History Characters / PokemonAnimeTeamRocket

[[folder:The Team Rocket Trio ([=Trio=])]]

[[folder:Jessie's Pokémon]]

!!'''Ekans-Arbok (Arbo-Arbok)'''
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Koichi Sakaguchi
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/EricStuart (Ekans), Koichi Sakaguchi (Arbok)
-->'''Voiced in Latin Spanish by:''' Patricia Hannidez (voice-over in Episode 17)
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jessie_Ekans_3196.png]]
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jessie_Arbok_427.png]]

Received as a birthday gift,[[note]]chūgen in the original [[/note]]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.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Of the two original Rocket Pokémon (excluding Meowth), Ekans/Arbok was more fleshed out in terms of CharacterDevelopment, though this characterization was only sparingly shown through the original series and its few Hoenn episodes.
* DeathGlare: Knows Glare.
* DishingOutDirt: Knows Dig.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** In the episode "A Chansey Operation." Arbok was treated by a Chansey from a crash that hurt several Pokémon. When Team Rocket later tried to steal the Pokémon, Arbok refused to obey the commands to attack the Chansey and people who treated its injuries.
** In "Got Miltank" Arbok is sent to attack and capture a herd of Pokémon in a oasis. When Meowth stands against it however, pointing out the place is a haven that helps fellow Pokémon, it joins the revolt and again refuses to battle.
* HiddenDepths: "Island Of the Giant Pokémon" reveals that it has a philosophic side to it.
* HiddenDisdainReveal: In "Island of the Giant Pokémon" Ekans reveals he only puts up with Meowth because Jessie orders him to and has no qualms with Ash's Pokémon tormenting him. His Arbok form has friendlier moments with Meowth in later episodes, but usually when Jessie is around.
* ItWasAGift: Apparently received by Jessie as a gift prior to the events of ''Pokémon''.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: It is loyal to its trainer, whether she is evil or not.
* OcularGushers: When it is forced to leave Jessie, James and Meowth behind.
* PoisonousPerson: It's a Poison-Type. Its Poison Sting is basically its SignatureMove.
* PunchClockVillain: In ''Island of the Giant Pokémon'', it refuses to attack Ash's lost Pokémon because its trainer didn't order it, and the episode has it and Koffing eating with the group, not holding any grudges against each other.
* PutOnABus: Frees a group of captured Koffing and Ekans from a poacher, leading them to safety and are never seen again.
* SnakesAreSinister: Subverted. It's a snake-like Pokémon working for one of the bad guys, but isn't actually evil, only doing bad things out of loyalty to its trainer. When Jessie isn't commanding it to do bad things, it's actually quite pleasant.
* SpikeShooter: Know Poison Sting, which fires a storm of poison-tipped needles.
* UncattyResemblance: "Island of the Giant Pokémon" shows that it's as stubborn and intelligent as Jessie.
* UndyingLoyalty: Par a couple of NobleDemon moments, it succinctly follows Jessie's every whim.
* VillainousFriendship: Though it seems indifferent towards Meowth, Arbok seems to be close with Weezing. Victreebel has also bit Arbok affectionately at least once.
* YouNoTakeCandle: Downplayed in "Island of the Giant Pokémon", wherein it speaks in rather simple sentences.

!!'''Lickitung (Beroringa)'''
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ChinamiNishimura
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/EricStuart
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jessie_Lickitung_3347.png]]

Jessie caught Lickitung after a combination of eating some food meant for Giovanni and paralyzing Arbok led to a Poké Ball to the head. After a promising debut against Misty in the Princess Festival in the same episode, it faded into obscurity and was eventually traded by accident for Wobbuffet.

* BigEater: Given that eating anything it can get its tongue on is Lickitung's trait, it of course seizes the opportunity to do just that in the episode "Princess vs Princess" as it uses its long tongue to help itself to some food Team Rocket was planning to give to their boss. Needless to say, this didn't make Jessie very happy and she sent out Arbok to deal with Lickitung.
* FlatCharacter: Unlike most other Team Rocket Pokemon, Lickitung didn't get a lot of screentime to demonstrate much of a personality and camaraderie, its only key characteristics usually being its appetite and gag tongue.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Knows Supersonic.
* NervesOfSteel: In its debut episode appearance, Lickitung was shown to be quite brave, not once letting Arbok intimidate it.
* OutOfFocus: It was in Jessie's team for nearly 100 episodes, and only made appearances in 17 of these. Naturally, fans were pleased when the more entertaining Wobbuffet replaced it, making it an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of ReplacementScrappy (especially since Lickitung and its evolution are divisive with fans to begin with).
* OverlyLongTongue: As typical for its species, its tongue is longer than its body. Of course, its tongue is its main weapon.
* PutOnABus: Accidentally traded away for Wobbuffet in Johto.
* SecretWeapon: In its first appearance, to the heroes. Not so much afterwards (see OutOfFocus above).


!!'''Wobbuffet (Sonans)'''
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/YujiUeda
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Kayzie Rogers (1st voice), Erica Schroeder (2nd voice; current)
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Jessie_Wobbuffet_8967.png]]

After being traded by accident from Lickitung, Wobbuffet has stayed on the side of Team Rocket ever since. He acts mostly as a cheerleader but whenever he is used in a battle, he is a force to be reckoned with.

!!'''Seviper (Habunake)'''

!!'''Wurmple-Cascoon-Dustox (Kemusso-Mayuld-Dokucale)'''

!!'''Yanma-Yanmega (Yanyanma-Megayanma)'''

!!'''Woobat (Koromori)'''

!!'''Frillish (Pururil)'''

!!'''Pumpkaboo-Gourgeist (Bakeccha-Pumpjin)'''

!!Mimikyu (Mimikkyu)

[[folder:James (Kojirou)]]
!!'''James (Kojirou)'''
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jamesrocket_9067.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:...And make it double!]]

-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/ShinichiroMiki
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/TedLewis (4Kids, original), Creator/EricStuart (4Kids), Creator/JimmyZoppi (EN, current)
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Creator/JoseAntonioMacias, Creator/EduardoGarza (flashbacks as a kid)
-->'''Voiced in European French by:''' David Manet, Thomas Roditi (Movies ''Pokémon 4Ever'' and ''Destiny Deoxys''), Luc Boulad (Movie ''Jirachi: Wish Maker'')

Jessie's somewhat dim-witted foil. He'll often take the role of OnlySaneMan to counter his colleague's more bizarre ideas.

