J. Doe
Contributing Writer

Are Team Rocket the Real Heroes?

Put simply and obviously, yes. But assuming our discerning readers—unlike the plebian Twerps frequently misidentified as protagonists—prefer to go beyond the simple and obvious, here’s why.

First and foremost, the purpose of a hero’s journey is the betterment of the world at large. The ambiguous and frankly unimaginative goal of becoming a Pokémon Master serves no greater altruistic purpose. It therefore cannot truly be considered heroic. That’s unsurprising, considering the excitable, so-called hero Ash rarely thinks beyond his next Pokémon battle or meal…a meal that Brock will likely prepare for him.

Conversely, Team Rocket’s ideology is ambitious in scope, rooted in an almost pathological drive to change—nay, defend—the world: “To protect the world from devastation. To unite all people within our nation. To denounce the evils of truth and love. To extend our reach to the stars above.” One might not agree with this worldview, but the breadth and scope of ambition is inarguable.

Few heroes walk alone. A famous poet once said, “Tell me with whom you associate, and I will tell you who you are.” The Twerp collects powerful Pokémon like Charizard and Dragonite the way team captains in PE class hoard the athletically inclined with no regard for the feelings of those left behind. It’s a sound strategy if your only purpose is to win Pokémon battles, but it’s not particularly creative or heroic.

By contrast, Team Rocket makes a point of welcoming often-overlooked Pokémon, such as Poison-type Pokémon whose Pokédex entries contain words like “putrid” and “poisonous gas.” The creepy Pokémon. The awkward Pokémon who never seem to outgrow their emo phase. Team Rocket alone offers these misfits a home and purpose. Without Team Rocket’s intervention, we would likely see very little of Pokémon like Arbok, Weezing, Seviper, Amoonguss, and Mareanie in the popular discourse.

Then there’s the profoundly telling fact that one of the only Pokémon known to be capable of human speech chose to be a member of Team Rocket. While Infernape, Lucario, and yes, even Pikachu, battle at the behest of their human Trainer, Meowth plots alongside Jessie and James as an equal. In fact, Meowth’s technical prowess as a Team Rocket mecha operator, combined with his natural skill of understanding Pokémon language, arguably makes him the most useful member of the team. Meowth and Team Rocket illustrate a new relationship model between humans and Pokémon—one of collaborators and equals.

While we’re on the subject of the company our respective heroes and villains keep, there is a case to be made for loyalty. While Ash rotates friends and Pokémon faster than Team Rocket changes disguises, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet are true blue. Ash may have more friends, but as the saying goes, “A friend to all is a friend to none.” And is accumulating friends only to abandon them in pursuit of adventures and battles in new regions really friendship?

Undoubtedly, Team Rocket’s finest and most distinguishing characteristic is authenticity. Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet are unapologetically themselves at all times, unfettered by petty societal norms and conventions. While others might balk at competing against children in a Pokémon Contest—or any other competition for that matter—Team Rocket will not only throw on their most dramatic attire and give 100 percent effort, but they will also publicly disparage their young competition for good measure. Rather than patronize their opponents as so many adults would, or refuse to compete altogether, they will crush them with gusto—or blast off again trying.

Team Rocket speaks the language of the so-called outcasts, the misfits who know the meaning of found family and the sting of not belonging. James departed his wealthy family and all its attendant privilege for a life of financial uncertainty. Jessie and James share the dubious distinction of receiving the lowest entrance exam scores in the history of Pokémon Tech. And Meowth was called a freak by Meowzie after undertaking the heroic task of learning to speak human language to impress her.

We don’t like to talk about failure unless it’s followed by immediate and monumental success. But getting back up after you’ve failed, throwing on your crisp white Team Rocket uniform, and persevering after a devastating loss takes courage. And doing it again and again and again from Kanto to Galar, with no promise of success beyond living your most authentic life, is the heroism the Pokémon world needs and deserves.

And somehow through it all, Team Rocket has managed to achieve a feat typically reserved for Pokémon: they evolve. Their feelings about Ash and Pikachu and myriad other things change. We’ve seen them root for and even rescue the Twerp and also say goodbye to Pokémon they love for the good of those Pokémon. What is personal growth if not heroic? When all is said and done, the layers of a thousand clever disguises can’t conceal the hearts of gold that beat beneath.

For the purposes of maintaining this esteemed author’s anonymity, we’ll refer to them as “J. Doe.” With a diverse career spanning multiple industries including food service, technology, engineering, tourism, and logistics, J. Doe’s work has brought them to every region of the Pokémon world. In their free time, J. Doe collects bottle caps and is a foodie who especially enjoys malasadas, ramen, and apple pie à la mode.