Team Rocket (ロケット団, Roketto-dan?) is a villainous team introduced in Generation I.
Description
Team Rocket is a criminal organization set to steal other people's Pokémon. They have headquarters in Kanto and Johto and a branch in Sevii Islands. Team Rocket has made more appearances than any other villainous team. They are headed by Giovanni, who also doubles as the Viridian City Gym Leader. The most basic members are known as Team Rocket Grunts.
Team Rocket's main objective was obtaining powerful and rare Pokémon to help their criminal syndicate in the hopes of someday taking over the world. Despite this, Team Rocket appears has the image closer to a mafia than a crime syndicate. They obtain these Pokémon by regular capture, or more often, theft. In addition to this they also perform inhumane experiments on Pokémon to further enhance their power.
Even after being disbanded, Team Rocket has had successors, including Team Rainbow Rocket in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon and Team GO Rocket in Pokémon GO. In the spinoff Pokémon Card GB2 Here Comes Team Great Rocket!, they have Team Great Rocket.
Logo
In the games, the Team Rocket logo is a simple red "R", which was also used into the anime from Pokémon the Series: The Beginning to Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. In Pokémon the Series: Black & White, they started to use a completely new purple round 3D "R", when the old logo used as secondary until Pokémon the Series: XY and Pokémon the Series: XYZ, new logos was used on all mechas and equipment. In Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, it received a little update, getting a flat design. 3D logo is still, but rarely used, when Jessie and James commonly use the old logo.
Pokémon
In the Generation I games and their remakes, Team Rocket Grunts most often use fierce-looking Pokémon, often of the Poison type, such as Koffing, Zubat, Ekans, and their respective evolutions. Giovanni, uses mainly Ground-type Pokémon, most notably Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Rhydon, Dugtrio and Kangaskhan.
In the Generation II games and their remakes, Team Rocket appears to have expanded their number of preferred types. Many Rockets use the normal Pokémon Rattata and Raticate, while Executives are seen to take on Dark-type Pokémon such as Murkrow and Houndoom.
Members
The following are members of Team Rocket:
- Bosses: Giovanni/Madame Boss*/Masked Man**
- Rocket Executives: Archer/Ariana/Proton/Petrel/Grey*
- Elite Officers: Miyamoto*, Domino*, Vicious*
- Officers: Tyson*, Attila*, Hun*, Keane**
- Spies: Annie* and Oakley* (dub only)
- Agents: Cassidy* (formerly), Butch* (formerly), Jessie, James, Ken**, Al**, Harry**, with Carr**, Sird**, Orm**
- Viridian Gym Trainers: Cole, Kiyo, Samuel, Kelly, Yuji, Atsushi, Jason, Warren, Takashi
- Sergeants: Lt. Surge**
- Commanders: Karen**, Will**, Sabrina**, Koga**
- Scientists: Professor Sebastian*, Professor Fuji*, Dr. Namba*, Doctor Zager* Beau, Connor, Ed, Jerry, Jose, Joshua, Parker, Rodney, Taylor, Travis, Gideon, Jed (renamed Gregg in HeartGold and SoulSilver), Mitch, Ross, Marc (renamed Garett in HeartGold and SoulSilver), Rich (renamed Trenton in HeartGold and SoulSilver)
- Others: Wendy*, Rocket Scout*, Mondo*, Sham**, Dalton, Rocket Brothers, Rocket Sisters
* - Anime only
** - Pokémon Adventures only
Team Rocket's admins are named after real-world rockets and missiles.
Other members
There have also been other Team Rocket members featured multiple times or having large roles. Another duo is Butch and Cassidy, who have been in multiple episodes and are the rivals of Jessie and James. Along with them is Attila and Hun who pursue Jimmy as Jessie and James pursue Ash. There are also non field agents that work as scientists such as Dr. Namba and Professor Sebastian. There have only been a small number of Team Rocket Officers shown but such officers include Domino and Vicious. These high-ranking officers work solo and are considered the best in Team Rocket.
