Team Rocket: Last Ride on the Sunset??

[santiagus]

As you have seen Pokemon Journeys have not been kind to Team Rocket, despite some good episodes...

One of the reasons have been the infamous Gatcha machine

The other the fact that they caught a Pokémon who does not even appear anymore

Another one have been their boring and unoriginal behaviour in some episodes

And now some numbers cause the numbers don't lie:


A whooping appearance of 37.83% in 111 episodes and this can even get lower.

In all 2022 they've been appeared in only 3 episodes curiosly 2 of them were centered episodes....

There's at least 4-6 months to know the answer of a new anime and Team Rocket role in it

But untill then... I want to know your opinion... even if you hate Team Rocket... I will not judge you.

Do you think this is Team Rocket last stand or will they ressurrect from their ashes??

 

[Red and Blue]

If Ash is staying I think they'll still stick around. Even if their appearances continue to decline in the next series

 

[ShadowForce720]

In all honesty regardless of Ash staying or not, I think there going to phase Team Rocket Trio out as if you look the amount appearances they have are dropping with each series.

I don’t think it’s a case where Team Rocket Trio will only leave if Ash leaves. In all honesty I think Team Rocket Trio still being part of Team Rocket and not progressing higher in the organization and allowing them to succeed is actually holding them back in terms of development.

Heck if you look at the episode that tend to provide them with development and are generally well received it’s when Team Rocket Trio aren’t being Team Rocket and not being villains.

Heck if anything I think it would be better to give them their own series and have them stop being part of Team Rocket so that they can grow and they don’t have to lose a vast majority of the time.

 

[DatsRight]

I feel the show has lately tried to wean off using villains and jobbers as crutch over letting the protagonists drive stories on their own. I think this is a good development, and makes even a protagonist with a very flawed arc handling like Goh feel much more vibrant and strong in personality.

The problem however is that Team Rocket don't really offer much else besides that one simplistic role intrinsically. They're a villain, specially a villain that butts into plots that don't have a planned climax and usually go down very easily to make the heroes look powerful. They're a basic writing short cut.

Ash I feel has had his own character arc meet its cap and isn't quite the big star anymore, but he still gets a lot of involvement these days because they retooled him into a very vibrant foil and supporting character. You can bounce him off of tons of characters and situations and he'll still feel impactful and fun. Team Rocket are still very fun individually, I dare say they're the characters the writers do the most fluent job with in that regard, but in terms of foils and relevent staples to the ongoing plot, they're pretty limited. Heck all their focus episodes this series are skippable fillers. FUN ones but still they're not doing anything within the main arcs.

It says something that the writers felt the need to make a more competent alternate universe version of Team Rocket in an arc they got to be effective plot relevent villains over using the original in any capacity. I get it's sort of in TRio's actual characterisation to be nothing cockroaches that usually just annoy people who are actual part of the big picture, but they never really deconstruct or play off of that in a meaningful way to justify them being here. They're not even fun foils or comedic rivals for the twerps in terms of the pitiful nature like they were in the OS anymore, the heroes mostly just blank them now.

We don't need a BW again, but I do think we need SOME sort of fleshing out for TRio in terms of how they are in the grand schemes if they are to stay. There needs to be a reason for them to be in this show besides just being fun characters, since that didn't save plenty others in the show. I remember Shudo saying that reducing them to stagnant jobber villains over any sort of development would be their detriment, and I think he was proven right. Now the formula is gone, they no longer know what else to do with them.

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Status quo says they're staying. I don't think it'll be any different, unfortunately.

 

[ShadowForce720]

Status quo says they're staying. I don't think it'll be any different, unfortunately.

If the writers in charge really care about the status quo as much as your implying then Ash would be trapped traveling through Galar doing the Gym Challenge right now and have a team of just Pikachu and gen 8 mons.

So no, the status quo doesn’t really mean much anymore.