* AbusiveParents: The fact that a once-innocent, still-gentle boy would rather stand by his luckless miscreant career at his age than return to a cozy mansion indicates at ''least'' ParentalNeglect. "Holy Matrimony!" of the first season, however, cements his parents as these. They feign death just to manipulate James into settling down and becoming their idea of a proper high-society member; and the woman they've designated as his fiancée owns a whip for scaring James into deference. [[FromBadToWorse As though it weren't enough, she's implied strongly to be a multiple-time sexual assaulter]]. And his parents remain supportive of her ways! "Poor guy" would be an {{Understatement}}.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: "Excuse me? Ditching a diamond for a dumb disguise makes you dumber than it!"
* AmusingInjuries: James' Grass Pokémon will, at least OncePerEpisode, show him affection, which usually involves hurting him in some way, but always PlayedForLaughs.
* AcquiredPoisonImmunity: Apparently the case for him after being poisoned by his over-affectionate Mareanie nearly every single day. When a wild Toxapex poisons him, he's out of commission for only one day, when supposedly it normally takes three whole days to recover from Toxapex poison.
* ArtEvolution: James' haircut design has gone through a subtle change over the years. It began as a fairly straight-cut bob-length [[NinetiesHair curtain hairstyle]], but the ends have gotten progressively messier with each season and look positively jagged now.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Due to being a Masked Royal fan, he can tell the difference between the eponymous wrestler's own mask and a conventional one for merchandise since the former has very minute differences to specifically fit his face.
* BadassBoast: When he and Jessie were partnered up in Team Rocket.
--> Jessie: Listen up, James. I hope you're good because I'm not going to carry you.
--> James: No one's carried me since my momma.
* BadassNormal: Watch him in ''Best Wishes'' - he doesn't even capture any Pokémon until [=BW025=]!
* BerserkButton: Damage his beloved bottle-cap collection in any way, and face the consequences of his wrath towards the offending party.
* {{Bishonen}}: Coupled with him being quite flamboyant, James has the feminine face to match. So much so that he's able to dress like a woman quite convincingly.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: James is the kindest and most compliant member of the trio and often ends up going along with Jessie and/or Meowth's plans even when his heart isn't necessarily into it. However, he ''will'' assert himself if his buttons get pushed hard enough. He loudly condemns his parents for their lifelong mistreatment of him when he's forced to confront them, and he personally puts a stop to Jessie and Meowth when they try to steal from James' beloved "Nanny and Pop-pop".
* BlackComedyRape: There is what is essentially a domestic near-rape scene in "Holy Matrimony!" that's ''just'' ambiguous enough to get away with in a kids show. James' fiancée, Jessebelle, along with his pressuring parents, remind him that as a "gentleman of property", it's his duty to marry his fiancée and '''produce an heir'''. They trick him into entering a torture chamber then Jessebelle chases him around while cracking a whip. James' parents remark that James and Jessebelle are the perfect couple. Jessebelle puts on a gas mask and paralyzes him with Stun Spore. James wails in a resigned tone that ''she's done this before'', and passes out. When he comes to, yet is still somewhat paralyzed, Jessebelle draws close to him, as if for a kiss or some other sexual act. James gets rescued. Jessebelle tries to paralyze him again, but fails. James mentions that he ran away from home as a kid to get away from her. Jessebelle comes for him ''again'' in [=DP153=], but he manages to escape.
* CallingTheOldManOut: In contrast to his usually passive demeanor, James does not hold back in loudly criticizing and resisting the way his parents try to control his life after they manipulate him into coming home and basically hold him captive.
* 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]].
* TheChewToy: Many of his Pokémon love his face a little too much.
* CollectorOfTheStrange: Bottle caps. It's SeriousBusiness to him.
** James has also been seen collecting old coins, pogs, and soda can tabs; though bottle caps are his primary focus for collecting.
** he also apparently has a collection of the different Pokéball variations.
* CowardlyLion: Despite being the least aggressive of the trio, he's managed incredible feats. In Sun and Moon's S2E15, he flings an attacking tentacruel a great distance back into the ocean to protect his mareanie. Keep in mind the canon weight for a tentacruel is 55kg/ 121 lb.
* {{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). The creators have 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.
-->'''Jessie:''' Stop acting like an ignoramus.
* CrushingHandshake: Brock learns in S01 that he has a ''very'' firm handshake. Judging from the blatant smirk on his face, it was intentional (and successfully) meant to intimidate. [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Surprisingly]], both Meowth and ''Jessie'' were a lot more no-nonsense about shaking hands with the twerps.
* CutenessProximity: Since Hoenn, most of his Pokémon are adorable balls of fluff one would not expect from a criminal organisation. Accordingly, his treatment of them is humorously sickly sweet at times as well.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: As mentioned under HiddenDepths, he could rival Brock as a breeder if he didn't think Team Rocket was his calling.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: In [=OS139=], James says other kids beat him up on a daily basis due to the way he dressed. In [=AG147=], it is revealed that his housekeepers and private tutors physically abused him.
* DefectorFromDecadence: To avoid an arranged marriage.
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: He shows an aversion to this several times, like in the Pokémon Orienteering episode, where Jessie and Meowth give him an option of DungeonBypass, and he outright refuses to take it (although it was also because the route they spotted for him was going to be rough for Mime Jr.) as well as in Cosplay competition, where he and Mime Jr. both go into a HeroicBSOD after Jessie and Meowth decide to just steal the prize (the egg that will soon become Brock's Happiny).
* DisproportionateRetribution: In "''Flint Sparks the Fire''", a trash collecting droid picks up James' prized bottle cap as trash. It resulted in him being a little ''too'' enthusiastic in Team Rocket's scheme in the next episode: ''stealing the '''Sunyshore Tower'''''. Then again, this is James and bottle caps we're talking about...
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Even accounting for the trio's eventual group descent into comedic ineffectuality, James's personality was markedly different for a good chunk of the first season [[CharacterizationMarchesOn compared to what has become standard for him]]. While he has always been the more yielding and sensitive member of the team, he was also a ''much'' vainer, nastier person in those early episodes (that is to say, his personality was similar to Jessie's) and it wasn't uncommon for him to impart physical harm and scathing insults to his Pokémon, things that would be jarringly out of character for him now.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** Yes, James was subject to an oppressive childhood, but his fondest memories are with his Nanny and Pop-Pop. He loves them so much, that he even refuses to participate in Jessie and Meowth's scheme to steal the Pokémon there.
-->'''Jessie:''' Traitor!
-->'''Meowth:''' Why are ya sidin' with the twerps?
-->'''James:''' I'm siding with Nanny and Pop-Pop!!
** He's also shown to develop extremely strong loving bonds with the Pokémon he obtains. He treats them almost like his children.
* EvilGenius:
** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zigzags]]. If someone needs to work a computer or machine, James will be the guy. Otherwise, he's hardly ever evil genius material.
** In BW and later, James has shown increasing traits of a mad scientist, including maniacal laughter and a commanding presence, an addiction to computer hacking, an attachment to his machines, and a sadistic thrill from mayhem and destruction. As a kid, there were some echoes of this. He loved playing with science kits ([=DP021=]), he studied ancient languages ([=OS241=]), and manned a private rocket ([=DP153=]), not to mention that his father is a superb mecha builder ([=DP153=]).
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: A ''male'' Toxapex (his Mareanie's former crush) ends up falling in love with him.
* ExtremeDoormat: Often recessive (if not outright terrified) of Jessie. It's implied this behavior was due to what his previous home life as like. [[BewareTheNiceOnes He can snap back on occasions however]] (see below).
* GyaruGirl: Episode 16 of the original series shows James don the disguise of a Ganguro. He wears a school uniform with sweater, has a dark tan, platinum blond wig, and thinks everything is '''COOL~~~!''' Jessie's own version of the disguise was not as pronounced.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: While James is technically a villain, within the context of those he cares about James is shown to have ''extremely'' little self worth. He has repeatedly shown an inclination to sacrifice himself or cut himself off for the sake of his friends because he believes [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy things will be better that way]], regardless of what they actually feel.
** He's even called out on this in ''Sun & Moon'' by a ''wild pokémon'' of all things, when he tries to release his Mareanie because he thinks she would be happier living in the wild with a Toxapex that she crushed on in the past. The Toxapex realizes that the notion of being released is upsetting Mareanie, and actually attacks James for making her cry.
* HiddenDepths: He has a ''very'' good relationship with his Pokémon, and talented in several other fields that could make him a talented breeder. In fact, he captures almost all of his Pokémon with just a few words and some food. On a rare occasion, he only had to do the former.
* HollywoodHacking: In [=BW15=].
* HyperCompetentSidekick: While Jessie's more assertive personality means she often calls the shots for the team and ''both'' she and James are portrayed as being bumbling morons most of the time, James is shown to have a broader skillset than Jessie: He maintains a number of miscellaneous skills that he learned from his rich upbringing, is generally much better at handling technology than Jessie is, and, in part because he's more levelheaded than her, is more likely to rationally look at and solve a problem they're dealing with. He is also shown to be better than her at battling, at least in terms of basic strategy.
* ImageSong: "Lucky Lucky," about his romantic relationship with a woman he met at a nightclub.
* InsistentTerminology:
-->'''Meowth:''' Don't you worry your pretty blue head, I got a plan.
-->'''James:''' ''It's lavender.''
* {{Irony}}:
** James ran away from home to escape his [[ParentalNeglect uncaring parents]], a domineering betrothed and being beaten up by little kids, only to join an organization with an [[BigBad uncaring boss]] and a [[FieryRedhead domineering partner]] and ''still'' get beaten up by little kids. [[TrueCompanions But he wouldn't have it any other way.]]
** His increasing HiddenDepths as a talented breeder come off as amusing, given [[{{Flanderization}} it's sometimes hard to remember]] the actual established breeder of the series. Even more amusingly, James also isn't that lucky with the ladies.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy:
** Attempts to do this to Inkay, deciding he would be happier living in a forest of its own kind than with the team. Inkay refuses however, being [[UndyingLoyalty Undyingly Loyal]] to James.
** Tries to do this to Mareanie as well, complete with ShooTheDog, after a Toxapex she crushed over reappears. Toxapex however, realising how much James care for her, beats him to it and makes him battle for her.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Even though he has no moral issues with always trying to steal Pokémon as a member of Team Rocket, James really is a nice guy at heart. His close friendship with Jessie and Meowth is the only reason why he doesn't ever leave Team Rocket or do a complete HeelFaceTurn. There were a few episodes where he goes ''against'' Jessie to help the kids because he felt moved to aid them.
* KickTheDog:
