In thePokémonanime, Team Rocket are a villainous pair who are always trying to steal Pikachu and other Pokémon, making them indisputably bad guys. However, they do have some redeeming qualities, and their relationship with Meowth is the ultimate proof of that.
Team Rocket are introduced as competent Pokémon thieves who just happen to be thwarted by Ash, causing them to become obsessed with his Pikachu. It didn’t take long for them to lose all competency, however, and the trio quickly found themselves in the role of executing a plan once an episode that would result in them “blasting off” until the next episode. Jessie and James have always had an interesting relationship, one that’s hard to define, but they clearly care about one another. That care also extends to Meowth, the incredibly rare talking Pokémon that makes up the third member of the trio.
Team Rocket Could Make Millions Off Meowth
In Searching for Rare Pokémon, They’ve Missed One Under Their Nose
Interestingly, despiteMeowth’s extreme rarity as one of the only Pokémon capable of human speech, never once have Jessie or James suggested selling Meowth off. They could no doubt make a lot of money by doing so, given what fans have seen of the Pokémon poaching market, but they don’t see Meowth that way. Instead, Meowth is treated as a friend and an equal member of the trio, helping to formulate plans and even building many of their mecha. They’re so used to having Meowth around that they hardly ever even acknowledge that Meowth is a Pokémon.
Meowth is an invaluable teammate to have, with his ability to translate between Pokémon language and human language. It’s gotten the group (and even Ash and friends) out of trouble more times than can be counted. Meowth is also quite clever, and has a strong sense of self that provides him with a lot of confidence. The fact that Jessie and James have never even considered selling Meowth shows that they really aren’t as evil as they like to pretend to be, and that Team Rocket is almost like a family.
Jessie and James Have Proven Themselves Good in Other Ways
The Team Rocket Trio Has Helped Save the World On Several Occasions
Team Rocket aren’t just loyal and caring towards one another. They’ve been a big help in saving the day numerous times before. InPokémon the Movie 2000, for example, the trio let go of Lugia, believing they were sacrificing themselves and falling to their doom in order to save the world. Of course, they ended up surviving that fall, but it’s far from the only instance. InDiamond and Pearl, Team Rocket work with Looker to help stop Team Galactic’s evil plans, which could’ve resulted in the destruction of reality. InBlack and White, they similarly helped to take down Team Plasma.
Team Rocket have even been supportive of Ash on occasion, as they have so much invested in Pikachu’s success. After Ash’s defeat at the hands of Lt. Surge, they rallied and cheered him on, although Misty saw through their disguises quite easily.ThroughoutSun & Moon, Team Rocket often had their own thing going on, and proved to be surprisingly competent food truck managers when given the chance. If the trio ever decided to go straight, they’d likely do pretty well for themselves.
Team Rocket’s Loyalty is Their Greatest Virtue and Curse
Jessie and James Can Be Fanatically Loyal to the Right Person
Ultimately, Jessie, James, and Meowth have a degree of loyalty towards one another that is rarely seen even among the heroes. Whatever they go through, they’re committed to going through it together.That loyalty even extends to people that perhaps it shouldn’t, like Giovanni, as Team Rocket gave them a home when they had nothing else. As such, their loyalty is not only what keeps them together as a group, but it’s also what keeps them on the side of evil.
It’s been shown that inthe Mirror Universe ofThe Cave of Mirrors!, Team Rocket are heroes of justice, proving that they do have the potential to be good guys within them. Jessie, James, and Meowth aren’t inherently evil beings, but rather do bad things because of the situation that they’ve found themselves in. If someone could help them to leave Team Rocket, there’s no doubt that the trio could actually succeed at being good people. While the opportunity to see Team Rocket turn over a new leaf may have passed,Pokémonfans will always know the potential they held.
