Still, he competes in - and does genuinely well in - a variety of different contests and competitions throughout the series. He rarely evolves his Pokemon and tends to mostly opt for Grass, Poison, or Psychic types. Despite blasting off again at the end of most of his anime appearances, James is an exceptionally talented trainer. James winning this contest raises a fascinating point. Related: Why Pokemon Needs To Start Focusing On Proper Sequels Not the most intimidating move for a villain who is occupying a position of temporary authority after winning a contest. Despite having sworn to steal Ash’s Pikachu after a botched attempt at robbing a Pokemon Center at the beginning of season one, James gives Ash - his supposed enemy - some fruit. I’m thinking of Off the Unbeaten Path, an episode that sees James emerge victorious from a Pokemon Orienteering competition. If anything, I think James just hangs out with Jessie and Meowth so he’s not on his own - whenever he’s faced with making the choice between a good deed or a bad one, he tends to opt for the former. Sure, James goes along with some pretty not-so-nice schemes, but he never does anything truly abhorrent. He’s an ex-rich kid who left his fortune behind for a life of crime that he’s not properly equipped for. With all of the above in mind, we can paint a pretty decent picture of who James is by the time we meet him in the anime. All three of these characters are more fleshed out than the vast majority of major NPCs in mainline Pokemon games, although James is by far the best of them - in fact, he’s probably the most well-written character in all of Pokemon. While the game represents the institution as an operation staffed by an abundance of buffoons, Team Rocket’s presence in Ash Ketchum’s adventures usually appears in the form of its most infamous trio: Jessie, James, and Meowth. World domination? Nah, let’s chop off some Slowpoke tails.īut Team Rocket serves a totally different purpose in the anime. It’s no wonder that after their boss makes a run for it at the end of Gen 1 that Gen 2’s Team Rocket quickly descends into sheer, unbridled chaos. ![]() I was enamored with them as a kid, but as we were introduced to the brilliantly stupid Team Aqua and Team Magma in Gen 3, or forced to deal with the more nuanced approach of Team Galactic in Gen 5, it became starkly apparent that Giovanni’s ragtag band of thugs just weren’t that intriguing.
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