Team Rocket trio
The Team Rocket trio, sometimes abbreviated as TRio or JJM, and often referred to simply as "Team Rocket", is a trio of members of Team Rocket, consisting of Jessie, James, and Meowth. In the Pokémon anime, they are the primary antagonists from the original series to Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and the most frequently appearing members of Team Rocket.
Terminology
In Pokémon Yellow, both Jessie and James appear as unnamed characters. The Team Rocket trio is known collectively as "ROCKET" (Japanese: ロケットだんいん Team Rocket Member; in the end-battle dialogue, shortened to だんいん Member). For instance: "ROCKET wants to fight!" This is the same designation used in all Generation I games for the characters who would be later known as the Team Rocket Grunts.
In the core series games, Jessie and James were first named in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. In addition to the anime, they are also named in some spin-off games, including Pokémon Puzzle League, Zany Cards, Mezastar, GO, and Masters EX.
In the anime
Main series
History
Pre-series
The Team Rocket trio were inducted as official Team Rocket members in Training Daze. They joined Team Rocket separately and were on initially unfriendly terms after being grouped with Meowth but they quickly made up and became good friends. The trio's rivalry with Butch and Cassidy was also formed at the Team Rocket Academy.
Original series
The Team Rocket trio first appeared in Pokémon Emergency, in which they took over the Viridian Pokémon Center. After their first defeat at the hands of Ash's Pikachu convinced them of his extraordinary power, the trio made their main goal to capture Pikachu.
The trio's general incompetence usually makes them incapable of helping Team Rocket with their significant plans.
In Electric Shock Showdown, after hearing that Pikachu would fight to defend his own honor and Ash's, the trio were inspired to cheer on Pikachu before his rematch against Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge's Raichu.
In Battle Aboard the St. Anne, they led the invasion of the St. Anne, where they and dozens of Team Rocket Grunts stole numerous Pokémon and Poké Balls from the passengers with special mechas. However, the passengers retaliated, led by Ash and his friends, and they defeated the grunts and took back their Pokémon. Later, the ship sailed into a violent storm, was overcome by waves, and sank into the sea.
In The Battle of the Badge, Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket and the Viridian Gym Leader, temporarily left the trio in charge of the Viridian Gym. He even gave them some of his Pokémon. Jessie battled Ash, but refused to hand him an Earth Badge upon Ash's victory. When Togepi set off an explosion by triggering Meowth's remote control, Team Rocket blasted off and Jessie dropped the Badge for Ash to retrieve.
In Showdown at the Po-ké Corral, the trio arrived at Team Rocket HQ, expecting Giovanni to fire them for their failures. They saw Mewtwo destroy the headquarters and fly away just as they were about to turn away and quit first. When Giovanni told them to just do their job, they took it as a vote of confidence in them and continued to try and steal Pokémon.
In A Scare in the Air, Giovanni assigned the trio to the "Blimp Brigade", where they crewed a rickety blimp that Giovanni only kept the insurance for. Damage caused by a storm as well as a battle with Brock caused the blimp to crash-land on Valencia Island in the Orange Islands. After being repaired, the blimp crashed on Tangelo Island during its return trip in The Lost Lapras. Afterwards, Team Rocket continued to follow Ash and Pikachu throughout the Orange Islands.
In The Trouble with Snubbull, Team Rocket first tried using Meowth as bait for a newly-evolved Granbull, which had been persistently following Meowth, so they could collect a reward from the Granbull's owner, Madame Muchmoney. This failed, and they subsequently used a Meowth-shaped mecha for their next attempt. Through a misunderstanding over Meowth trying to release Granbull from the mecha's tail, Team Rocket were mistakenly assumed to have tricked Madame Muchmoney. When Team Rocket was blasted off following a battle between the mecha and Granbull, Granbull returned home and no longer followed Meowth.
In Dues and Don'ts, they discovered that their membership in Team Rocket had lapsed, although they were able to rejoin due to labor shortages, provided that they pay their debts.
In Hoenn Alone!, Team Rocket followed Ash and Pikachu to the Hoenn region by stowing away on the stern of a boat.
