History Characters / PokemonAnimeTeamRocket

** In the Hoenn episode, "A Scare To Remember", they had little qualms taking advantage of an amnesiac Pikachu and convincing him he was a part of Team Rocket. By Alola, they refuse ''full stop'' to help Faba wipe Lillie's mind, noting that a trainer and Pokemon's memories are vital to creating their personality.

* ConflictKiller: If Ash and his band are at war with a character or Pokemon, Team Rocket's usual role is to butt in and attack either, forcing the two sides into TeethClenchedTeamwork against them. At least a few times, however, this was played against Team Rocket, leading them to pull an EnemyMine with the twerps against another antagonist.

* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: One of the most interesting elements of Team Rocket's characterization is that they are better at just about anything - from running a legitimate business, to competing fairly in Pokemon contests - than they are at cheating or being bad guys. Whenever they are forced to get honest jobs during a BrokeEpisode or work as an EnemyMine alongside Ash and his friends, they get far better results and karma is much nicer to them.

* TheFarmerAndTheViper: More than a few times the twerps try to help Team Rocket or help them go legit. These almost always end with the TerribleTrio double crossing them and using this as a means to steal their Pokemon.

** Both Jessie and James, interestingly, have strong childhood bonds with pokémon associated with positive connotations rather than criminal ones, a Chansey (that eventually evolved into a Blissey) and a Growlithe respectively. Chansey are usually trained as nurses at Pokemon centers while Growlithe are commonly employed as police dogs. Perhaps it makes sense that ultimately, [[MinionWithAnFInEvil they are not very good at being villains]].

* LastVillainStand: Even when their plans are foiled, the three will regularly try to fend the twerps off in a Pokemon battle. [[CurbstompBattle These rarely last that long.]]

** In "Pokemon Scent-sation", Team Rocket manages to steal a supposedly rare perfume from Celadon City gym while everyone is busy trying to put out the fires that resulted from their bombs. However it's revealed that said "perfume" was actually just ''one'' ingredient required in making the secret perfume -- the essence of Gloom (i.e. very stinky).

** In fairness, come ''Sun & Moon'' it seems they're at least trying focus more of their efforts on catching other Pokemon; they just ''happened'' to be assigned to the same region where Ash is currently staying though, so when the opportunity to ambush him presents itself they simply can't help but try their luck.

* SkewedPriorities: Whenever they try to steal or capture pokemon for their Organization, they tend to do it for the flimsiest and bizarre reasons, often depicted by Meowth's fantasies as he explains them beforehand.

** It took them a ''much'' longer course of beatings, but at the end of ''XY'' they acknowledge that the twerps have levelled up to a calibre [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind they can't possibly match]] (especially Ash who is by that point a ''League Finalist''). They end up laying low for the remainder of their Kalos tenure. Later during their time in Alola, they finally put in some actual deliberate effort to try keep up with the twerps by researching Z-Moves, arming their Pokemon with them, and making their gadgetry resistant to their power.

** This would go by the wayside eventually with the team finally getting a "promotion" of sorts going into ''Best Wishes''. Meowth made a supposed turn from Jessie and James for good during their mission in Unova, but it turned out to all be a trick by the three to steal the twerps' Pokemon.

* BookDumb: Due to never really receiving or finishing a proper education as a child, she lacks a lot of basic knowledge that other people her age usually would know from the get-go, such as names on pokemon attacks and what moves a pokemon can know, or even just their ''species names'', resulting in her leaving a lot of the thinking to Meowth and James while she works on her own self-image. This is most evident in how she doesn't seem to know or understand the moves of her Wobbuffet, whose species only posses ''four'' moves in total, basically letting him fend for himself whenever she sends him out into a fight. She also is repeatedly shown to not be particularly skilled at using computers or other technology, especially compared to James who is at times a borderline GadgeteerGenius.

* OutOfCharacterMoment: In [=SM023=] it essentially acted like a standard Team Rocket Pokemon, obeying Jessie's commands against a non-Pikachu opponent and getting defeated rather easily. Mimikyu did not otherwise listen to Jessie until its CharacterDevelopment in [=SM038=].

** Him literally kicking Magikarp into the sea when he doesn't want to be its master anymore in ''Pokemon Shipwreck'' comes to mind. The end result did not go well for neither him, nor the people around him.