Appearances
Core series
Generation I and remakes
Team Rocket are the main antagonists of Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version, Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition, and the remakes Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version as well as Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!. The player has to foil several of Team Rocket's schemes throughout their journey. The player fights mostly the Team Rocket Grunts, but also some of the executives as well as their leader, Giovanni.
Team Rocket is first seen in Mt. Moon, searching for fossils of rare Pokémon with plans to sell them for a high profit.
Later on, Team Rocket steals TM028 (Dig) from a house in Cerulean City, and the player can obtain it by defeating them in battle.
Their secret hideout, the Rocket Hideout, is located in Celadon City, below the Celadon Game Corner, where they also sell Pokémon. Team Rocket was careful to guard the secret button to their hideout, but the player still manages to discover the button. In the hideout, the player is introduced to Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni.
At Lavender Town, Team Rocket goes to steal Cubone skulls and hold Mr. Fuji hostage. Residents state that Team Rocket killed several Pokémon, including a Marowak that was a mother to a Cubone.
The last scheme involving Team Rocket occurs at Saffron City, where they raid Silph Co. for the Master Ball. The player manages to enter the location and defeat Giovanni, again frustrating his plans.
It is toward the end that Giovanni is revealed to be the missing Gym Leader of Viridian City, and he was attempting to rebuild Team Rocket in the Viridian City Gym. Following a defeat in Silph Co. a frustrated and defeated Giovanni resumes his Gym Leader role at Viridian City Gym. After being defeated, Giovanni hands over the Earth Badge before announcing the end of Team Rocket and leaving.
In Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition and the remakes Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, the duo Jessie and James, normally from the anime, appear in several locations to battle the player. This first occurs in Mt. Moon, after the fossils are discovered, then at the Celadon Game Corner, and lastly at Silph Co.
In Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, Team Rocket's schemes have extended over to Sevii Islands, which do not appear in the original Generation I games. A pair of Team Rocket Grunts in Mt. Ember in search of the Ruby and in Icefall Cave where they are fought off with Lorelei's help. After a scientist retrieves the Sapphire from the Dotted Hole, the player can access the Rocket Warehouse on Five Island and defeat various members of Team Rocket to reclaim it.
Generation II and remakes
In Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version, Pokémon Crystal Version, and the remakes Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, a few characters attempt to reband Team Rocket, such as Petrel and Ariana, and a few of the group's schemes take place in the Johto region, where part of the games take place.
Team Rocket is first seen in Azalea Town, where they go to dock the tails of Slowpokes and sell them for a high profit.
Team Rocket is seen again at Mahogany Town, where they have a hideout located below Just a Souvenir Shop. Here, Team Rocket experiments with a radio broadcast to control Pokémon and forcefully evolve the Magikarps at the Lake of Rage into Gyarados. Together with Lance, the player thwarts Team Rocket's schemes here as well.
For their last major scheme, Team Rocket takes over the Goldenrod Radio Tower, hoping to get Giovanni to rejoin them as their leader. The player goes here to fight several Team Rocket Grunts and the few executives of Team Rockets. Following their defeat, the executives ultimately announce the end of Team Rocket. At Tohjo Falls, Giovanni heard about Team Rocket rebanding and has plans to rejoin as their leader before being defeated by the player as well.
Even after the events at the Goldenrod Radio Tower, there is a scheme involving only one Team Rocket Grunt within the Kanto region. Here, he steals a Machine Part at the Power Plant, causing the electricity to shut off throughout Kanto and therefore affecting the operation of the Magnet Train and the Pokémon Tower until after being defeated by the player.
Generation V
In Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, the very Team Rocket Grunt who stole the Machine Part in the Generation II games is shown to live in a house in Icirrus City with a wife and child, no longer working for Team Rocket. Besides this, a Team Plasma Grunt in N's Castle mentions Team Rocket and claims that their failures were from giving themselves too much attention.