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
The trio intervened in Pokémon poacher Rico's plan to capture and sell a group of wild Ekans and Koffing in A Poached Ego!. Jessie and James released Arbok and Weezing and sent them off into Petalburg Woods to protect the Ekans and Koffing.
While suffering from amnesia, Ash's Pikachu temporarily joined the trio in A Scare to Remember!.
In Saved by the Beldum, they were selling snacks to League spectators for the Ever Grande Conference.
During the Mulberry City Pokémon Contest, Harley enlisted the trio's help in sabotaging May's chances of winning her fifth Kanto Ribbon. Harley even leased his Pokémon to Jessie to aid his cause. Ash, however, foiled James and Meowth's attempts to ruin May's Appeals performance during New Plot, Odd Lot. While Drew disrupted their follow-up scheme in Going for Choke, and discovered that Harley was aiding the Rocket trio. Following Jessie's Contest loss, Harley scolded the trio and refused their offer of joining Team Rocket before storming off.
After being blasted off once again, the trio exchanged insults and decided to go their separate ways in The Ole' Berate and Switch. Jessie and James eventually found themselves at the site of Butch and Cassidy's latest scheme, a one-day-only Pokémon Tournament in Sable City. Cassidy roped James into forming a trio with her and Butch, but Jessie soon paired up with Butch. Meowth proved to be far more attached to Jessie and James, and used a biscuit to reflect on the group's close bond even in tough times. The trio reunited and returned to goal of capturing Ash's Pikachu.
Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl
The trio re-encountered Butch and Cassidy in Sleight of Sand!. The two Team Rocket groups quickly began to battle with their robots, and this eventually erupted into a Pokémon battle. The intense confrontation was interrupted after a Hippopotas whipped up a Sandstorm and sent both groups blasting off. The two groups subsequently vowed revenge the next time they met.
In The Thief That Keeps on Thieving!, Giovanni did not even remember who they were.
Team Rocket attended the Pokémon Summer Academy, with Jessie disguised as Jessilinda, while James and Meowth posed as janitors from Camping it Up! to One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!.
In Frozen on Their Tracks!, Team Rocket befriended Looker after sharing boxed lunches with him, coming to call him "Boxed-Lunch Guy" or "Mr. Lunchbox". Later in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, after discovering that Looker was a member of the International Police, they assisted him in taking down Team Galactic.
The trio set up their own Sinnoh Pokémon Hustle course in a bid to steal competitors' Pokémon and scout for new Team Rocket members in Beating the Bustle and Hustle!.
In Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!, Team Rocket had built a secret base with the money they earned during the Twinleaf Festival. While the trio managed to lure Ash and his friends onto their base, which was actually a rocket, an evil Togepi also wandered in and ruined Team Rocket's plans. The rocket eventually crash-landed, leaving only debris.
In The Fleeing Tower of Sunyshore!, Team Rocket managed to steal Sunyshore Tower as Ash and Volkner prepared to have their Gym battle. Though Ash and his newly evolved Torterra defeated Team Rocket, the Gym and Tower were significantly damaged in the process, and Ash's Gym battle was postponed.
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
At his secretary's recommendation, Giovanni promoted them as part of his plans in the Unova region. After their promotion, they changed from their original white uniforms to black uniforms. In Pokémon the Series: Black & White, they acted in a more serious manner, focusing more on completing specific assignments, often using gadgets such as jetpacks to retreat instead of blasting off.
In Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!, after Giovanni's secretary informed them that they wouldn't be needed for any more missions, they worried Giovanni had lost faith in them and returned to their white uniforms. They returned to planning their own schemes, although often in a more competent manner and with the assistance of Dr. Zager. They participated in Operation Tempest, Team Rocket's mission to capture Meloetta and harness the power of the forces of nature.
Due to the failure of Operation Tempest, starting in New Places... Familiar Faces! they reverted to their traditional comedic personalities, using their original motto, and travelling in their Meowth balloon (with enhancements); however, their newfound competence was not completely lost, with the trio still occasionally retreating using jetpacks instead of blasting off.