 

[Sham]

Did any other person think this was an episode thread providing a new title…? No? Okay

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Did any other person think this was an episode thread providing a new title…? No? Okay

Me.

 

[Yce288]

If the writers in charge really care about the status quo as much as your implying then Ash would be trapped traveling through Galar doing the Gym Challenge right now and have a team of just Pikachu and gen 8 mons.

So no, the status quo doesn’t really mean much anymore.

Thats because now the anime can promote games like Pokemon Go, Lets Go and Masters EX which it couldnt done before.
just because Ash won the Alola League and now he competes in PWC doesnt mean his journey will end with it.
It seems the interview from not too long ago needs to be more published so more people will know about it.

 

[Shadao]

Thats because now the anime can promote games like Pokemon Go, Lets Go and Masters EX which it couldnt done before.
just because Ash won the Alola League and now he competes in PWC doesnt mean his journey will end with it.
It seems the interview from not too long ago needs to be more published so more people will know about it.

Yeah, but that doesn't mean Team Rocket is safe from the cutting block.

It's something about Ash when he could be used for any adventure the writers could think of... while Team Rocket is an afterthought that I honestly forgot actually had a presence in this series.

For me, it's all about Ash becoming a Master 8 Trainer, Goh gotta catch 'em, and Chloe and Eevee looking at different Eeveelutions.

 

[Ignition]

Nah I think they’ll always be around for as long as Ash is around. They’re a big part of the anime’s appeal. I’m not even a big TRio fan but all but 2 of their episodes this season have been pretty mediocre so this would be a disappointing send off for them.

 

[World Turtle]

I’d be okay if they left.

 

[Dragneelo]

@santiagus caught fixing Team Rockets Appearance. Team Rocket will be banned forever along with santiagus for this. Pokémon Company also has decided to give a farewell to Ash and his villains as a return gift

 

[Xeogran]

The Team Rocket Trio should've stayed in Alola with Bewear, Mimikyu, Mareanie and Stufful. That was their perfect place to stay comfy at.
Morpeko should have been promoted with Marnie (while giving her more appearances, win-win)

 

[santiagus]

Did any other person think this was an episode thread providing a new title…? No? Okay

I realized after making the thread that it really sounds like a tittle...

 

[Bortgreen]

At this point I believe they gave up on TR for Journeys and just made a few interesting unrelated episodes sometimes
I don't think they're leaving though, but I don't think their current format will stay

 

[Jangobadass]

Oh yay, one of THESE...

The TRio may not be omnipresent any more, but they are NOT going anywhere. Even if they barely show up next saga, they'll still be used for antagonism and comedy as needed.

If they can't get rid of Ash, they can't get rid of the TRio.

Hell, they TRIED to let them go in BW after Operation Tempest...and since that didn't work...

 

[ash&charizardfan]

Did any other person think this was an episode thread providing a new title…? No? Okay

No i also thought it was maybe new info regarding there leaving forever.

 

[Yce288]

Yeah, but that doesn't mean Team Rocket is safe from the cutting block.

It's something about Ash when he could be used for any adventure the writers could think of... while Team Rocket is an afterthought that I honestly forgot actually had a presence in this series.

For me, it's all about Ash becoming a Master 8 Trainer, Goh gotta catch 'em, and Chloe and Eevee looking at different Eeveelutions.

I'm actually happy that Team Rocket dont appear in every episode, i mean look how Ash won some of his badges in Kanto due to Team Rocket interrupting his gym battles.
but what i didnt like is that some people dislike the serious Team Rocket from BW and i agree Morpeko barely does something since its capture and i thought Chewtle would evolve into Drednaw which will be Team Rocket's Gigantamax Pokemon(could still happen, but i doubt anyone will care about it at this point of time), Team Rocket dont exist as threat as we saw they actually helped Ash in some movies and against some villainous teams, but they are still iconic characters and they are here to stay.

 

[janejane6178]

Can u call it a dance? They barely appear.
Maybe u can call it one step in a mud.