* NatureLover: While he's had many different typed pokemon over the years, he shows a noticeable preference for Grass-types. He frequently touts the importance of recycling, upcycling, using biodegradable materials, saving water, and other environmental concerns. When he can afford to, he uses herbal shampoo and eats organic food. He enjoys outdoor activities such as orienteering and PokéRinging (navigating and reading weather patterns). In [=OS110=], he knows which plant will cure Jessie from Stun Spore and how to prepare it.

* FaceOfAThug: Is capable of some seriously grumpy looks and very much looks the part of a poisonous Pokemon. She follows James' pattern of loyal and affectionate Pokemon however.

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Despite her comedic first meeting with James, she was eager to battle for him, teaming up with Mimikyu to faint both Rowlet and Pikachu. She nearly ''killed'' Snowy through an indirect attack in her second battle. She also became the first Team Rocket Pokemon to use a Z-Move, mastering Black Hole Eclipse competently on her first attempt.
* PaperThinDisguise: She recurrently joins in on the trio's incognito schemes in the form of a TotemPoleTrench on top of Wobbuffet. Though it's very obviously two Pokemon stood on top of one another, the twerps ''still fall for it''.

* UndyingLoyalty: She tops James' usual range of passionately loyal Pokemon by being unambiguously ''in love with him''.

* IWasBeatenByAGirl: He suffers {{Curbstomp Battle}}s aplenty from Pokemon of both genders. He earned an especially brutal beating from Mallow's Steenee straight after she evolved. His attempt at payback in a later instance didn't end much better.

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Meowth got a lot of attention during his HeelFaceMole period in ''Best Wishes''. Curiously, he is also this out of Team Rocket's Pokemon roster in ''Sun and Moon'', being called into battle far more often than Jessie and James' captures.

* CatsAreMean: He is famous for being the TeamPet of a villainous trio. However, he is probably also the most {{AntiVillain}}ous out of them. Sometimes he even [[GoKartingWithBowser engages in friendly activities with the protagonist's Pokémon]] in the side-story episodes.

* CanonImmigrant: Jessie, James, and Meowth show up in ''Pokémon Yellow'' and its remakes ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee'' (though with Meowth as just another Pokémon they use, along with Ekans and Koffing). And they're just as pathetic as always. They're also confirmed to be appearing in ''VideoGame/PokemonMasters'', with Meowth having already made a cameo.

* CanonImmigrant: Jessie, James, and Meowth show up in ''Pokémon Yellow'' and its remakes ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee'' (though with Meowth as just another Pokémon they use, along with Ekans and Koffing). And they're just as pathetic as always.
* CardCarryingVillain: They're well-aware that they're the villains and that they're doing evil, heck their motto acknowledges this.

* CatchphraseSpoutingDuo: Trio, In the Japanese version, they tend to describe defeat as "Bad feeling" and success as "good feeling."
* CharacterCheck: During the trio's phase as more dangerous, serious minded villains in the ''Best Wishes'' arc, they still had odd NotSoAboveItAll moments as a reminder this was the bumbling Team Rocket trio. ''XY'' afterwards reverses it around. They're back to being buffoonish, but still have several moments of being genuinely sinister and cold blooded.

** While they go in and out with their default personalities due to {{Flanderization}}, generally extra talents and HiddenDepths keep being established and permanently added to their list of abilities as eras pass. For example since Hoenn, James has shown potential as a Pokémon breeder, and from Sinnoh, Jessie has stayed a competent coordinator, while Meowth has gained a hidden culinary passion. Their poverty stricken status has also been downplayed as the series continued, since the trio have since proven that can [[CutLexLuthorACheck take almost any part-time job and excel in it]] (with allowances for a few occasional missteps), alleviating their previous money woes.

* ChekhovsSkill: Often times, little talents or skills the trio or their Pokémon develop in a failed scheme end up coming in handy in their off-the-clock pursuits. This is particularly prone to happen in Jessie's coordinator events.
* TheChessmaster: A surprisingly decent one for Goodra's character arc in ''XY''. After their long term drainage of Goodra's homeland causes an all out war between its Pokémon, they decide to [[XanatosSpeedChess exploit the situation]] when Ash gets involved, using the heroes' intervention to frame them for the dilemma and dupe the enemy Florges into capturing Pikachu. Unfortunately Goodra, who had developed and evolved since that time, proved to be a SpannerInTheWorks.
* ChewToy: Perennially broke, extremely unlucky and accident prone, and if something is going to unexpectedly explode or backfire, it's going to happen around them. In situations where Ash can't stop them, fate itself will bend over backwards to make sure they get theirs somehow.