After Meowth, Colress and Team Rivalry!, the trio decided to head for the White Ruins, where they would spy on Team Plasma's movements for a time while plotting to steal the Light Stone. However, when their friend Looker spotted them and asked for their help, the trio helped Ash and his friends defeat the rival organization. After helping defeat Team Plasma in Farewell, Unova! Setting Sail for New Adventures!, the trio returned completely to their previous role as comic relief, retaining only their upgraded technology and slight competence.
Pokémon the Series: XY
In A Battle of Aerial Mobility!, Giovanni approved the trio's plan to steal as many rare and powerful Pokémon as they could in the Kalos region.
Team Rocket targeted Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City on several occasions, often leaving the research facility damaged as a result. In Lumiose City Pursuit! and Garchomp's Mega Bond!, they tried and failed to control Sycamore's Garchomp. In Mega-Mega Meowth Madness!, they kidnapped Professor Sycamore for his Mega Evolution data to power their Mega-Mega-Meowth Machine.
The trio teamed up with a Florges and her Pokémon army in Defending the Homeland! and Beyond the Rainbow!. Team Rocket was able to capture Pikachu, Dedenne, and Wooper with Florges's assistance while they also drained the healing waters of the Route 14 wetlands to make a profit. Florges's daughter Floette's recovery was threatened by the dropping water levels, and Florges soon realized Team Rocket's true intentions. Florges paired up with her rival, Ash's Goodra, to defeat the trio and recover the stolen water.
In An Explosive Operation!, Giovanni assigned the trio to investigate Team Flare's plans and to catch the Zygarde known as Squishy before Team Flare could do so. They ran into another Zygarde Core, nicknamed Z2, that was on the run from Team Flare. The trio escaped with Z2 after Jessie's Gourgeist used Seed Bomb against some Team Flare Grunts, but they later lost in battle to them. Team Rocket tried taking the weakened Z2 when Mable was about to capture it, but Aliana's Druddigon and Mable's Weavile made them blast off.
During the Lumiose Conference, they assisted Malva with filming the conference whilst plotting to steal the competitors' Pokémon, only for Malva's tight schedule to disrupt their plans, leaving them unable to steal any Pokémon. During the Team Flare crisis, they continued filming and help assist by piloting the helicopter to help deal with the Giant Rock. They later edited the footage shot to show to Giovanni that they alone defeated Team Flare.
Following their adventures in Kalos, they returned to Team Rocket HQ in Till We Compete Again!.
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
Later, in Loading the Dex!, the trio arrived in the Alola region to obtain some rare Alolan Pokémon for Giovanni, as well as Ash's Pikachu, which they were surprised to find on Melemele Island. They allied with a Mimikyu which hated Pikachu and later a wild Bewear kidnapped Jessie and James. In First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!, the Bewear looked after the trio, giving them food and shelter at its den.
They completed their new base in Bewear's den during A Seasoned Search! despite disruptions caused by Rowlet and Popplio crashing into their antenna during They Might Not Be Giants!.
They are often seen on Melemele Island in disguise as part-timers at a malasada shop, mostly as food truck attendants. In Now You See Them, Now You Don't!, Team Rocket took notice of a Cosmog that was accompanying Ash while the trio was selling malasadas near the Pokémon School. James wrongly guessed that the Cosmog, Nebby, was a pre-evolved Koffing, and Team Rocket tried and failed to capture it. In Deceiving Appearances! it was revealed they were scouted by Faba to work at the Aether Foundation as his assistants, but quit in Mission: Total Recall! after discovering his intent to use his Hypno's Hypnosis to tamper with Lillie's memory, finding such underhanded evil below them. They eventually abandoned chasing after Nebby after James was proven wrong about it being the pre-evolved form of Koffing in Revealing the Stuff of Legend!.
One of Team Rocket's goals in Alola has been to harness the power of Z-Moves for themselves. In A Team-on-Team Tussle!, they obtained a Darkinium Z, which some Team Skull Grunts also tried to obtain from a nest of Alolan Rattata and Raticate, led by a Totem Raticate. The same Z-Crystal reappeared in Acting True to Form!, where Jessie and James believed that they could use it with the Alolan Meowth they had just met. However, they were dismayed upon being informed that they would also need a Z-Ring to do so.
In Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, at the advice of Giovanni, they traveled to Ula'ula Island to get a Z-Ring from Nanu. There, their Darkinium Z was stolen by the "Greedy Rapooh", a Gengar they had accidentally unsealed. After taking back their Z-Crystal, Nanu gave them a Z-Power Ring so James's Mareanie could use Black Hole Eclipse, rescuing Acerola in the process. The trio was allowed to keep the ring as a token of appreciation, and Jessie received a Mimikium Z for her Mimikyu from Acerola's Mimikyu, nicknamed Mimikins.
The Rocket trio were called back to HQ in Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues!. They released Mimikyu and Mareanie, also leaving their Z-Ring behind, in the care of Bewear and Stufful.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Team Rocket returned to the Kanto region, setting up an underground base in Vermilion City while they plot to steal Pikachu. They have been using disguises; a Rotom Phone that they received in Flash of the Titans!; and the Rocket Prize Master, a Pokémon vending machine, to assist their evil operations.
In The Climb to Be the Very Best!, they successfully captured a Chewtle while in Wyndon. Chewtle was added to the Rocket Prize Master, where its powerful Water Gun proved to be difficult to defeat in Kicking It from Here Into Tomorrow!.
In A Talent for Imitation!, the trio recruited a Ditto as a new member of Team Rocket. Ditto was struggling to be a movie star because its nervousness was affecting its ability to use Transform. Jessie and the others encouraged Ditto, and it eventually learned to Transform perfectly. While Ditto assisted them in capturing Pikachu, Jessie realized Ditto was destined for stardom and allowed it to leave to fulfill its dreams.
In A Little Rocket R & R!, the trio was ordered to go on vacation to the Resort Area in Sinnoh. However, the reward was a ploy by Matori and her agents, who planned to steal many Pokémon from the Resort Area. After overhearing her insulting them, the trio decided to get their revenge by helping Ash and Goh free the Pokémon. The subsequent battle quickly turned against Matori and her unit, and when Officer Jenny arrived, they retreated.
The trio was sent to the Galar Energy Plant by Giovanni to steal the most evil Pokémon, Eternatus. In Sword and Shield: The Darkest Day! and Sword and Shield: "From Here to Eternatus!", they posed as Workers while they bided their time. However, they came under threat when Meowth was Gigantamaxed by Eternatus's powerful energy and later failed when they were sent blasting off by Eternatus in Sword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!.
In Rocket Revengers!, the trio reunited with their Pokémon that had been residing at Team Rocket HQ. Realizing the potential of such a large group, the team hatched a scheme to isolate Ash's Pikachu and capture him. They waited at the end of the trap, where they ambushed an isolated Pikachu. Despite their efforts, however, Pikachu was able to evade capture, and a wild Latias that had been following Ash intervened and sent the evil group blasting off. Upset over the failure, the trio decided it was time to go their separate ways.
In Ash and Latios, the trio individually returned to the Team Rocket HQ, each vowing to become a legend on their own. In The Rainbow and the Pokémon Master!, after finding themselves stuck with cafeteria duty, they ultimately ended up deciding to reunite and resume their efforts to capture Pikachu.
Characters
Since making their debut in the second episode of the anime, the Team Rocket trio has appeared in almost every single episode until the start of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, after which they appeared less frequently. As such, they are the most prominent representation of Team Rocket as a whole in the anime. Prior to Rematch at the Nacrene Gym!, the very first episode was the only single regular episode (excluding the clip show AG120) in which Team Rocket was completely absent.
In most of their appearances, they attempt to capture Ash's Pikachu, or any other Pokémon to give to Team Rocket's boss, Giovanni. However, they usually get defeated and are blasted off with their iconic catchphrase, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!", or variants such as "Team Rocket's blasting off again!" or "We're blasting off again!" In Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, a Bewear whisks them away as they say their catchphrase "We're off with a new blast!", either following a defeat or when Bewear interrupts a battle. Typically, right after making a capture, they will recite their motto, although on some rare occasions, they are unable to finish. This has been parodied by protagonists and even other Team Rocket members, such as Butch and Cassidy.