Anime
Pokémon the Series
In Pokémon the Series, Team Rocket's base of operations is located in Kanto, and they are headed by Giovanni. Their headquarters were once located in between Pallet Town and Viridian City but has since been destroyed. It is now in an unknown location inside of a large canyon. Team Rocket has also been shown to have branches in the Johto region and other areas in Kanto.
The most recurring members are Jessie, James and Meowth, collectively titled the Team Rocket trio. They follow after Ash Ketchum throughout his journey throughout Ever since then, they have mainly focused their attention on Ash in hopes of stealing his Pikachu. However they always fail and have been defeated hundreds of times with them blasting off into the sky, mostly via Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack. The trio's persistence has led them to every region Ash has been to including Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and the Alola region.
Throughout the regions in the different series, are seen confronting another criminal organizations such as both Team Aqua and Team Magma in Hoenn, Team Galactic in Sinnoh, Team Plasma in Unova, Team Flare in Kalos, and Team Skull in Alola. However, Team Rocket did attempt to conquer Unova by using the Forces of Nature and Meloetta before being thwarted by Ash's Pikachu, who hits its amplified Electro Ball to the platform that Giovanni was standing and was possessed by the Reveal Glass, forcing the Team Rocket trio to tackle their possessed boss to the ground after he changes his plan from conquering Unova into destroying it due to being consumed by his own evil ambitions.
Pokémon the Series: Black & White was building up to an arc where Giovanni faces off against Team Plasma, but the episodes were cancelled in response to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Team Rocket's last appearances were at the end of Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Pokémon Origins
In Pokémon Origins, like the show in general, Team Rocket is more closely based on their role within the core series in general, the Generation I games in particular. They appear in "File 2: Cubone", where they cause trouble in the Pokémon Tower, and "File 3: Giovanni", at Silph Co., where Giovanni has a major role.
Manga
Pokémon Adventures
Team Rocket has made several appearances throughout Pokémon Adventures, with Giovanni as their usual leader, though a few other Gym Leaders are associated with Team Rocket, unlike other media. At one point, Giovanni reveals what the initials for Rocket stand for: Raid On the City, Knock out, Evil Tusks.
Red, Green & Blue Chapter
Their first ever appearance is in "A Glimpse of the Glow", where some Team Rocket Grunts are seen searching for Mew in Viridian Forest.
In "Gyarados Splashes In!", Red is taught about Team Rocket by Professor Oak, who explains that Team Rocket uses Pokémon for evil purposes, that they have been experimenting with Pokémon, and that Team Rocket is currently on Mt. Moon, searching for the Moon Stone, which is said to increase a Pokémon's abilities.
In "Raging Rhydon", having learned of Team Rocket's plot, Red goes to Mt. Moon with Misty. There, they are confronted by Koga, and the two characters proceed to battle him.
A few chapters later, in "Danger: High Voltorb", Red arrives in Vermilion City, where he realizes that others' Pokémon are being kidnapped on the same day every month. Red finds the kidnapped Pokémon aboard the S.S. Anne, where he encounters Lt. Surge, another Gym Leader associated with Team Rocket. They battle in "Buzz Off, Electabuzz!", and Red manages to win, freeing the kidnapped Pokémon afterward.
Koga's association with Team Rocket is revealed by "Sigh for Psyduck" and "That Awful Arbok!", when Red and Blue encounter him atop the Pokémon Tower. Koga explains that he used his Gastly to control the dead Pokémon and scare off the inhabitants of Lavender Town, with plans to convert the tower into a base for Team Rocket. The Koga they is revealed to be an illusion before an Arbok appears, which the Pokédex Holders manage to defeat. Meanwhile, Koga, who was watching the scene from afar through a Golbat-shaped screen, promises revenge on the characters.