** They return to being regulars in the Decalore Islands arc onward, complete with blasting off again. Still, they remain absent in some episodes, which almost never occurred before the Unova era. Their new pattern is to have their appearances more reasonably spaced out and frequently following their own storylines, rather than have them serve as a constant, monotonously antagonistic force to the protagonists.
* ConflictKiller: If Ash and his band are at war with a character or Pokemon, Team Rocket's usual role is to butt in and attack either, forcing the two sides into TeethClenchedTeamwork against them. At least a few times however this was played against Team Rocket, leading them to pull an EnemyMine with the twerps against another antagonist.

* CorneredRattlesnake: While ''XY'' seems to have reinstated many of their bumbling qualities, their cowardice remains more downplayed, with more cases they fight and challenge the heroes even after their scheme has been foiled. Granted this was likely as much because the heroes would look better blasting them off in a proper fight than [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown when they tried to surrender or retreat.]]
* CripplingOverspecialization: They often use shockproof gadgets and weapons against Ash and co. to counter Pikachu's attacks, but often fail to account for non-Electric attacks, such as Razor Leaf. Finally outdone in parts of ''Best Wishes'' and ''XY'' where they have mastered casing which is strong against nearly tactic, but can still be destroyed with enough determined brute force.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: When they aren't being used for jokes, they are quite threatening. Not to mention have several developed talents in non-villainous areas.

* CurbstompBattle: Most of their battles with the twerps tend to be thirty second spectacles consisting of them swiftly getting the tar beaten out of them with the twerps dodging and countering their every single move. Even in cases they fight well, some twist of bad luck will often neutralise them in a way that the twerps still win with next to no effort at all. Subverted in early ''Black and White'' where their rise in ranks was punctuated by them putting up even-handed battles against the twerps for once, while later Unova and early Kalos often maintained a CurbstompCushion as a CharacterCheck to this.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: Seriously, they can pull off very amazing plans, are creative with their (informed) low budget to get by, and each have talents that would make them ''thrive'' in money in a more legal manner. Even Ash and his companions are aware of this. This has actually been Lampshaded several times, with the group making money hand over fist with legit business, but the Rockets seem to view villainy as a calling, and refuse to permanently turn a new leaf on principle.

* DeathOrGloryAttack: Often common practice for the trio's Pokémon battles, since the heroes often easily out stealth their attacks and finish them off with a few moves. Anytime their Pokémon start landing damage however, the battle tends to become much more intense. Note that the trio have actually ''supplied'' a good few {{Curbstomp Battle}}s rather than just receiving them.
* DefeatCatchphrase: Whenever they are jettisoned into the sky. "Look's like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" or variants of for the English dub. "This feels bad!" for the original Japanese edit.
* DemotedToExtra: Downplayed. While still prominent characters, their OncePerEpisode attendance is broken starting from ''Best Wishes'', with occasional episodes they are absent to place focus solely on the twerps or other characters.

* EvilVsEvil: They tend to act as rivals to the villainous organisation of each region, though how effective they are varies.

** They all have a soft spot for Chimchar after seeing how he was treated while under Paul's *cough* care. Another time, they ''wanted'' to pull off a scheme of the week, but stopped themselves, because they were touched [[spoiler:by the farewell between Ash and Gliscor in the episode]].

* {{Crossdresser}}: "[[ValleyGirl Like]], don't I make the ''coooolest'' girl?" [[https://i.imgur.com/0WGN84E.jpg Indeed.]] And he took this to the extreme in the first banned episode (trying to make a few bucks off of a swimsuit contest). WordOfGod has admitted this came about simply because in storyboard stages when the staff were putting Team Rocket in Rose of Versailles costumes, they decided James looked better than Jessie in Marie Antoinette's frilly dress, and the trend stuck.

* ParentService: Jessie and James.

* HairDecorations: Yes, despite being a ''poisonous moth'', she pulls this off. In her departure episode, she has ribbons similar to those "Jessalina" wears in Contests in her wings.

* CampStraight: He's flamboyant, is the more passive foil to Jessie's temper, and has crossdressed well over a dozen times (he even ''had breasts'' in one episode), but has fallen for a few women and has shown to have liked Jessebelle when they [[PuppyLove first met]]. You could, however, that he could be BiTheWay in the english dub, which occasionally likes to slip in the occasional gay innuendo about him as a ParentalBonus.