Since witnessing his power, the trio has been obsessed with capturing Ash's Pikachu, relentlessly pursuing Ash and his many friends across the various regions of the Pokémon world to do so. Although they often succeed in capturing Pikachu, they have never managed to hold on to him for longer than a day. They frequently develop or purchase various kinds of shockproof gadgets and machinery (mechas, rubber suits, etc.) to aid in his capture, but these gadgets are often circumvented by non-Electric attacks and abilities (for which the trio constantly forgets to account) or simply backfire.
Even though they usually only cause trouble for the main characters, they have sometimes helped them. When they have a common enemy, they will often ally with Ash and his friends, as shown in The Power of One and later against Team Aqua and Team Magma. They also played a key part in the fight against Team Galactic, teaming up with Looker. They occasionally put their differences aside for personal reasons, only to later return to their thieving ways. One of the more common moments of truce is during Pokémon Contests, which Jessie had a fondness for participating in under various aliases. In Ride, Lapras, Ride!, they helped Ash to remove a Wailord that was stuck, albeit because Pikachu forced them to.
On several occasions, Jessie, James, and Meowth have shown that they are not all evil and have even displayed a degree of affection for Ash and his friends. For instance, the trio heroically sacrificed themselves to what they thought was certain death in The Power of One in order to allow Ash's escape on Lugia, and also saved him from a fall in the next movie, Spell of the Unown: Entei. Their justification was that in the case of the world being destroyed or Ash's death, they would be out of show business, but it is implied that this is just bluster to cover the fact that they are not truly bad people.
The trio has also taken pity on the protagonists' struggles at various points in the series, sometimes going as far as to devise schemes just to help the heroes overcome their issues. One such example occurs in Charizard's Burning Ambitions, where Team Rocket kept Ash's Charizard awake as it lay in the lake, and then built a huge mecha and attacked the Charicific Valley for the sole purpose of allowing Charizard to defeat them and gain acceptance in the valley. In Mission: Total Recall!, when Faba asked them to help him drain memories from Lillie, they blatantly refused, citing their belief that all memories, good or bad, should be preserved at any cost. They, or more specifically Meowth, made a similar rationale for telling Mewtwo not to go through with erasing their memories in Mewtwo Returns, and implied part of the reason he was against it was because the clones themselves would have been negatively affected by lack of answers to their past. They had a particular fondness for Ash's Infernape throughout Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, frequently rooting for and encouraging him after witnessing his abusive treatment under Paul as a Chimchar.
They rarely refer to Giovanni by name, usually just calling him "the boss". They also rarely call Ash or his friends by their names, instead preferring to refer to them as "the twerps" or some variation thereof, to the point of occasionally almost ruining a disguise by calling them such.
The Team Rocket trio generally have a poor battling record, getting defeated by Ash and his friends in almost every encounter. This poor battling record has occurred often enough that it even was mentioned by some of the characters, with Misty also implying twice that beating Team Rocket in matches was not something worth bragging about regarding skill.
Artwork
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| Official artwork from the original series |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Black & White |
Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: XY |
| For more artwork, please see Jessie, James, Meowth images on the Bulbagarden Archives. | ||||
I Choose You! trilogy
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Expansion of role in M23, and JNS05 |
The Team Rocket trio appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. They first appeared in disguise in a Pokémon Center, and were wanted for stealing Pokémon. When a Pokémon Trainer who had just battled an Entei hurried inside the Center, Team Rocket eavesdropped on the conversation and decided to hunt for Entei themselves. While looking for Entei in the forest, they were blasted off by a raging Onix.
Once they heard that Ash and his friends were heading to Mount Tensei to meet Ho-Oh, they decided to follow them, hoping to catch the Legendary Pokémon. They eventually came across a pack of sleeping Primeape. They saw it as an opportunity to catch some, but the Primeape woke up and started tossing them in the air, blasting them off once again.
Later on in the movie, the trio nearly caught up to the gang as they headed closer towards Mount Tensei. They were seen climbing Mount Tensei, tired and hungry. They eventually see Ho-Oh and stare on in amazement. Meowth became excited to the point where he accidentally let go and fell on James and Jessie, causing all three of them to fall off the mountain.
They appeared once more in the film's ending credits, following Ash and Pikachu in their Meowth Balloon. During that time, Wobbuffet was revealed to have somehow been added to their team.