** Him literally kicking Magikarp into the sea when he doesn't want to be its master anymore in ''Pokémon Shipwreck'' comes to mind. The end result did not go well for neither him, nor the people around him.
** There was also the time he did the same thing with Mankey in ''Primeape Goes Bananas'', once again, the end result did not go well for anybody, including himself.
** Also, he's the one who operates the machine that saps Carracosta's life force at Twist Mountain in ''Best Wishes''.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: He says this word for word when Team Rocket's plan to steal the Poké Balls from the Nimbasa City Pokémon Center fails in "Battle for the Underground!"
* LargeHam: He is this in the English Dub courtesy of Creator/EricStuart where Stuart dramatically pronounces some of his lines:
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzfg0aBE19Y BEHOLD!]].
** Lessened with his current actor Creator/JimmyZoppi, though he's still far from a subversion.
* LickedByTheDog: When he first met both Cacnea and Carnivine. Much to his chagrin.
* LiteralMinded: In an episode of season 1, he and Jessie take the phrase "underwater ballet" literally (it was actually a costumed synchronized swimming show that was going on), and he wears a pink camisole leotard and tutu.
* LonelyRichKid: A rich boy who ''hated'' his restricted lifestyle, which is why he ran away from home and eventually joined Team Rocket.
* {{Manchild}}: Prone to childish sulking or sobbing. His demeanour around Jessie often comes off like that of a bullied toddler.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Feminine Boy to Jessie's Masculine Girl.
* MinionWithAnFInEvil: The Team Rocket trio as a whole is a [[EpicFail less evil than they try to be]], but James crosses the line into outright ''nice'' on a frequent basis. Of the three, he's by far the most likely to perform a selfless act. He's called truces with the main cast on a few occasions where [[PetTheDog Chimecho or Mime Jr.]] were at stake, and told them off (and once, even outright ''attacked'') his other teammates for breaking it.
** Of course, come ''Best Wishes'', he's a lot more dangerous.
* MrExposition: If a Pokédex isn't around, he often provides information on new Pokémon using cards.
** In ''Sun and Moon'', he does it using a tourist guide.
* NatureLover: While he's had many different typed Pokémon 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.
* NiceGuy: Outside of Team Rocket, he is a rather pleasant guy to be around with.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: Brock speculates that James only joined Team Rocket because he wanted liberation from his oppressive and controlling home life. Indeed, compared to Jessie, Meowth, and basically every other Team Rocket member encountered, James never acts particularly motivated to do crime or climb the ranks. Where Jessie has ambitions of being a top field agent and Meowth makes no secret of his desire to become the boss's favorite pet Pokémon, James is largely just happy to be with his teammates and support them. He is also often left looking lost and aimless on the rare occasions they split up.
* OnlySaneMan: He's more level-headed than either of his colleagues - at times, even ''he'' would find Meowth's [[ImagineSpot Boss Fantasies]] a little too Farfetch'd (while Jessie usually went along with them). He's also the least likely to grip the VillainBall, knowing that sometimes they can make progress ''without'' taking amoral measures.
* OutOfCharacterMoment:
** Overall, James is typically the most laid back member of Team Rocket, being a borderline MinionWithAnFInEvil...except for that one time when he tried to kill Ash with Moltres' Flames.
** [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness In an early arc]], James angrily kicked a Magikarp out of his team for being useless (leading to a karmic assault when it instantly evolved into a Gyarados afterwards). This is very much in contrast with later Pokémon seasons where James cares for his Pokémon deeply and values their companionship rather than thinking of them as tools; He's even gone as far as avoiding using two of them in battle because he viewed them to be akin to young children, and he worried for their safety.
* OverusedRunningGag: Victreebel, Cacnea, Chimecho, Carnivine, and Mareanie affectionately biting/hugging him.
* OverprotectiveDad: Has shades of this, behaving like an extremely doting parent towards his Pokémon in general, but with Chimecho and later Mime Jr especially.
* PetTheDog:
** Several times, but literally in "Holy Matrimony". Poor Growlie.
** It's worth noting that Weepinbell is the ''only'' Pokémon he ever caught by battling - most notably, Cacnea and Yamask (who he fed), and Carnivine (who he pulled free from a marsh) show that he's the most likely of the trio to show compassion without any desire for something in return (though Jessie and Meowth sometimes do so as well). He did somewhat trick Inkay though. He offered Inkay some food, and then threw a Pokéball at it while it was distracted. Regardless Inkay loves James as his trainer, as proven when James [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy believed he'd be happier released to a forest of his own kind.]]
** There is also the few occasions where he chooses to aid the very kids he is trying to steal their Pokémon from, without any ulterior motive.
** In XY, he once (covertly) helped Serena's Braixen get over having her stick broken. He was so happy about it, he congratulated her for learning Fire Blast while Team Rocket was being blasted off.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Not unlike Ash, most of the "captures" James made throughout the series are of Pokémon that ''willingly'' wanted to be part of his team, and there was no need for battling Cacnea, Chimecho, Mime Jr., Carnivine, Yamask or Inkay.
* PrecisionFStrike: In the second episode of DP, Dawn doesn't recognize Team Rocket. What he says next in the English dub must've certainly [[DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch charmed the socks off]] any Brit who happened to be watching:
-->'''James''': "That's why she doesn't know a bloody thing about us, there's no Sinnoh Team Rocket branch!"
* PrincelyYoungMan: The PrinceCharming type.
* PungeonMaster: [[http://www.bulbagarden.net/~dogasu/lyrics/pocket_monsters/lucky_lucky.html His image song]] has a ''ton'' of Pokémon puns.
* RealMenWearPink: Apart from certain disguises of his, he's studied ballet.
* RebelRelaxation: When he first meets Jessie during Team Rocket training, he is posed this way.
* RichesToRags: James is part of a wealthy family but ran away to escape from his fiancee Jessebelle and the pressures of his family.
* RunawayFiance: Whose betrothed looks suspiciously like '' Jessie'', for some reason.
** Ironically, it's ''much'' later revealed that James really ''did'' fall in love with Jessebelle, up to the point that he was ''actually planning to ask her hand in marriage''. Her dominating and pretentious personality (that, and she wanted James to get rid of Growlie in favor of a Skitty) was the reason that he changed his mind.
* RunningGag:
** Apart from a Weepinbell (that was battled and caught offscreen), James never battles any of the Pokémon he catches, and almost all of his on-screen captures have involved [[TastesLikeFriendship feeding]] them in some way, or otherwise making some other positive first impression.
** Somehow he has a knack for catching dangerous Pokémon that end up loving him so much that they [[TheGlomp glomp]] him in [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength unfortunately painful ways]].
** He also repeatedly gets scammed by the Magikarp Salesman. At least once he caught on beforehand however, leading to a comical chase.
** In the [[GagDub Latin American dub]], replacing his motto with references and gags became a tradition. For example, he constantly replaces "to the stars above!" part of his motto with a real life place like Acapulco, or a fictional place like [[Series/ElChavoDelOcho "la vecindad del Chavo"]]. It came to a point in later seasons where he doesn't even bother with the motto and just says whatever the translators can think of.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: James clearly takes after his dad, lacking only his father's nose and moustache. His father even also has his hair parted down the center with a single out of place cowlick.
* SmokeOut: He repeats Weezing's feat by means of an ordinary smoke bomb.
* SuckMyRose: James is often seen brandishing a rose during the Rocket motto. In [=OS028=], he explains that, "Roses are the flowers of love and romance." However, overtime this became rarer, to the point it completely vanished in ''Best Wishes''.
** As of the ''XY'' anime series this motif of his has made a return, although instead of being red, his new roses of choice are blue.
* TaughtByExperience: [[StatusQuoIsGod One-episode deal]] in "Fighting Ire with Fire", where James' plan-of-the-week is actually ingenious: trap the twerps first before capturing their Pokémon. They would have actually even won if it weren't for Monferno going UnstoppableRage.
* TeamRocketWins: Of the three, James is the most likely to enter competitions with a scrupulous strategy that leads him to sometimes win or at least get a near victory through completely honest means.
** He once participated in a cross country race and came in first place (unfortunately for his allies [[BecomingTheMask he got a bit too into his disguise and gave the heroes his prize]]).
** He also won one of Jessie's Sinnoh ribbons for her by [[SweetPollyOliver disguising himself and taking her place at a contest]] when she was ill. Notably, this places him as the only main character to win a Contest ''on his first try''.
* TheLittleDetecto: In "Team on Team Tussle!", he pulls out a gadget he calls the "Z-Crystal Locating Device", or the "Lame-o-Thousand Machine" as Meowth puts it as he just bought it at a pawn shop some time ago. It actually works, but it gets smashed in the same episode.
* TricksterMentor: Of an unusual sort in "Mending a Broken Spirit", where he uses one of his costumes to help Serena bond with Braixen, [[TraumaButton having related to it over the episode's dilemma]].
* TraumaButton: The word "fiancé" gives him the heebie-jeebies. Although it might just be with aggressive girls, as [[LoveRedeems he earnestly considers doing actual acts of heroism for a while]] and staying with "me — I mean, us" after the sweet and shy Kate/Rose's FreudianSlip of a WackyMarriageProposal.
* TsurimeEyes
* UncattyResemblance: His haircut makes him so strongly resemble a Mareanie that his own Mareanie falls in love with him. Apart from that, his Mareanie's backstory shares similarities to his own, namely that they both were poorly treated by a former love interest only to end up companions to individuals who resemble those love interests (James resembles a Mareanie, Jessie resembles James' fiancé Jessebelle).
* UpperClassTwit: Before he ran away from his family's vast wealth. Now he's [[TheDitz just a twit]].
* WackyMarriageProposal: Temacu and Kate declare themselves engaged to him in bizarre circumstances. He accepts their proposals but the plans fall through. Also, the Ghost of Maiden's Peak tries to kill him so he can be her husband in the afterlife. He is excited at first but becomes frightened, so Jessie rescues him. He is currently engaged to Jessebelle.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: When he thinks his parents are dead, he says he would rather die than go to their funeral.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] on occasion.
-->''It's lavender.''
** In ''Sun and Moon'', it really becomes a thorn in his side when a Mareanie falls in love with him specially ''because'' his hair color and haircut makes him resemble another Mareanie.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:James' Pokémon]]