In "Tauros the Tyrant", at Celadon City, Red disguises himself as a Team Rocket Grunt while trying to learn why Team Rocket is after Green. With his disguise, Red manages to infiltrate Team Rocket Hideout. He and some other Team Rocket Grunts were assigned to capture Green, who had stolen a floppy disk with information about Mew. Green gives the floppy disk to her Wartortle, Blasty and threatens to have him destroy it should they attack her. A Team Rocket member, Ken, sends Tauros to attack before managing to recover the floppy disk. Green has a Ditto named Ditty, who turns into a Tauros, who is able to trick Team Rocket's Pokémon into attacking their owners by moving its tails. With Team Rocket distracted, Red and Green escape, and Ditty transforms back into Ditto.
In "The Jynx Jinx", Team Rocket's scientist discover that Ken had a copy of the floppy disk, something revealed to the reader at the end of the previous chapter, and that they needed the original. While they were talking, an alarm sounded indicating that Mew was nearby and all the soldiers went to look for it. A battle between Red and Ken later occurs.
Team Rocket is mentioned by Erika in "Meanwhile… Vileplume!", revealing that Red's Eevee, Vee, was experimented on by them. In "Make Way for Magmar!", although Giovanni does appear, he is revealed to be the leader of Team Rocket in said chapter.
In "You Know… Articuno!", Red is ambushed by some Team Rocket Grunts upon arriving at Seafoam Islands, where they had gone to capture Articuno. Red fights Harry and his Muk to allow for Articuno to escape.
In "Holy Moltres", Al and various Team Rocket Grunts are searching for Blaine at Cinnabar Island. Red finds them fighting Blaine for betraying Team Rocket. After Red saves Blaine, the Team Rocket Grunts reveal the Moltres they had caught before leaving. Red's Aerodactyl, Aero, manages to defeat Moltres. However, Team Rocket had been ultimately successful at capturing the three Legendary Birds, since Koga managed to catch Articuno, while Lt. Surge caught Zapdos.
The next chapter, "Kalling Kadabra", it is discovered that Team Rocket had occupied Saffron City, making Silph Co. their main base of operations, and they had also kidnapped Professor Oak.
Red, Green, and Blue infiltrate Silph Co. in "Go for the Golbat". The three Pokédex Holders each fight a different Gym Leader associated with Team Rocket, with each Gym Leader commanding a different Legendary Bird. Red fights Lt. Surge and Zapdos, Blue fights Koga and Moltres, and Green faces Sabrina and Articuno. Following the defeat of Lt. Surge and Koga, Sabrina calls out the Legendary Birds to have them continue fighting the protagonists, but when Green uses the Badge Energy Amplifier in "The Winged Legends", the three Legendary Birds fuse into Zapmolcuno. The three Legendary Birds later return to normal following a combined attack from Saur's Solar Beam, Blasty's Hydro Pump, and Blue's Charizard's Flamethrower.
Much later, in Viridian City, Red battles Giovanni, with a bet that if Red wins, Giovanni will do what he asks, but if Red loses, he will have to join Team Rocket. Giovanni ultimately loses, and Team Rocket disbands.
Yellow Chapter
In the Yellow Chapter, Team Rocket has less of a role, but there are rumors about them returning. In "The Coming of Slowpoke (Eventually)", Yellow discovers this to be the case when she encounters, Ken, Al, and Harry aboard the S.S. Anne, but she manages to defeat them.
It is revealed that Ken, Al, and Harry had planned the attack on the S.S. Anne to try and get the attention of different antagonists, the Elite Four, with a goal of bringing back Team Rocket. Yellow interfered with their plan, forcing Ken, Al, and Harry to fight amongst themselves.
The Gym Leaders associated with Team Rocket at some point each assist the Pokédex Holders while fighting the Elite Four. Sabrina meets Lorelei with Green, Koga takes on Agatha with Blue, and Lt. Surge fights with Bill and later Red against Bruno.
Though Koga has disappeared, Sabrina and Lt. Surge meet Giovanni in the final chapter, "The Legend". Giovanni declares that he will not revive Team Rocket for the time being, since Sabrina and Lt. Surge have not proven to be strong enough to avoid being destroyed like last time.
Gold & Silver Chapter
In Gold & Silver Chapter, several members of Team Rocket reband, this time to form a successor, Neo Team Rocket, led by the Masked Man.