In The Power of Us, the trio watched Ash's battle against Hoyt. They were impressed by Pikachu's performance, but Jessie then became inspired by the boys' lemonade stand and decided that she wanted to run her own juice stall. Team Rocket soon sets up a Lum Berry Juice store to make money during the Wind Festival.
Later, the trio infiltrated the Research Pavilion at night, but were forced to flee after Wobbuffet burst out of its Poké Ball unannounced. Team Rocket visited the lab again, and while they were ambushed by Harriet, they managed to steal Toren's Effect Spore solution. Ash chased after them, but Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat allowed them to escape. At night, the trio sat down to examine their stolen loot when they realized they dropped it somewhere.
The following day, the Effect Spore solution was revealed to have cracked open and released a toxic gas that caused a fire, forcing the evacuation of Fula City. Team Rocket, disguised in their Berry stall outfits, sought refuge in the Research Pavilion. After Toren's Natural Cure elixir was lost, he noticed the trio's large supply of Lum Berries and went on to make a substitute remedy, which later cleared the air of the Effect Spore.
In the core series games
In Pokémon Yellow, Jessie and James appear and are involved in Team Rocket's four major schemes (Mt. Moon, Rocket Hideout, Pokémon Tower, and Silph Co.), and typically appear before the player battles Giovanni. They also replace the three Team Rocket members in the Pokémon Tower that hold Mr. Fuji hostage as well as two other Team Rocket Grunts: one close to the exit of Mt. Moon and the other one near the entrance to the President's room at Silph Co. Curiously, they are never referred to by their individual names and share their Trainer class with all other Team Rocket Grunts.
They first attack the player in Mt. Moon, while trying to take one of the rare Fossils uncovered there. Later, in Celadon City's Rocket Hideout, Jessie and James guard Giovanni's room. 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. Afterwards, they hold Mr. Fuji hostage at Pokémon Tower, attacking the player 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. In addition, Meowth cannot talk, and he resides in a Poké Ball instead of traveling around with Jessie and James. In addition, they also receive their own encounter music, a track not heard in Red and Blue.
The trio returns again in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, remakes of Yellow. Unlike Yellow, Meowth follows them outside of a Poké Ball like in the anime, but like Yellow, he is unable to speak. The player engages them in Double Battles in all of their encounters. They are now referred to by name and play a more significant role in the story than they did in Yellow.
They first appear in Viridian City, replacing the old man as the roadblock to prevent the player from progressing before delivering Oak's parcel. They later properly introduce themselves in Mt. Moon, just as they did in Yellow, and have a Double Battle with the player. They are next encountered in Lavender Town, where they are implied to have killed Cubone's mother. The player then witnesses them kidnapping the orphan Cubone and taking it back to Celadon City. The player then encounters them in the Game Corner, where they accidentally mention the poster that conceals the switch to access the Team Rocket Hideout. The player later battles them in the hideout, just as they did in Yellow. After returning to Lavender Town and rescuing Mr. Fuji, the player has to battle them again like they did in Yellow.
The trio makes their next appearance outside of Fuchsia City, expressing their frustration with the slight complexity of the GO Park. They then give the player the safari warden's false teeth before leaving. The player next encounters them in Saffron City, where a Rocket Grunt tries to keep them out of Silph Co., causing them to force their way in. The player must later battle them inside the Silph Co. like in Yellow.
They make one more appearance on Route 17 after the player enters the Hall of Fame. They lament the disappearance of Giovanni, then challenge the player to a battle after noticing them. After the player wins, the trio will ask if they would like to join Team Rocket. Regardless of what the player responds, they will give the player the "Blast-off set" of clothing, which differs slightly depending on the player's gender to resemble either Jessie's uniform and hair or James's. After this, the trio bids farewell to the player and leaves.
Pokémon
Pokémon Yellow
First battle
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Second battle
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Third battle
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Fourth battle
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Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
First battle
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Second battle
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Third battle
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Fourth battle
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Fifth battle
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Sprites
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Missing overworld models from LGPE; need higher quality images from LGPE |
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| Jessie and James's sprite from Yellow |
James's VS model from Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! |
Jessie's VS model from Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! | |
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Jessie's overworld sprite from Yellow |
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In the spin-off games
Pokémon Puzzle League
Along with many other anime characters, Jessie, James, and Meowth appeared in Pokémon Puzzle League, where they appeared with a Weezing, an Arbok, and a Golbat. They are the main opponents in the "Spa Service" line clear challenge.