!!'''Koffing-Weezing (Dogars-Matadogas)'''
-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' Creator/UnshoIshizuka
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Michael Haigney (Koffing), Creator/EricStuart (Weezing)
-->'''Voiced in Latin Spanish by:''' Gerardo Vásquez (voice-over in Episode 17)
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/James_Koffing_9546.png]]
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/James_Weezing_886.png]]

Received as a Christmas present,[[note]] Year-End in the original [[/note]] 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.
----

!!'''Growlithe/"Growlie" (Gardie/"Gar-chan")'''

!!'''Weepinbell-Victreebel (Utsudon-Utsubot)'''

!!'''Cacnea (Sabonea)'''

!!'''Chimecho (Chirean)'''

!!'''Mime Jr. (Manene)'''

!!'''Carnivine (Muskippa)'''

!!'''Yamask (Desumasu)'''

!!'''Amoonguss (Morobareru)'''

!!'''Inkay (Maaiika)'''

!!'''Mareanie (Hidoide)'''

[[folder:Meowth (Nyarth)]]

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/meowthrocket_9004.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:Meowth, [[VerbalTic Dat's Right]]!]]

-->'''Voiced in Japanese by:''' InukoInuyama
-->'''Voiced in English by:''' Nathan Price (4Kids, original), Creator/MaddieBlaustein (4Kids), [[Creator/JimmyZoppi Carter Cathcart]] (current)
-->'''Voiced in Latin American Spanish by:''' Genaro Vásquez
-->'''Voiced in European French by:''' Nessym Guetat (Season 1-8, Movies 1-5 + ''Destiny Deoxys'', ''Mewtwo Returns'', and ''The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon'', first episode of ''Pokémon Chronicles''), Philippe Tasquin (Season 9-current, Movies 8-current, rest of ''Pokémon Chronicles'')

The third Team Rocket member. Team Rocket's Meowth, in a rarity for his species (and Pokémon in general), is fully capable of normal human speech. He is rather useless in battle due to spending most of his efforts on speaking and walking like a human. Meowth is oddly philosophical, which doubtlessly helps him tolerate the endless beatings his group receives. He longs for the favor of Giovanni, which has led to [[ImagineSpot strange daydreams]] about the Boss Rocket in recent seasons.