Ruby & Sapphire Chapter
Team Rocket is seen at the very end of the final chapter, "It All Ends Now VIII", foreshadowing their major role in the FireRed & LeafGreen Chapter. Giovanni picks up the Ruby and Sapphire from the remains of the Red Orb and Blue Orb, respectively, and tells three members of Team Rocket that there is work to be done.
FireRed & LeafGreen Chapter
Team Rocket has a large role during the FireRed & LeafGreen Chapter. The three characters who were with Giovanni at the end of the previous arc are Sird, Carr, and Orm, Giovanni tasks the three with capturing Deoxys and finding his lost son.
Team Rocket kidnapped Professor Oak and forced him to leave a message in the Fame Checker, telling him to take their Pokédex. The group then sent a Deoxys to attack Green at the Vermilion Port.
On Kin Island, one of the Deoxys attacks some Bikers while Giovanni is standing by its side. The Three Beasts later present themselves to Red, Blue, and Lorelei. Carr battles Red on Chrono Island, Orm battles Blue on Fortune Island, and Sird battles Lorelei on Quest Island. Though Carr and Orm both lost, Sird managed to win against Lorelei.
After the battle, Carr and Sird go to the Rocket Warehouse, where the latter discovers a photograph of Giovanni with a child. Carr asks some of the Team Rocket Grunts if they know who the boy is, to which he is informed that it is Giovanni's son. Carr believes that Giovanni wants to find his son to make him his successor and become the new leader of Team Rocket. At Birth Island, Giovanni manages to catch Deoxys using a Poké Ball designed for such a task.
Team Rocket has an airship that Red, Blue, Green, and Lorelei enter later on, finding hundreds of copies of Deoxys, whom they battle. On the airship, Giovanni instructs the Three Beasts to go to Viridian City and find his son. Carr rebels against Giovanni and prepares to attack before taking a direct attack from Deoxys. Orm and Sird leave while the other characters continue to fight the Deoxys.
At Viridian City, Orm and Sird find Yellow and Silver, whom they face off in a Double Battle, while Giovanni battles Red on the Team Rocket airship. Sird manages to defeat Silver and takes him to be with his father. Giovanni loses to Red, but at that moment, Sird and Orm arrive to take Giovanni to his son.
Carr hijacks the airship, which Orm falls off of at one point. Sird tries to take control, but Carr uses one of his Forretress to use Explosion, causing Sird to be blown away and also fall out of the ship. Carr sends out eleven Fortresses to destroy the Team Rocket airship before fleeing with his Skarmory. Red managed to save the ship from crashing and exploding.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
In Pokémon Pocket Monsters, Team Rocket is seen during the ninth chapter, running the Rocket Game Corner in Cerulean City. When Red's Pikachu starts winning at the casino's various games, Giovanni's brother sees an opportunity to catch the Pikachu and steal all the money it won. Giovanni was not introduced until two chapters later, during the eleventh chapter.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
In "The Great Search! Let's Rescue the Slowpokes!!" of Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys, Gold and Kurt thwart a plot of Team Rocket trying to steal Slowpoke Tails.
Trading Card Game
Team Rocket characters additionally frequently appear on cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, most notably the Team Rocket expansion released in 2000.
Crossover appearances
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there are male and female alternate costumes based on Team Rocket for the Mii Brawler type.
Trivia
- Besides the Team Rocket trio, other Team Rocket members have blasted off as well, such as Butch and Cassidy, as well as several Team Rocket Grunts. Butch and Cassidy have blasted off ten times in the series with two of their blast offs being caused directly by Ash and his friends and the other eight caused by Delia Ketchum, Ritchie, Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracey.
- The duos in Team Rocket, in English, are named after infamous outlaws. Such as the American outlaws Jesse James and Butch Cassidy, Hunnic warlord Attila the Hun and Annie Oakley, an expert sharpshooter.
Gallery
See also
- Team Rocket on the Villains Wiki
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