For almost 25 years, we have witnessed Jessie, James, and Meowth, more popularly known as Team Rocket, blast off a thousand times in their futile attempts to catch or steal Ash’s Pikachu.
From their very first days together in Kanto until Ash became a Pokemon World Champion, Team Rocket never gave up on their Pikachu heist.
Sure, Pikachu is arguably the strongest non-legendary Pokemon in the anime. But we can all agree that he isn’t the strongest or most valuable Pokemon?
The criminal trio could have used their resources to catch Mythical or at least some rarer Pokemon instead.
That’s why we are left wondering: why do Jessie and James want Pikachu so much? You’ll find the answers in this article.
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Table of Contents
Why Do Jessie and James Want Pikachu So Bad?
How It All Began
In Episode 2 of the Indigo League series, the Team Rocket trio first made their first appearance inside the Pokemon Center where Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were recovering.
At first, they didn’t really give special attention to Ash’s “normal” Pikachu because they wanted to steal all the Pokemon there.
But after Pikachu gives them their blastoff debut, they realize that this Pikachu is more special than they think.
In the following episode, “Ash Catches a Pokémon,” Team Rocket attempted to steal Pikachu for the first time. Team Rocket said:
Jessie: “The only Pikachu we want is that one.”
James: “We’re only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokémon in the world, kid.”
Jessie: “And that special Pikachu is just the kind of Pokémon we need!”
Team Rocket already saw what Pikachu was capable of and it only got better; which leads us to our first point.
Reason #1: Pikachu is Abnormally Powerful
Pikachu is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the entire series, no debate.
He accomplished some of the most unbelievable feats for a normal Pokemon from defeating Brandon’s Regice, the draw with Tobias’s Latios, beating two of Alain’s pseudo legendaries, and even taking on his Charizard afterwards to winning against Mother Beast Nihilego with his epic 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt.
And finally, the victory against the undefeated Gigantamax Charizard of Leon that earned Ash his World Champion title.
These are just some of Pikachu’s extraordinary feats. Mind you, he is still not fully evolved. Pikachu transcends all logic and has a power beyond evolution.
Reason #2: Giovanni’s Approval
If there’s one thing that Team Rocket wants as much as Pikachu, it’s the approval and love of their boss, Giovanni.
The leader of Team Rocket was also fascinated by Pikachu’s strength. Seeing this, our favorite villain trio strongly believed that catching this special Pikachu would earn Giovanni’s approval.
Can you the tons of times they daydreamed about how happy the boss would be if they gave him this anomaly of a Pikachu while Meowth does his Giovanni impression?
A simple good job and “I love you guys” from this man, even if it’s just a fraction of their imagination, can motivate them to get their bums kicked yet again by Pikachu and his friends.
Reason #3: You Want What You Can’t Have
We all lost count of how many times Jessie, James, and Meowth attempted to steal Pikachu. They’ve been trying for over 1200 episodes and they’ve been blasting off again and again.
We saw Team Rocket try various methods and tactics, but to no avail.
If there’s one thing good about Team Rocket, it’s their persistence. The power of not giving up which Shonen anime is known for.
Ash’s dream is to be a Pokemon Master. Brock dreams of becoming a Pokemon Doctor. Misty dreams of becoming the best Water Pokemon trainer.
We all witnessed how they strived to reach their dreams, and how they never gave up on it. Well, Team Rocket’s dream is to catch Ash’s Pikachu.
After experiencing countless defeats at the hands of Ash and Pikachu, their ego just can’t take itting defeat and losing.
They might as well try forever than it that they wasted years and millions of Pokedollars in trying to catch Pikachu.
Why Does Each Member Want Pikachu?
Let’s take a look at each Team Rocket member’s backstory and their upbringing to find out what could be pushing them to keep catching Pikachu and why they want it so much:
Jessie
Jessie has one of the coldest stories in Pokemon. She grew up poor and was raised by her mother, Miyamoto, who was also a member of Team Rocket.
But after being caught in an avalanche during a mission, her mother was never seen again.
Jessie was then raised in an orphanage where she sometimes had to eat snow due to extreme poverty.
Later on, Jessie failed nursing school and was met with several boyfriends who treated her like trash.
The lack of a father figure, losing her mother, being really poor, multiple failures, and being mistreated by her boyfriends led Jessie to a path in search of validation, money, and fame.
She found this in Team Rocket, and later on, in Pikachu. If she could just catch Ash’s Pikachu, she would get the validation and cash she always wanted.
James
On the other hand, James had a very privileged childhood. He grew up in a very rich family as the only child, but what he was starving for was freedom.
James had to do everything he was told and wasn’t really allowed to have a mind of his own.
He was also forced to marry Jessebelle, who was a control freak. However, he decided to throw this life away and instead went with Team Rocket.
James wanted nothing more but freedom and a sense of achievement. To prove that he could accomplish what he truly wanted through his own strength.
Pikachu was James and Jessie’s goal. Capturing this Pokemon would validate their feelings and give them the sense of accomplishment and approval they were looking for.
Meowth
Lastly, we have Meowth. Why are they chasing Pikachu and other Pokemon when Meowth is literally one of the rarest Pokemon in the entire universe?
He’s the only Meowth in the world that can talk.
Meowth learned to speak like a human because of a female Meowth named Meowzie. This cat would show affection and bias towards wealthy humans. That’s why Meowth decided to become as human as possible.
The common theme of craving for love and approval still continues for our beloved cat.
After failing as Giovanni’s personal assistant, he was sent to Jessie and James. Now, Meowth wants nothing more than to be top cat again, and Pikachu is his one-way ticket.
The Pikachu and Team Rocket Loop
Now you know why Jessie, James, and Meowth aka. Team Rocket wants Pikachu.
The reasons are because Ash’s Piokachu was abnormally powerful, they want Giovanni’s approval, they want what they can’t have, and they just won’t give up on their dreams of catching him no matter what.
There’s also the psychological upbringing of each member. Just like our heroes, they also want to be loved and prove themselves.
Maybe that’s why we never hated Team Rocket despite its 25 years of tormenting and stalking our favorite heroes. They’ll always be a pillar in Pokemon and in our hearts.