* AbandonedPetInABox: In the "Go West Young Meowth" episode, it's shown that Meowth was abandoned as a kitten in a nest. He grew up on the streets with [[ParentalAbandonment no parents]], gang, or trainer.
* AbortedArc: He mentioned ''once'' during the Diamond/Pearl series that he's training himself to learn Night Slash...and no mention of this was ever made again.
** His ability to speak human language was also going to be ''pivotal'' in a big storyline planned by the former head writer ever since he wrote Meowth's origin episode but this never came to be.
* AcePilot: He's almost always piloting the team's latest HumongousMecha, and on many occasions, is very fluent and formidable in it.
* AffectionateNickname: On occasion in the dub while Maddie Blaustein was his voice, Meowth would call James "Jimmy".
** Until it evolved into Monferno, he called [[SympathyForTheHero Ash's Chimchar]] "Chimmy".
* AnimalsNotToScale: Downplayed case. Meowths are listed as being 1'04" in height in their bio (the exact same as Pikachu). In the anime, Meowth stands as tall as 1'08" or even some 2'00" size Pokémon such as Squirtle. This arguably makes him more within the size of an actual cat however.
* AnthropomorphicShift: While Meowth always walked on two legs and spoke, in the first season he would occasionally do cat-like things such as play with balls of yarn or chase his tail. He never does this in later seasons.
* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: It's implied the show catches Meowth in the middle of one during the trio's introduction, with him occasionally boasting he's on special terms with Giovanni (the English dub translates this into him being a LeaderWannabe). In both cases, Meowth gradually deflates after Giovanni is introduced and it becomes obvious that he is anything but.
* ArtEvolution: Similar to Pikachu, Meowth's design became a bit leaner and more expressive as seasons passed.
* AsYouKnow: Suffers from this fate routinely, because he's the only character who can translate Pokémon for not only the characters, but the audience, so even when he's not with a human, he usually ends up just repeating exactly what the Pokémon just said back at them so the viewers aren't just hearing one side of the conversation.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: He's capable of Gigantamaxing and does so for the first time in [=JN=]044.
* BadassNormal: Meowth's abilities, while fairly poor for a Pokémon, seem pretty talented for a human being. Not only can he walk, talk and use his front paws like a human, he's a competent pilot and engineer, shows valid acrobatic skill and is even a good musician and cook. It has been Lampshaded that Meowth could easily become TheAce in a legitimate career if he didn't like being a bad guy so much.
* BlessedWithSuck: All the effort he took to learn how to walk upright and talk has left him unable to use the SignatureMove of his species: Pay Day. [[MediumAwareness He mentions that it's because he used up all his "move slots"]].
** Or battle competently at all most of the time, for that matter.
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Meowth, as a Pokémon, is usually a feeble battler, so utilises manipulation, trickery and his fluency with gadgets to help the trio try and catch the powerful but occasionally simple minded Ash and Pikachu.
* BreakTheCutie: In "Go West Young Meowth" basically every human treated him cruelly and the other Pokémon weren't much better.
* BrickBreak: Posing as a Croagunk, he '''[[EpicFail fails]]''' at it.
* {{Catchphrase}}: Exclusive to the Mexican Spanish dub, he would often yell "''¡Ájale jaleo!''" [[note]]"Ájale" is a Mexican slang for surprise similar to "¡Híjole!", and "jaleo" means "fuss" [[/note]] when surprised or scared. This was dropped after Season 12, with the dub studio change.
* CatsAreMean: He is famous for being the TeamPet of a villainous trio. However, he is probably also the most {{Anti Villain}}ous out of them. Sometimes he even [[GoKartingWithBowser engages in friendly activities with the protagonist's Pokémon]] in the side-story episodes.
* CatsAreSnarkers: Usually aiming his jabs at [[GoldfishPoopGang Jessie and James]].
--> '''Jessie & James:''' (''wearing ridiculous dance outfits'') This has to be our greatest plan yet!\\
'''Meowth:''' Dat's what worries me.
* CallingYourAttacks: Seems to have picked this up in Unova.
--> FURY SWIPES!
** ItMakesSenseInContext. In [=EP050=], "Who Gets to Keep Togepi?", when he battles the twerps in a mini-tournament for Togepi, he acts as his own trainer, complete with ordering ''himself'' to execute attacks. This trope, as the series goes forward, is likely an extension of the idea that Meowth is technically a ''wild'' Pokémon, and does not nominally have his own trainer.
* CanonImmigrant: Alongside the team's appearances in ''Yellow'' and [[RecursiveAdaptation games based on the anime]], Team Rocket's Meowth was specifically distributable during certain special download events for ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. Keeping to the nature of its anime characterisation it had [[CombatPragmatist an underhanded move set]] along with Fury Swipes, [[SmokeOut a smoke ball item]], and a fairly low level.
* ChekhovsSkill: His talent for [[MundaneUtility preparing food with Fury Swipes]] in "Noodles: Romin' Off" ended up developed on and reused in several Pokémon Contests he attended for Jessie. By the time of Kalos he seems to be a full on culinary genius.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: You know those famous "Boss Fantasies" where [[TheComicallySerious Giovanni]] is depicted doing ridiculous or mundane things with the Mon of the Week, when the reality is that their boss is a cold-blooded sociopath who (prior to near the end of DP) ''loathed'' the trio? ''Most'' of them come from Meowth.
* CombatPragmatist: Since he's not a particularly strong battler, he often uses more underhanded and crafty tactics when attacking Pokémon.
** He managed to knock out Brock's Onix with a single Fury Swipes after splashing it with water from a nearby bucket. Despite Brock's protests, this was counted as a legitimate victory.
** Against Ash's Pikachu toe-to-toe [[CurbstompBattle he'd be down in one thundershock]]. Fighting using a mech or gadget however, he can give him a run for his money.
** In the original series, he neutralised a Rhydon by using "Tickle" attack on it, and distracted Ash's Bulbasaur by using a "Fake Out" attack. These would normally be considered legit, but Meowth used these attacks ''before'' they were introduced as official moves in the games.
* ComicallyLopSidedRivalry: In terms of proper Pokémon battling, Meowth is usually on the losing side of this, most prominently against Pikachu. It took until "A Frenzied Factory Fiasco" all the way in ''XY'' for Meowth to land ''a single attack'' on him. As a result Meowth usually sticks to scheming and artillery based confrontations, which, as often as he loses, can at least be more even handed.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: When he's angry and delusional enough, he's a surprisingly competent battler:
** He fainted Barry's Empoleon with a single Fury Swipes, which it should be noted, it ''resists''. However just a couple episodes later, he couldn't even break a display case with the same attack.
** His [[ThePowerOfLove "Fury Swipes Of Love"]] takes the cake in this department, where Meowth demolishes Seviper, Carnivine, Yanmega, [[LadyOfWar Togekiss]], Staraptor, and [[EverythingIsBetterWithMonkeys Infernape]].
** In "The Grass Route" Jessie uses him in a battle tournament disguised as a Sunflora. Due to Ash's overconfidence and not expecting any of Meowth's attacks from a Sunflora, Meowth actually spends most of the fight demolishing Bulbasaur.
** He helped significantly against Team Plasma in an EnemyMine in "What Lies Beyond Truth And Ideals", even managing to [[CurbstompBattle decimate several Pokémon by himself.]]
** In general, Meowth's Fury Swipes aren't weak, just slow and clumsy, making him very easy to out stealth. Most of the rare times he's focused enough to land one, [[DeathOrGloryAttack they're very painful]], even against prominent fighters like Pikachu. He also proves to have prehensile ability with them, once even using them block a Hidden Attack against Fennekin.
** Despite his poor track record in Pokémon battles, he sometimes proves talented in Pokémon performance contests. This is especially evident in the Kalos Showcases, (which lack battle contests) where he was competent in nearly all stage themes and almost always helped Jessie reach a top place.
* CurbStompBattle: Most of his battles cultimate as this, [[TeamRocketWins even the odd ones he wins oddly enough]]. See ThePowerOfLove below.
* CuteKitten: Early Kanto had him doing some kittenish stuff, like playing with yarn balls.
* CutLexLuthorACheck: He can understand Pokéspeak ''and'' speak English. He could be ''filthy rich'' if he tried using his skills for a job as a translator rather than a mafia goon.
** Lampshaded in "Jumping Rocket Ship" when the twerps point out one of many possible futures for a talking Meowth (becoming a TV sensation).
** In "Noodles: Romin' Off" he almost quits the team to become a skilled noodle chef due to his precise Fury Swipes.
** During the time he spends with Ash's group in BW, he acts as a "negotiator" in a couple of episodes.
* DeadpanSnarker: So very much.
-->'''James:''' ''[on a beam miles from the ground]'' How long do you think it will take to go down?
-->'''Meowth:''' [[AskAStupidQuestion About 3 seconds if we jump]].
* DeathGlare: Gave the Dream Thief a ''hilariously'' angry look in ''Best Wishes'', before slashing the crap out of him.
* DeathOrGloryAttack: Pretty much anytime Meowth jumps in with a Fury Swipes. Most of the time, expect him to get destroyed. Any time it hits however, Meowth usually cleans house.
* DependingOnTheWriter: In the Pikachu shorts, regardless of his current characterisation in the main series, Meowth is nearly always a PunchClockVillain for Pikachu. It gets especially jarring in the ''Best Wishes'' era shorts, where he is a ButtMonkey with an enormous crush on Meloetta. In the ''Best Wishes'' anime itself, he was a ruthless, manipulative villain that once coldly captured and tortured Meloetta as the means of a Team Rocket conquest scheme.
* DirtyCoward: In a lot of times he is stuck in bad situations with the heroes, he ponders over using them as a distraction.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
** In early Johto, he gets a StalkerWithACrush Snubbull obsessed with biting his tail.
** In a DP episode he becomes infatuated with a Glameow. Only seconds after it evolves into [[FormerlyFit a pudgy Purugly]], it starts [[HenpeckedHusband kicking him around]], leading him to immediately bail out ([[WomanScorned and earn a Hyper Beam]]). [[LoveHurts Guess the honeymoon's over.]]
* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: His ability to talk and walk upright is the result of this. He fell head over heels for a lady Meowth named Meowzie, who wouldn't give him the time of day. She told him she had no use for a common street Meowth when she had a human owner who gave her everything she wanted. Madly in love and desperate for a chance with her, Meowth missed the point that Meowzie's love for humans was mostly based in all the nice things they gave her and the luxurious life they allowed her to lead; he thought it was about the humans themselves and that if he taught himself to become more human-like, she would like him. He discovered his error when he returned to Meowzie, walking and talking like a human, only for her to call him a freak.
* {{Eagleland}}: Grew up in Hollywood, and a '''BIG''' dose of Type 2.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
** While Meowth still sparsely battled effectively in the original series, he used several moves such as Scratch and Bite, and sometimes even improvised some, such as a Tickle attack pre-Johto. Hoenn onwards, Meowth pretty much exclusively uses Fury Swipes, to the point of making prehensile use of it.
** In the first series, Meowth was a LeaderWannabe, believing he had order over Jessie and James and that he could command Ekans and Koffing before they pointed out otherwise. In later seasons, similar to James, he's more jaded and often submits to Jessie's bossiness, and while the later team Pokémon ''do'' follow him in their trainers' place, it's more under friendship terms.
** The English dub originally followed the original Japanese edit's VerbalTic, having Meowth stick in his name within most of his sentences. This was ditched after a few episodes, with improvised dialogue placed over it instead.
** The aforementioned fact that he grew up in Hollywood counts too; after the first season, the anime almost never mentions real-life locations.
* EliteMook: Out of the team's Pokémon, Meowth stands out as equal to Jessie and James and an individual Team Rocket member in his own right. He more often than not is as active in acting out a scheme as the two trainers, providing technical and intellectual support rather than battling.
