Team Rocket

Team Rocket is a group of criminals in the Pokemon franchise. They appear in the Pokemon anime, different versions of Pokemon manga, as well as the games Pokemon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal/Firered/Leafgreen/Heartgold/Soulsilver.

In the Games
Team Rocket is an organization bent on criminal business and eventually trying to get global control over the world. In Pokemon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow as well as in their remakes FireRed and LeafGreen Team Rocket is the main criminal organisation in Kanto region. Team Rocket grunts steal items and Pokemon and recruit new members for the team in Cerulean City, search for ancient Pokemon fossils in Mt. Moon, take Mr. Fuji and the chanellers of Pokemon Tower in Lavander City hostage. The player finds Rocket HQ in Celadon City, where the grunts are seen in streets and houses of the city and Team Rocket legally runs a casino named Rocket Game Corner. After defeating grunts (and, in Yellow version, agents Jessie and James) in a Rocket Hideout under the casino, the player meets and fights Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket. Giovanni together with Rocket grunts, scientists and agents later appears in Saffron City, taking control over the whole city and Silph Co. After his defeat in Silph Co. HQ the player meets Giovanni one last time as the Gym Leader of Viridian City. After his final defeat, Giovanni disbands Team Rocket and leaves to travel and train more. In FireRed and LeafGreen versions the player can travel to Sevii Islands and fight the local branch of Team Rocket under the leadership of two admins (hinted to be, in fact, executives Archer and Ariana from the future Neo Team Rocket) and Rocket scientist Gideon. After finding out about Giovanni's defeat, the admins leave Sevii region to re-organise Team Rocket and find Giovanni.

In Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal as well as in their remakes HeartGold & SoulSilver Team Rocket is re-organised in Johto region under the leadership of Rocket executives (in HeartGold & SoulSilver they recieved names Proton, Petrel, Ariana and Archer). They start with money-making business under Proton's command, residing in Slowpoke Well and selling Slowpoke tails for high prices. After their defeat in Slowpoke Well, Rockets move to Mahogany town, creating their new HQ. There they sell Rage Candy bars and sell tickets to the Lake of Rage, while starting new scientific experiments, trying to speed-up Pokemon evolution, which results in the creation of Red Gyarados. Champion Lance and the player destroy Rocket business and attack their underground Hideout, fighting executives Ariana and Petrel. Later Team Rocket under Archer's command conquers Goldenrod City and takes over Goldenrod Radio Tower, broadcasting over the whole region and trying to send a message to Giovanni. The player defeats all four executives, and Archer disbands so-called Neo Team Rocket. In HeartGold and SoulSilver it is revealed that Giovanni got the message and was rushing to Goldenrod City to take control over the team. He is defeated by the player, who travels through time and space with Pokemon Celebi and fights Giovanni at Tohjo Falls. Defeated, Giovanni walk away in despair; some players speculate that the splash sound, which one can hear after Giovanni walks away to the cave's exit, indicates that Giovanni jumped from the falls and ended his life in a suicide

In the Anime
In the anime Team Rocket is even more militarised, with robots, tanks and war helicopters under its control. Though Rocket's military power is seen rarely, and the team is usually represented not by Rocket grunts, but by special agents, heading field missions, grunt attacks and local money-making. Unlike in the game timeline, Team Rocket is still to be defeated in the anime. Even though the organisation as whole played lesser role during "Advanced Generation" and "Diamond and Pearl" series, Team Rocket becomes more important once again in "Best Wishes" series, as Giovanni himself, usually an extra character, appears on daily basis and directs the advance of Team Rocket in Isshu region.

The most well known agents, usually referenced to as "the Team Rocket" in the anime, or as "Rocket Trio" by fans, that constantly interfere with the protagonists are Jessie & James, with the Pokemon Meowth that accompanies them. The Trio provided most of show's comic relief since second season, but in "Best Wishes" series they took a more serious role, after being promoted to Advanced Troops. Now they are in lead of conquering the Isshu region and serve for Giovanni as bait for the local Team Plasma.