* {{Crossdresser}}: "[[ValleyGirl Like]], don't I make the ''coooolest'' girl?" [[https://i.imgur.com/0WGN84E.jpg Indeed.]] And he took this to the extreme in the first banned episode (trying to make a few bucks off of a swimsuit contest).

** After kidnapping Pikachu after the Indigo League, they twist the knife even further by dropping bombs on the tournament after-party at Ash's house and terrorizing everyone there.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Episode 19 of the Sword/Shield series focuses mainly on them as they bond with a Ditto and help it to gain self confidence to be able to transform.

* {{Mooks}}--> EliteMooks: In ''Best Wishes''.

** As of the ''Pokemon(2019) series, Giovanni ''finally'' grants them their very own Pokedex as an updating source of information regarding pokemon, albeit a very snarky and trolling one, for their personal use, forfeiting the need for James' outdated "poke-cards".

* FreakinessShame: He ''really'' doesn't like having his abnormal traits (his ability of mastering human speech in particular) dragged out in the open by people who react "strongly" to it. Such as Go Pokemon(2019) who went completely nuts with his camera when he realized how the urban legend of Meowth was actually true, much to Meowth's annoyance.

* CampStraight: He's flamboyant, is the more passive foil to Jessie's temper, and has crossdressed over a dozen times (he even ''had breasts'' in one episode), but has fallen for a few women and has shown to have liked Jessebelle when they [[PuppyLove first met]]. You could, however, that he could be BiTheWay in the english dub, which occasionally likes to slip in the occasional gay innuendo about him as a ParentalBonus.

* {{Crossdresser}}: "[[ValleyGirl Like]], don't I make the ''coooolest'' girl?" [[http://gamerisms.tumblr.com/tagged/fuck-the-gender-binary Indeed.]] And he took this to the extreme in the first banned episode (trying to make a few bucks off of a swimsuit contest).

* BeautyIsBad: The late series creator Takeshi Shudo once wrote on his blog about how pretty-looking antagonists often appear in his productions. In contrast to the grotesque TerribleTrio from "Time Bokan", Shudo intentionally made the Rocket character designs beautiful and their personalities charming, calling [[ShipTease Musashi and Kojiro]] in particular a "sort of [[Film/BonnieAndClyde Bonnie and Clyde]]". However, they're fairly sympathetic and occasionally even outright ''nice'' individuals, and not really rotten at the core, so this is a ZigZaggedTrope.

* BalloonBelly: Team Rocket falls on hard times quite often, and usually lament over not having enough money to afford a decent meal. You can be sure that when they get the chance to stuff themselves full, THEY REALLY STUFF THEMSELVES FULL!

* {{Determinator}}: No matter how many times they've been blasted off, they will never give up on trying to capture Pikachu. They've chased Ash ''all over the freaking world'' to do so.

* SoBeautifulItsACurse: According to Takeshi Shudo, "Musashi (Jessie), is a beautiful woman and suffers from the hardships of being beautiful".

* PunchClockVillain: If it weren't for their job they could quite easily go straight (especially James and Meowth). Less so in ''Best Wishes'', but even then they aren't ''completely'' bad (technically, their crimes haven't much gotten worse than before, just more seriously handled).

* ADayInTheLimelight: Episode 19 of the Sword/Shield series focuses mainly on them as they bond with a Ditto and help it to gain self confidence to be able to transform

Received as a birthday gift, Ekans was Jessie's first Pokémon within the series. It lost quite often despite its best efforts, even after evolving into Arbok. It would eventually be released to protect a bunch of Ekans from poachers.

Received as a Christmas present, Koffing was James' first Pokémon in the series. Much like its fellow teammate, Ekans, it was not a very good battler, even after evolving. It would eventually be released to protect a bunch of Koffing from poachers.

* EvilIsPetty: In the episode ''Once In A Mawile'', the trio accidentally kidnap Brock’s Lombre when they intended to capture [[OneShotCharacter Samantha’s]] Mawile. Upon realizing that they couldn’t give Lombre over to Giovanni, James and Meowth were all for returning it to Ash and co., but Jessie refused simply because they asked for it back. [[CurbStompBattle Anybody with a passing knowledge of the Pokémon anime can guess what happened next.]]

** The quickest way to trigger Jessie is to mess with her hair. Anytime she ends up having her hair damaged or cut, '''[[UnstoppableRage SOMEONE GETS HURT!]]'''
*** One exception to this being when she herself reach a level of fatigue so severe, that she doesn't even realize that a wild Chewtle had been hanging onto the end of her hair by its teeth for who-knows-how long before the trio finally spotted it.