* TheEngineer: Meowth usually takes control of most of the team's gadgets and mechs, and is implied to maintenance them. May overlap into GadgeteerGenius since he is also suggested to build some of them.
* EnemyMine: With Pikachu, whenever the two end up somewhere alone together. Meowth has even admitted that if circumstances were different, they'd probably be [[FriendlyEnemy good friends]].
** This claim is kind of proven right in the straight-to-DVD movie ''Mewtwo Returns''. Both Pikachu's clone and Meowth's clone are close friends, and they're seen together most of the time.
** The episode "King and Queen for a Day", after another accidental separation, Pikachu and Meowth have to babysit their respective group's babies together (Bonsly and Mime Jr.). Aside from Pikachu accusing Meowth of stealing food (he ''was'' planning to steal it, but the grateful owner gave it to him after his helping her), there was no bad blood between them throughout the episode.
*** Inverted with [[spoiler:Meowth's brief stint as the HeelFaceMole]] which seemed to have sparked Pikachu's ire in particular. This didn't stop Meowth from directly helping them against both Team Plasma and the evil Malamar since then, so it would seem things are as usual.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Meowth is unusual in that unlike most Pokémon companions, he is still technically wild in the sense that he has never been in a Poké Ball. Yet, he has still often proved as willingly loyal to Jessie and James as a standard caught Pokémon, and has some rather kind moments with their own Pokémon.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: That one time Ash tried to catch him, the Meowth "blocked the ball! [[HypocriticalHumor Don't be a thief!]]"
** Despite being the one to think it up in the first place, he has a hard time keeping up the ruse of convincing an amnesiac Pikachu that he's a member of Team Rocket, because Pikachu is so darn nice. He even muses that Pikachu is so noble, anyone who tries to kidnap him would be an "insensitive loser", before remembering [[HypocriticalHumor that's literally what he's doing.]]
* ExtremityExtremist: Near exclusively uses claw attacks in battle, most often Fury Swipes. He's even used it effectively in performance contests and once as a block attack. Justified since Meowth's minimal skills mean he isn't experienced with much else.
* FastballSpecial:
-->'''Jessie''': (''hurls Meowth at Seviper'') "Let's see if you're any use! Double-Edge attack!"\\
'''Meowth''': [[OhCrap "Wait, I don't know that attaaaaaaaack!"]]
** He returns the favor later when he fires Seviper and Cacnea ''through a chute'' (much to their chagrin) at the twerps.
** He also got thrown at Mimikyu by Jessie when the group first encountered it. At least this time, she asked him to use a move he knew: Fury Swipes, which did nothing to it.
* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: While Jessie and James always attend contests in alter egos, Meowth usually doesn't even bother with a costume. No one seems remotely suspicious Jessie's alternate persona ''also'' has a Meowth with human abilities.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Creator/TakeshiShudo states that his ability to speak like a normal human was intended to foreshadow the ending he had in mind, which involved a rebellion of the Pokémon against mankind and Meowth acting as an interpreter. Obviously that didn't end up happening, but still worth noting.
* 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 Goh in ''Journeys'' who went completely nuts with his camera when he realized how the urban legend of Meowth was actually true, much to Meowth's annoyance.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Of the original generation team. In "Island of the Giant Pokémon", Ekans and Koffing make clear they are only loyal to Meowth through association with Jessie and James. When they are separated from them, they gladly leave him at the mercy of Ash's Pokémon. Abiding by cases such as the Pikachu shorts, most of the later Pokémon get on better with Meowth, making some more VitriolicBestBuds.
* FunetikAksent: For some unknown reason, Meowth has a rather thick {{Joisey}} accent.
* FurryConfusion: It's made clear in the show that Meowth is unusual in being able to speak and walk on two legs. But it's still pretty jarring to see him next to a "normal", non-anthropomorphic member of his species.
* GoKartingWithBowser: He does this a lot with the heroes' Pokémon, especially in the Pikachu shorts.
* HappyHarlequinHat: His showcase costume, fittingly enough, is a jester attire.
* HarmlessVillain: He fluctuates as such along with the rest of the team in the main anime. In the Pikachu shorts however, he (and often the rest of the team's current Pokémon) are merely petty troublemakers and {{Butt Monkey}}s above anything else. The later shorts often skip this mentality altogether and make him merely [[GoKartingWithBowser a mischievous friend of the other Pokémon.]]
* HeartbrokenBadass: All that time and Meowzie still wouldn't love him. Aw...
* HiddenDepths: For all his bumbling he ''did'' learn to talk human, a feat that's still virtually unmatched in the anime without telepathy (the only other examples are the Slowking in the second movie, the Manaphy in the ninth movie, and the Rotom Pokedex in the ''Sun and Moon'' series). A Best Wishes episode also has a set of Beheeyem dismiss Ash, Jessie and James' resistance to their powers by [[DisabilityImmunity explaining that idiots are hard to hypnotize]]...while translating through the hypnotised Meowth.
** Although it could just be chalked up to RuleOfFunny, Meowth will occasionally drop hints that he's not at all happy with his current place in life.
-->'''Meowth:''' "Oh, they're stuck in a box with impending doom and no way out. That sounds like my life."
** Meowth is implied to have musical talents. Cases such as "Meowth's Party" show him to be an ample guitarist. His downloadable form in ''Black 2 and White 2'' even has Sing as an ability.
** He also seems to have good culinary abilities, something that has come in handy in Pokémon contests for Jessie. In the "Eevee and Friends" short, the hero Pokémon even entrust him to make a buffet for their party.
* HeelFaceMole: Pulled endless times, perhaps most notably in BW - he pretends to have been fired from Team Rocket in order to join Ash's group on the way to Nimbasa City. It was all a ruse to lower their guard so that he could lure them into a trap, as well as to bypass the Nimbasa Pokémon Centre's efficient security system. He's done it with varying degrees of success in other seasons, in one case at least, he actually starts [[BelievingTheirOwnLies Believing His Own Lies]] and wonders whether to defect for real.
* HypocriticalHumor: Meowth deems himself greatly more competent than Jessie and James and thus doesn't hold back in upbraiding them. While he ''is'' TheEngineer (not to mention ''a self-taught Pokémon fluent in human speech''), he's also capable of as massive foolishness as his teammates are.
* ImageSong: A bunch of endings, notably "Meowth's Song"
* ImagineSpot: Fantasies of his Boss so prominent that it became a ''{{running gag}}''.
* ImprovisedWeapon: When fighting for the ownership of Togepi, he realizes he's hopelessly outmatched against Brock's Onix, so he grabs a bucket of water and hurls it at him, [[WeaksauceWeakness utterly crushing the Onix]].
* InterspeciesRomance: Okay, so most of his interests are feline (Meowzie, Skitty, Glameow, etc.) but there was the time he crushed on a ''human girl''. And then, there's his fantasies with Giovanni, most of which depict him as ripped and wearing nothing but briefs. Let the implications fall where they may...
* {{Irony}}: Meowth's species is based on the ManekiNeko, an emblem of good luck and fortune, yet Team Rocket is in PerpetualPoverty and this Meowth can't even learn their signature Pay Day move.
* IWasBeatenByAGirl: He suffers {{Curbstomp Battle}}s aplenty from Pokémon 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.
* KickTheDog:
** Sinks to his lowest thus far in ''Best Wishes'' when we find out that [[spoiler:he lied about being fired from Team Rocket and joined Ash and his friends just so he, Jessie and James could steal their Pokémon]].
** He's had many KickTheDog moments over the years of course, including in episode 12 of the first season, during which he implies that he's capable of killing, but he's too much of a NobleDemon to actually go through with it.
* LeaderWannabe: A RunningGag in involuntary group splits (which itself seems to occur OnceASeason) is that Meowth would try to take charge of the group he's stuck with, only for the others to just ignore him.
** In the first season, he referred to himself as the "Top Cat", with the implication that he was the real leader of the trio. Jessie and James were dismissive of the idea, and he has no power personally over any of their pokémon.
* TheLoad: When he first met Jessie and James before the events of the series. His initial incompetence injures James and reinforces Jessie's negative perception of teamwork.
** While he at least risen up in the brains department, he is still usually this the odd time he is called into battle with the team's other Pokémon.
* LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: He's been in love several times over the course of the series, with predictable results:
** In his OriginStory, he learned to walk and talk to impress Meowzie, a girl Meowth he fell in love with. But she was already in love with a Persian.
** He's been smitten on several Skitty, including the one that May eventually caught.
** He actually fought Team Rocket to protect a Glameow he fell for. That evaporated when she evolved into a Purugly.
** A Zorua turned into a girl Meowth to distract Meowth while Team Rocket was trying to capture it.
** During his HeelFaceMole stint in Best Wishes, he competed with Ash's Oshawott for the attention of a Purrloin. Both were thwarted when [[UnsettlingGenderReveal it was revealed said Purrloin was a boy]].
** When he got hexed by Mimikyu when trying to look under its shroud, he hallucinated about seeing a Glaceon, a Gardevoir, and a Lopunny, all female.
** Got utterly smitten the moment he laid eyes on a Pheromosa to the point where he started mimicking her stance, posture and speech-patterns, hoping for mutual love, despite the Ultra Beast's ''very'' obvious [[AlphaBitch dirt]]-[[SpoiledBrat ugly]] and [[DistractedByTheLuxury poor]] [[ItsAllAboutMe personality]].
* LoveMakesYouEvil: Being rejected by Meowzie made him pretty bitter, though then again he was still willing to help her.
* LoveRedeems: Sometimes, because of it (in the case of Skitty and the human Cassandra) he resorts to doing good for their sake, with results.
* LoveTriangle: Meowzie (with a Persian), and Purrloin (with Ash's Oshawott).
* MalevolentMugshot: Really likes to model the team's gadgets off of his likeness. Along with their trademark Meowth balloon, several of their HumongousMecha are giant Meowth bots.
* ManipulativeBastard: In the episodes "Fangs for Nothin'", "A Scare to Remember", and "Hooked on Onix". The first one has him convince a Dragonite that he, Jessie, and James are "protecting" the Dragon Fang from Clair, Ash, and the others. In the second one, he convinces [[spoiler:an amnesia-stricken Pikachu that he's part of Team Rocket]]. And the third one has him, Jessie, and James trick an Onix (the leader of a pack of Rock-type Pokémon) into thinking that Ash and the others are the bad guys. He also manages to manipulate an entire pack of Squirtle into helping Team Rocket capture Pikachu in episode 12 of the first season.
** In BW, [[spoiler:he convinces everyone he's been fired from Team Rocket, joins Ash for 5 episodes, and then [[SixthRangerTraitor backstabs him]].]]
* MookLieutenant: In the Pikachu shorts. Generally subverted in the main series however (he thought he had the power of one initially, until Ekans and Koffing bluntly pointed out otherwise).
* MotionCaptureMecha: Meowth upgrades to these throughout the ''Sun and Moon'' series, thus granting him a closer variation of "battling". He even gives the illusion of a LevelGrind of sorts by upgrading the mechs to be more resistant as encounters continue, the later ones manage to withstand ''multiple Z-Moves''.
* MrExposition: A notable example due to his ability to understand PokemonSpeak.
* MundaneUtility: Again regarding the {{Imagine Spot}}s, where the most Meowth could think of of Giovanni's use for their prey-for-the-week would be for some plain, day-to-day chore. [[RefugeInAudacity Emphasis on "mundane".]]
* NobleDemon: While he does deceive the main party big time in ''Best Wishes'', he would never stoop so low as to kill someone even though he's capable of doing so, as demonstrated when he threatened Misty in episode 12 of the first season (meaning he's so noble, his death threats, while Ash does take them seriously, are always empty).