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article: Jessie (Masters)
- Main article: James (Masters)
Jessie, James, and Meowth from the alternate movie continuity, appeared in the special events Double Trouble and Blasting Off Again, which are tied in with the anime and Secrets of the Jungle. The player could add Jessie as a playable sync pair with her original partner, Arbok, and add James as a playable sync pair with his original partner, Weezing, by playing through each event respectively.
Unlike most characters in Pokémon Masters EX, the trio's appearances are based directly on their anime incarnations, and retain their Japanese and English voice actors.
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
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Jessie | #0024 | 
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Arbok♂ |
Poison
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Ground
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★★★ | Event Double Trouble | |
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James | #0110 | 
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Weezing♂ |
Poison
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Psychic
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★★★ | Event Blasting Off Again | |
Pokémon Zany Cards
Jessie and James are the first opponents in both Wild Match mode and Special Seven mode.
Pokémon GO
Jessie and James were added as members of Team GO Rocket as part of a tie-in event with the anime and the twenty-third movie. From July 7 to September 30, 2020, they can be encountered if a Meowth balloon appears in the overworld and will battle the player consecutively. They each use a team of three Shadow Pokémon in a Trainer Battle. Green-colored cells denote the Pokémon that may be encountered during the bonus challenge. The Shadow Pokémon they leave behind also has a chance of becoming Shiny, as indicated by the 
icon.
In conjunction with their second appearance on December 14, 2020, Jessie and James also act as the guides for Distracted by Something Shiny.
December 14, 2020 - February 28, 2021; October 1 - 15, 2021
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Pokémon Mezastar
Team Rocket, in a version based on the anime, appeared in Pokémon Mezastar. In this game, Team Rocket is seen using Magnezone, Pelipper, Chewtle, and Meowth. In the first Super Tag series, as part of a tie-in with the anime, Ash, Goh, or the Team Rocket trio could randomly challenge the player as a Trainer and Battle opponent. Upon beating the character, the player can receive a Support Pokémon Ticket based on Team Rocket's Meowth
Pokémon
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Disks
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Quotes
- Main article: Team Rocket trio/Quotes
In the manga
Ash & Pikachu
The Team Rocket trio is seen following Ash and his friends in Ash & Pikachu, which is based on the Johto, Hoenn, and Battle Frontier arcs in the anime. Their role in the manga is the same as in the anime.
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
The Team Rocket trio appeared in The Electric Tale of Pikachu, although less frequently than in the anime. At the end of the manga, Jessie and James were shown married, with Jessie visibly pregnant.
Movie adaptations
Since Team Rocket has appeared in every movie, they have appeared in every manga adaptation of it, except for Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, serving more or less the same roles as in the respective movies.
In the TCG
Jessie, James, Meowth, and their Pokémon have made several appearances in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, owing to their long tenure in the anime, as well as their aforementioned game appearances. This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Jessie, James, Meowth, or their Pokémon in the Trading Card Game.
Trivia
- Jessie and James appear with black outfits in an illustration of Nintendo Power Issue 98 (released July 1997), well over a year before the English dub of the anime would first air, as well as the English release of Pokémon Red and Blue. This may be related to the fact that the Team Rocket Grunts use a black outfit in the core series games.
- Whenever Team Rocket blasts off in the Dutch dub, Meowth's voice actor always adds an additional "Meowth!" (representing its cry) after the trio shouts their familiar catchphrase.
- Jessie and James's names were based on Jesse James, an outlaw who robbed trains and banks in the 1800s.
- The Team Rocket trio are the only original main characters to interact with Generation IX Pokémon via Team Rocket Expedition which stands by the evils of love and truth, as Pokémon Horizons: The Series features a new set of main characters.
Related articles
- Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
- Mirror Team Rocket
- Alternate World Team Rocket
- Team Rocket mottos
- Team Rocket's mechas
- List of Team Rocket's disguises
- List of Pokémon temporarily owned by the Team Rocket trio
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
