other Pokémon Team Rocket has commanded, see here and here

Pokémon the Series characters
Protagonists Ash Ketchum (Pikachu) • Misty (Togetic) • Brock • Tracey Sketchit • May • Max • Dawn (Piplup) • Iris (Haxorus) • Cilan • Serena • Clemont • Bonnie (Dedenne) • Lana • Kiawe • Lillie • Sophocles • Mallow • Rotom Pokédex • Goh (Grookey) Rivals Gary • Ritchie • Harrison • Drew • Harley • Morrison • Tyson • Solidad • Paul • Nando • Zoey • Kenny • Conway • Barry • Ursula • Trip • Bianca • Burgundy • Stephan • Georgia • Cameron • Aria • Alain • Miette • Tierno • Shauna • Trevor • Nini • Sawyer • Gladion • Horacio • Hau • Leon • Raihan • Horace • Bea • League Conference participants • Coordinators • Performers • World Coronation Series participants Antagonists Jessie (Wobbuffet) • James • Meowth • Giovanni • Butch • Cassidy • Dr. Namba • Matori • Pierce • Dr. Zager • Gozu • Tabitha • Maxie • Shelly • Archie • Hunter J • Saturn • Cyrus • Mars • Jupiter • Charon • Colress • Aldith • Ghetsis • Barret • Malamar • Lysandre • Mable • Celosia • Aliana • Xerosic • Bryony • Tupp • Zipp • Rapp • Plumeria • Guzma • Viren • Rose • Oleana Professors Professor Oak • Professor Ivy • Professor Elm • Professor Birch • Professor Rowan • Professor Carolina • Professor Juniper • Dr. Fennel • Cedric Juniper • Professor Sycamore • Professor Kukui • Professor Burnet • Professor Cerise • Professor Magnolia • Sonia • Professor Amaranth Relatives Delia Ketchum • Daisy • Violet • Lily • James's parents • Flint • Lola • Forrest • Brock's siblings • Norman • Caroline • Johanna • Chili • Cress • Grace • Meyer • Lana's father • Lana's mother • Harper and Sarah • Rango • Sima • Mimo • Kiawe's grandfather • Mohn • Lusamine • Gladion • Sophocles's parents • Molayne • Abe • Mallow's mother • Ulu • Walker • Camille • Halta Supporting Officer Jenny • Nurse Joy • Magikarp salesman • Todd Snap • Charles Goodshow • Casey • Liza • Sakura • Lance • Clair • Raoul Contesta • Mr. Sukizo • Steven Stone • Vivian Meridian • Robert • Scott • Lilian Meridian • Solana • Brandon • Marian • Yuzo • Rhonda • Cynthia • Reggie • Angie • Looker • Izzy and Cara • Lyra • Khoury • Tobias • Don George • Elder • Alder • Luke • Freddy O'Martian • Ingo • Emmet • Jervis • Virgil • N • Anthea and Concordia • Porter • Alexa • Sophie • Cosette • Clembot • Sanpei • Mairin • Astrid • Diantha • Korrina • Gurkinn • Monsieur Pierre • Palermo • Keanan • Malva • Samson Oak • Anela • Hobbes • Nina • Anna • Laki • Dana • Yansu • Wicke • Faba • Ilima • Acerola • Dia • Chloe • Chrysa • Ren • Parker • Talia • Lei • Danika • Quillon • Hop • Gym Leaders • Elite Four • Frontier Brains • Island kahunas • Many temporary characters Supporting Pokémon Fearow • Ho-Oh • Squirtle Squad • Pink Butterfree • Haunter • Jigglypuff • Mewtwo • Mimey • Lapras herd • Granbull • Pichu Brothers • Lugia • Silver • Delibird • Wynaut • Larvitar • Kyogre and Groudon • Articuno • Deoxys • Lake guardians • Forces of nature • Meloetta • Reshiram • Super-ancient Pokémon • Wooper • Florges • Squishy • Z2 • Guardian deities • Bewear • Toucannon's flock • Stoutland • Oranguru • Nebby • Stufful • Ultra Beasts • Grandpa Forest • Necrozma • Lunala • Shaymin • Mew • Rotom Phones • Pelipper • Thievul trio • Eternatus • Drone Rotom • Legendary heroes • Latias • Recurring wild Pokémon
See also: Pokémon Horizons characters