** Shown clearly in [=BW124=], where he finds himself unable to attack the twerps' Pokémon after they had saved his life earlier.
* NonActionGuy: Rarely battles due to lack of experience, preferring to assist Jessie and James with the actual plotting side of things. Downplayed from ''X and Y'' onwards, where he takes part in battles more often, even if his track record in them isn't much better.
%%* NonElemental
* NoodleIncident: The exact details of the mission that got him fired from Team Rocket: both the mission itself as well as how he botched it. [[spoiler:Turns out, this is because the whole story is a lie. See HeelFaceMole.]]
* TheNoseless: His lack of a nose has been used as a RunningGag on multiple occasions.
* NotAllowedToGrowUp: Like Pikachu, Meowth has remained unevolved the entire series, and shows no interest in becoming a Persian.
* PapaWolf: Given that the contest for who got to keep Togepi was between him and the three heroes, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption there's no way]] [[ForegoneConclusion he was going to win]]. Still, his love for the little guy let him take an impressive beating from Brock's Onix and still come back to KO it. Okay technically he cheated by throwing water on Onix as an "attack", but hey, a Meowth knocking out an Onix is still an impressive feat.
* ParentalAbandonment: Meowth wasn't even raised by anyone and had to take care of himself as a kitten.
* PetTheDog: He once went against his teammates to protect a Miltank who healed him. In ''The Poké Spokesman'', he pretended to be a normal Pokémon and made the titular Spokesman think he's communicating with a Pokémon to not give up his dream to be a Pokémon-Human interpreter.
* ThePhilosopher: Often his snark tends to convert into this, especially in the Japanese version. Likes to gaze at the moon and lament.
* PluckyComicRelief: In ''Best Wishes'' he was the most liable of the trio to regress into his normal buffoonish self. In all other regions before and after however, Jessie and James are even goofier than him.
* PowerCreepPowerSeep: Played with. While Meowth aren't exactly the most powerful Pokémon in the games either, the show completely degrades Team Rocket's example, likely to keep his bumbling and reliance on {{Zany Scheme}}s to steal Pokémon relevant. However Meowth will on occasion have very notable showings of true strength and skill, even if the majority of them lean as RuleOfFunny.
* ThePowerOfLove: While usually a pitiful battler, romance seems to bring out a greater strength in him. With Fury Swipes, he singlehandedly took down Ash's Infernape and Staraptor, Jessie's Seviper and Yanmega, and Dawn's Togekiss...because he was in love with Glameow. He also defeated a Persian with a one-hit swipe in an attempt to earn the affection of his childhood crush (see PyrrhicVictory below).
* PragmaticVillainy: Throughout his infamous HeelFaceMole stint in Unova, Meowth manages to earn the heroes' trust by performing legitimately helpful acts for them and even other parties and wild Pokémon. While it was all just to lure the heroes into a trap, little of it was negated in the end, and since the plan failed, he ironically [[NiceJobFixingItVillain ended up doing more good than harm.]]
* PunchPunchPunchUhOh: Most of Meowth's battles cultimate in this, those that aren't [[CurbstompBattle an outright One Hit KO]] anyway, while most of Jessie and James' Pokémon have at least some small but plausible strengths, Meowth is extremely inexperienced outside a usually ineffective Fury Swipes attack.
* PunnyName: Both the Japanese and English names for the Pokémon begin with the {{onomatopoeia}} for a cat's meow in their respective languages.
* PyrrhicVictory: Managed to beat a Persian for the girl he loves... only to find she still considers him a "freak" and sticks with Persian anyway. He also curb stomped the heroes ''and'' his Team Rocket brethren to win the affection of a Glameow, only for it to evolve into an abusive Purugly.
* RealMenCook: Shows a culinary talent from Sinnoh onward. It's more in terms of artistic cooking than as the TeamChef however. As such he provides well whenever Jessie's contests have a CookingDuel and his work is nearly always complimented as delicious.
* RedemptionPromotion: Keeping with the rest of the trio, Meowth's normally pathetic battle skills amp up hilariously whenever he fights for noble causes. He was unstoppable against Team Plasma's forces in their final battle. This was to ''rescue'' Pikachu rather than capture him.
* RightHandCat: Wants to replace Persian on Giovanni's lap.
* RunningGag: Aside from the Boss fantasies, there was also Meowth's tendency to disguise himself as other Pokémon. The most recurring of these disguises is a Sunflora.
* RuleOfFunny: His battles. Whether they end in [[EpicFail instant failure]] or he [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass somehow wins]], it's usually to set up a joke.
* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: Meowth in his youth put all his time and energy into learning to act human. As a result he is able to talk and use his front paws like a human, but has little experience in battling, resulting in him (usually) being an ineffective fighter. According to himself he permanently lost the chance to learn Pay Day because of this.
* SixthRangerTraitor: [[spoiler:Meowth plays this role during a 5-episode arc in ''Best Wishes'' - he claims to have been fired from Team Rocket, when it was part of a ploy to steal all the team's Pokémon.]]
* SpaceJews: Ever since the VA change in the English dub, Meowth's been known to occasionally let loose an "oy vey."
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: As he is a Pokémon that can speak to humans, he acts as a human-to-Pokémon translator. He can't understand mechanical-like Pokémon such as Magnezone, Metagross or Ultra Beasts, however.
* SpotlightStealingSquad: Meowth got a lot of attention during his HeelFaceMole period in ''Best Wishes''. Curiously, he is also this out of Team Rocket's Pokémon roster in ''Sun and Moon'', being called into battle far more often than Jessie and James' captures.
* StatusQuoIsGod: Like Pikachu, Meowth has no interest in evolving. And while he has shown odd semblances of battle competence throughout the series, he has remained [[NonActionGuy an inactive and inexperienced Pokémon]], to the point he hasn't even learned a new attack since the start of the series.
* TakenForGranite: Hunter J once turned him into stone to sell on the black market.
* TalkingAnimal: The very first one, and the most recurring, even.
* TeamDad: Often this to Team Rocket's Pokémon when separated from Jessie and James. Subverted in the first instance this happened, as [[PunchClockVillain Ekans and Koffing]] bluntly didn't think the same way of it [[LeaderWannabe as he did]].
* TeamRocketWins: With the exception of [[VillainDecay the Hoenn era]], Meowth usually scores at least [[TeamRocketWins one impressive victory in battle]] [[OnceASeason per series]]:
** Kanto/Johto: Defeated a Persian in a SingleStrokeBattle in "Go West, Young Meowth". Also defeated Brock's Onix by [[CombatPragmatist splashing water on it.]]
** Sinnoh: Defeated Ash's Infernape and Staraptor, Jessie's Seviper and Yanmega, ''and'' Dawn's Togekiss [[CurbstompBattle with a few "Fury Swipes of Love"]] in "For The Love of Meowth".
** Unova: Decimated several of Team Plasma's Pokémon in "What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals".
** Kalos: Curbstomped Clemont's Chespin with a single Fury Swipe (albeit through the use of power upgrading armour) in "Calling From Beyond The Aura".
** Alola: Delivered a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown to Ash's Rowlet in [=SM112=] (though this ended up bringing [[BigBrotherWorship Meltan's]] wrath down on him).
* ThinkOfTheCensors: He refuses to translate Mimikyu initially due to this being a "family show".
* ThirdPersonPerson: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Also, he would occasionally replace certain words with his own name.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Has moments of this with Wobuffet.
* TokenEvilTeammate: As Ekans and Koffing once pointed out, while many Team Rocket Pokémon are loyal or even enthusiastic about serving Jessie and James, Meowth is the only one that gets a kick out of being evil, if being an easily defeated GoldfishPoopGang with Jessie and James really counts as 'evil'.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** As a performer Pokémon. During Sinnoh, it was established that Meowth had a particularly articulate use of Fury Swipes, making him useful in contests. By Kalos he is Jessie's SecretWeapon for showcases and performs well in nearly every round.
** This later extended to battles as well. While he's still mainly a plotter, ''X and Y'' and later series have him occasionally take part in battles, and he's usually shown to be no less capable than Jessie and James' Pokémon.
* TranslatorBuddy: For the rest of Team Rocket's Pokémon and pretty much other Pokémon in general. Because he's pretty much the only Pokémon in the series capable of speech, other powerful Pokémon tend to take advantage of this in order to communicate to humans and [[MindControl hijack Meowth]] to be their unwilling translator. He can't understand mechanical-like Pokémon such as Magnezone, Metagross or Ultra Beasts though.
* UnknownRival: Several due to the trio's incompetence (see above), but in particular he loathes Giovanni's Persian for having his master's favour over him as "top cat". Persian barely seems to even acknowledge him.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: The Purrloin in [=BW46=] manipulated him and Oshawott into helping him by pretending to be female. Purrloin's trainer finally cleared it up, much to both their shock.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: ''Very'' few people ever comment on the fact that Meowth can speak human, despite this being rare to the point where it's almost exclusive to Legendaries with the ability to use telepathy.
** One Johto episode had the trio try to use Meowth's ability to talk to make money at a street performance festival. Meowth gets stage fright but eventually does speak up, drawing in a crowd... only for his joke routine to fall so flat, it was enough to lose the crowd's interest.
** At times, other Pokémon thieves and hunters express interest in getting him, knowing they can get a fortune by selling him for his ability to speak.
** At times averted with newcomers such as Dawn, Clemont, and Goh; who are shocked Meowth can talk the first time they meet him.
* UrbanLegends: In Kanto, Meowth is quite the urban legend when it comes to the Team rocket Trio, in that the rumors around him being a "talking meowth" is considered highly doubtful and dubious by anyone who haven't seen him in person. Anyone who ''have'' met him however, knows better.
* VerbalTic: "-nya". Averted in the English dub however; the first few episodes had Meowth use his name in a lot of his sentences, but this was quickly dropped.
* WeNeedADistraction: The first time in the ''Best Wishes'' series where Meowth was doing anything remotely comical was in [=BW04=], where Jessie and James force him into an Umbreon getup to divert the attention of Don George, his troupe, Ash and Iris, as the Rockets go on with their caper.
* WeWantOurJerkBack: The one time Meowth was treated too nicely by Jessie and/or James, he outright admits that he's much more used to being bullied by them.
** And then there's another time when he did it to ''himself'': he mentions that it sometimes scares him how he has a rarely seen soft side.
* WhatTheHellHero: Gives one to Iris when she attempts (and fails) to catch him in a Poké Ball without warning.
* WorthyOpponent:
** Has a grudging respect for Tyson's Literature/PussInBoots {{Expy}} Meowth from the Hoenn League, since they share an enmity towards their evolved form. However, it's also a case of an UnknownRival, since Meowth-in-Boots rarely acknowledges him.
** And of course Pikachu. Even he is often astounded by his valour and strength, and multiple {{Enemy Mine}}s and FriendlyEnemy moments make clear they have some palpable respect for each other.[[note]]That is, if you forget the early episode where Pikachu was disappointed that Meowth didn't die in the sinking of the ''St. Anne''.[[/note]] As obsessed as Meowth is with trying to capture him, he has stated he'd love even more for Pikachu to [[WeCanRuleTogether willingly join him as an ally to Team Rocket]].
** Meowth also generally has respect for Ash as a trainer. If a Pokémon isn't going to join Team Rocket, he would much rather they end up with Ash instead. He's said this of both Chimchar and Litten.
** As disgusted as Ash's team were by Meowth's HeelFaceMole scheme in ''Best Wishes'', even they had to admit he'd used a genuinely brilliant plan against them.
* WouldHitAGirl: He swipes Jessie and James indiscriminately. He's also tried to claw female allies of Ash more than once.
[[/folder]]
----