Dr Fuji, who is a scientist of Team Rocket in the anime, is also responsible for the creation of Mewtwo, by altering the DNA from the legendary Pokemon Mew. Giovanni takes Mewtwo and trains him until the Pokemon realises that he is used as a pawn instead of an equal partner and destroys Rocket Hideout and the lab. Giovanni later finds Mewtwo's location and deploys Rocket army under the command of agent Domino to capture Mewtwo and other Pokemon clones under Mewtwo's leadership, then sends Rocket grunts to create a new base for Team Rocket in Mewtwo's hideout. With the help from the protagonists and Rocket Trio, who are the rivals of agent Domino, Mewtwo is released from Giovanni's grip and sends Rocket army away, while destroying their memories about the battle, leaving Giovanni and Domino to wonder about their sudden change of place.

Bosses

 * Giovanni: The boss of Team Rocket and Viridian City Gym Leader, he sends Rocket agents to capture many powerful Pokemon for business and the creation of his army to conquer the world. In games he usually acts as a shadowy mafia boss, while in the anime and manga his organisation is paramilitary and has mechas as well as war helicopters.


 * Madame Boss: Giovanni's mother and the original founder of Team Rocket in Pokemon anime backstory (as revealed in japanese CD-drama "It's a white tomorrow, Team Rocket"). Usually interested in money-making, she is also responisble for the first search for Mew's DNA and other data.

Executives


The highest ranked members in the organization, directly below Giovanni as seen in HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokemon game versions. When Giovanni was defeated in Kanto region and went missing, they assumed command and started to reorganize Team Rocket in Johto Region. The names are Petrel, Archer, Ariana and Proton.

In Pokemon Advenutes Manga the initial Rocket executives are Kanto Gym Leaders Sabrina, Lt. Surge, Koga and Blaine. In the later Neo Team Rocket under the leadership of Masked Man new executives are Keane, Chermaine, Will and Karen. In FireRed&LeafGreen chapter Giovanni is in control again, with no executives at his side, but rather with elite agents of the Three Beasts trio. In HeartGold&SoulSilver chapter Archer, Ariana, Proton and Petrel are the new leaders of Team Rocket.

There are no known local or global executives in Pokemon anime, as Giovanni still leads the team. However, elite agents of Team Rocket appear, usually taking part in some field missions (Boshou & Buson, Cassidy & Butch), leading Rocket grunts (Domino, Cassidy & Butch) or free-lancing in search for rare Pokemon (Miyamoto, Vicious). In "Best Wishes" series Giovanni's secretary appears, and Jessie & James are promoted to Advanced Troops, thus being the highest ranking Team Rocket members in Isshu region.

Agents and Grunts

 * Jessie: the female of the Rocket Trio in the anime, who's always trying to capture rare Pokemon (including Ash's Pikachu) to the boss. During "Best Wishes" series gets promoted and no longer serves for comic relief.


 * James: the male of the Rocket Trio in the anime, he is Jessie's partner and is hinted to have some kind a romantic relationship with her. During "Best Wishes" series gets promoted and no longer serves for comic relief.


 * Meowth: A Scratch Cat Pokemon who can talk the human language and is expert with mechas and gadgets, which are used by the Trio.
 * Cassidy: Rival of Jessie, more successful than her at first. She is looked upon favorably by Giovanni.
 * Butch: Rival of James, more successful than him at first. He is looked upon favorably by Giovanni.
 * Domino: Team Rocket's elite agent in the anime, also known as the Black Tulip or Agent 009. She was the leader of Giovanni's Rocket army on a mission to capture Mewtwo.
 * Rocket Grunts: Team Rocket's workmen and soldiers under the command of agents and admins/executives. They play a small part in the anime, as Team Rocket is usually represented by agents, while in games they are Team Rocket's main representatives, searching for the fossil at Mt. Mown, leading recruitment missions and stealing items, taking part in the takeover of Celadon, Saffron and Goldenrod cities. +