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: In ''Sun and Moon'', she develops a liking to malasada's.

** [[{{Hypocrite}} Stealing their Pokémon]] makes them act as very effective members of the side of good, as Butch and Cassidy were the first to learn the hard way.

* FunnyAfro: His showcase costume in Kalos, is a multi coloured afro with some CoolShades.

** Despite being the one to think it up in the first place,he has a hard time keeping up the ruse of convincing an amnesiac Pikachu that he's a member of Team Rocket, because Pikachu is so darn nice. He even muses that Pikachu is so noble, anyone who tries to kidnap him would be an "insensitive loser", before remembering [[HypocriticalHumor that's literally what he's doing.]]

* EvilCounterpart: To Ash's female companions (Misty in particular).

* WomanChild: Her behavior can be downright childish sometimes.

* MotiveDecay: Ash's Pikachu isn't even the strongest Pikachu they've met over the course of the show, to say nothing of all the countless powerful and rare Pokémon they've encountered while following Ash and his friends.

* 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 added into ''VideoGame/PokemonMasters'', carrying many of the traits the game versions of themselves didn't already have like allowing Meowth to talk.

** As of ''Journeys'', Giovanni ''finally'' grants them access to Team Rocket-owned Pokémon via the Rocket Gachat, a vending machine device that dispenses random Pokémon for them to use against Ash and co. Additionally, they get their very own Rotom Pokédex, albeit a very snarky and trolling one, for their personal use, forfeiting the need for James' outdated "Pokémon Cards".

* YourCheatingHeart: In the Maiden's Peak episode, Jessie laughs at how silly it is to wait around for a man to return like the fabled maiden did and how she would have just moved on to another man instead of waiting around.

* AlmightyJanitor: He usually stays by the sidelines and following orders, but when he actually goes into a fight, he's more than capable to deflect and counter attacks from any mons coming for his crew, regardless if they're legendary ones or not.

* NonActionGuy: He started off serving mostly as comic relief, only following ''XY'' did its Counter and Mirror Coat start becoming pivotal on a frequent basis. Reverted back in ''Sun and Moon'', to the point that as of [=SM066=], he's only used an attack in ''one'' episode throughout Alola.

* 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 Pokémon to use a Z-Move, mastering Black Hole Eclipse competently on her first attempt.

* AdorableEvilMinions: A lot of Team Rocket's Pokémon have cute or at least endearing designs, and when given the chance can be just as playful and affectionate as the heroic Pokémon. At times, even [[{{Adorkable}} Jessie and James themselves]] could apply as such.

* NonActionGuy: Rarely battles due to lack of experience, preferring to assist Jessie and James with the actual plotting side of things. Downplayed in ''Sun and Moon'', where he takes part in battles more often, even if his track record in them isn't much better.

* TookALevelInBadass: As a performer Pokémon. During Sinnoh, it was established that Meowth had a particularly articulate use of Fury Swipes, making him useful in contests. By Kalos he is Jessie's SecretWeapon for showcases and performs well in nearly every round. This shows up a little in his later battles as well, though aside from the odd PlayedForLaughs victory, he's still usually a NonActionGuy.

** Their obsession with Ash's Pikachu serve as a franchise long one, since as ''Best Wishes'' show, they're much more effective and succesful when Pikachu ''isn't'' on their list of priorities.

* {{Adorkable}}: All three of them. They serve as the villains but are just so gimmicky and so... fail that they aren't even threatening anymore. Their determination is admirable too.

* 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 usually bend over backwards to make sure they get theirs somehow.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: When they aren't being used for jokes, they are quite threatening. Not to mention they have several developed talents in non-villainous areas.

** What must be remembered is that they were considered dangerous fugitives prior to meeting Ash, and that other, higher-ranked Team Rocket members have failed just as badly against Ash and his allies due to the same PlotArmour that prevents the Trio from beating him. Indeed, they've proven fairly capable when working away from Ash, and on occasions when Ash and his friends find themselves fighting Team Rocket on two fronts, it's more likely to be the Trio who prove to be EvilerThanThou.

* BecomingTheMask: During the Team Flare storyline, even after Malva ditched them and later their covers literally being blown, Team Rocket continued to broadcast the entire crisis from beginning to end as [[IntrepidReporter real reporters would]], letting the rest of Kalos up to date on the situation at hand.
* BeingEvilSucks: Despite typically being all for Team Evil and loving being bad guys above all else, they have on occasion voiced dissatisfaction with being bad guys - especially when in their most unlucky days. It's especially noticeable in ''The Power Of One,'' where wanting to be good for a change is part of their motivation.
* BeleagueredAssistant: Malva recruited them into her TV crew while she's doing her coverage of the Kalos League. It was shown several times that Malva is running them all ragged, leaving the trio exhausted and have no time to pull off any scheme.

** In addition, referring to Ash as the "twerp", and his party collectively as "twerps". In Japanese, the trio refer to Ash as "jari-boy", which translates in English as "brat boy". His crew typically gets the prefix "jari-" as well, essentially referring to them all as "brats".

** 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, as 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.
** 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 Pokémon's memories are vital to creating their personality.

* CheatersNeverProsper: Usually, when Team Rocket tries to cheat at something like a Pokmeon contest, they inevitably lose. On the other hand, when they play by the rules, they typically do ''better'' than when they tried to cheat.
* ChekhovsSkill: Often, 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 happening in Jessie's coordinator events.

* CommutingOnABus: In ''Best Wishes'', they get downgraded from main cast members to recurring characters, with antagonistic wild Pokémon taking their place as enemies of the week, complete with the wild Pokémon being blasted off.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The trio frequently show charity or a refusal to cheat or attack the rare few individuals that show pity and kindness towards them (granted, due to varying in acquaintances, they aren't always united in this, leading to conflicts). Perhaps one of the most notable from all three was to a Blissy nurse who gave them its Pokémon Center's berries. Realising it took the blame for their disappearance, they staged having mugged it for the berries to clear its name.

** The TerribleTrio ''themselves'' have started to appear less frequently in the show, although they continue to remain a cast staple. This is most likely because the target audience of the show requires that they can never be allowed to actually ''win'' against the protagonists (at least not long-term), but at this point after so many episodes, it's easier to make them conceivably more competent by showing them in fewer but more novel situations, rather than constantly recycling their old schemes ad nauseum. It's proven an effective strategy.

* TrueCompanions: They have a very strong bond with each other, to the point that if any of them splits off for one reason or another (a potential relationship, a new career interest, etc.) they inevitably can't bear to be without each other for long and come right back together. This has become so characteristic of them that it's gotten referenced in one of their theme songs, with one line in the lyrics proclaiming that they're a team and can't do anything without each other.

* DragonInChief: It's far more powerful and competent than any of Team Rocket's previous Pokémon, let alone the Team itself, however it only joined them out of it's vendetta against Pikachu, and for the large part it acts on its own without Jessie's command. After Jessie bonds with it however, it submits to obeying her when Pikachu isn't around.

* SecurityBlanket: It's very protective of it's costume. Jessie gets on its better side by preserving it from some Murkrow.

* TookALevelInBadass: Gains access to Mimikium Z in [=SM073=] and masters it's Signature Z-Move "Let's Snuggle Forever" in [=SM076=], making it even more of an underlying threat.

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The trio frequently show charity or a refusal to cheat or attack the rare few individuals that show pity and kindness towards them (granted, due to varying in acquaintances, they aren't always united in this, leading to conflicts). Perhaps one of the most notable from all three was to a Blissy nurse who gave them its Pokémon center's berries. Realising it took the blame for their disappearance, they staged having mugged it for the berries to clear its name.

* OfficialCouple: Jessie and James in the manga adaptation ''Manga/TheElectricTaleOfPikachu''. In the anime it's ambiguous to this date and its unlikely to ever be revealed.

* RedOniBlueOni: Jessie is considered to be the Red Oni as she is the gruffer and more hot headed of the group as she has a hostile temper when things don't go her way and her red hair fits nicely. James is considered the Blue Oni as he is the more softer spoken and sensitive member as he loves his Pokémon but his hair is not quite blue since its actually light purple. Meowth fits somewhere in between.

* UltimateJobSecurity: In spite of their many, ''many'' failures and Giovanni's all too visible contempt for them, the trio has still remained a part of Team Rocket. Following the Johto arc this seems to stem from them being the only Rocket agents in the region, as Giovanni seems to consider having lackluster representation is better than none at all. Post-Sinnoh, its shown that he's become so out of touch with them that they've managed to ''improve'' his opinion of them by convincing him that they're a major force in disbanding the evil teams that could otherwise cause trouble for Team Rocket (which is a clear exaggeration; While it's true they typically do have a hand in it, their contributions are always ''much'' smaller than those of the "twerps").

* PoisonousPerson: It's a Poison-Type. Its Posion Sting is basically its SignatureMove.