SS012: Training Daze

is a special episode. In the dub, it is the 14th episode of Pokémon Chronicles.
== Blurb ==
In the middle of being blasted off again, James finds a bottle cap from his training days that starts everyone reminiscing about being Team Rocket trainees. Jessie was a problem trainee, unable to work with any partner for long. Meowth walked into Giovanni's office, asking to be made a Team Rocket field agent. And Butch and Cassidy were trainees, too—Cassidy was Jessie's constant rival. Drill Sergeant Viper ordered Jessie to start training with her new partner, James, and Meowth was assigned to their team after Giovanni lost patience with its incompetence.
In their first team challenge, they had 24 hours to reach a target location in the wilderness, surviving on a loaf of bread and bottle of water per person. When Meowth ate all its food right away, James shared his food with Meowth. Jessie sniffed at such sentiment, but when they made camp that night, she reluctantly shared her own food with the other two. The next day, the trio had to cross a rickety bridge. Jessie made it across, but the bridge collapsed beneath Meowth and James. Although Jessie grabbed them just in time, James let go and fell into the river below, thinking it was for the best. His injuries put him out of action for the final trainee test: a real heist job to steal a red Snorlax from an office tower.
But to Jessie's surprise, James showed up for the mission anyway. Nothing would keep him from being there for his team! The only teams left were Jessie, James, and Meowth against Butch and Cassidy; in the final room, Butch and Cassidy fell into a pit trap, and James and Meowth almost fell in as well. This time, Jessie grabbed her partners and wouldn't let go, even when the building's alarms went off. As soon as she pulled them to safety, they started to make off with the Snorlax, but time was up—and the Snorlax was Drill Sergeant Viper in disguise!
Not only did Butch and Cassidy pass, but Jessie, James, and Meowth also become real Team Rocket agents for getting as far as they did. Back in the present day, Team Rocket is still blasting off after another failure, but no matter what, they're still a team!
==Episode plot==
As Team Rocket is blasting off, they worry that they have been defeated and blasted off for too long. James searches through his pockets as his bottle caps scatters in mid-air. One cap lands on Meowth's face and James examines it, realizing it is the one from his training days. Jessie remembers the days with all the strict training, pushing one to the limits. She remembers even having to steal a statue, while hanging in mid-air. Her partner Jubei lowered the rope down, allowing her to take back the statue. However, he and his Mankey accidentally lost grip of the rope by accident, causing Jessie to let go of the statue, thus triggering the alarm. The room starts to collapse, so Jessie escapes on her own and meets with the drill sergeant, who reminds her she has failed the task once more. Jessie blames it on her partners, who weren't good enough for her. Even though Jessie has the skills, she has been through several partners in the last two months.
The sergeant, Viper, goes to Giovanni, to report about the blue team - Butch and Cassidy - who managed to complete their task well. However, the red team is not doing well, for Jessie has lost all her partners. However, Viper senses some ability in her, so Giovanni gives her another chance. A grunt walks into the room, showing a talking Meowth, who wants to be a member of Team Rocket. Elsewhere in the gym, Jessie is running on the treadmill, but upon spotting Cassidy running on the treadmill next to her, they both start running on the treadmill faster and faster until they eventually caused both treadmills to malfunction. After their work out, Cassidy enters the locker room and taunts Jessie, since she has a partner to work as a team meanwhile Jessie, who doesn't get along well with her assigned partners, doesn't. Jessie replies that it is none of her business, so Cassidy claims that Jessie is just trying to make a reputation and may not pass because of that. Cassidy went off with Butch, leaving Jessie troubled. Meanwhile, Meowth, despite Giovanni's Persian's displeasure, is eating the food in the room, claiming the key to success is discipline. Once finished, Meowth asks for seconds.
Later, Jessie is approached by Viper, who admits that they have found her a new partner - James. Jessie clarifies to James she won't be carrying him about, but James, confidently claims that the last person who carried him was his momma. Viper reminds James that Jessie does not get along well with her partners and they he may have to excuse her because of that, leading to James assuming that she simply hasn't been paired with the right person. On the following day, Jessie and James are doing training on an obstacle course. After crossing some obstacles, they try to avoid pit fall traps. James falls in one, but claims tougher things should stop him, as he continues onwards. Giovanni wants to do something about Meowth and is on a call. Meowth, meanwhile, goes to deliver coffee to the boss, but falls over a bucket, causing the light to get crushed by a broom and electrocuting him. Despite being battered and shocked, Meowth gives the boss the coffee, but the boss has a task for Meowth, as a field agent.
Meowth joins James and Jessie, who are surprised to hear him talk. After Meowth has joined, Viper sends the teams to a location, where they must arrive with an item within 24 hours. The trainees are all given supplies and a days worth of bread and water before setting out. As Jessie and James continue, Meowth stops for a break and eats the bread and drinks the water. While swimming, Meowth is on James' head, since Meowth can't swim. Jessie and James climb, but Meowth is too hungry and exhausted. James decides to give his own bread and water to Meowth, but gives James the bottle cap, since he is collecting them. Jessie notices this and comments James is a do-gooder. During the night, as James and Meowth sleep, Jessie goes to eat her bread and drink water. However, Jessie splits the bread and Meowth immediately joins her and eats the bread. James refuses, but Jessie thinks they need their strength to overcome the challenge, so James accepts. During the night, James thinks he, Meowth and Jessie could make a great team. Jessie likes that, but wonders how can she trust them. James promises to never let them down, giving Jessie hope.
The group is near a rope bridge, making Meowth fearful. Jessie thinks Meowth he can find his own way around, but James reminds Meowth if they will be a team, they'd have to stick together. Jessie takes some careful steps and manages to cross the bridge. James, carrying Meowth, goes to do the same. However, the rope breaks, so James manages to get Jessie hold onto Meowth, who is being held onto James. James, sensing Meowth is in pain, drops off, shocking Meowth and Jessie. Later, Jessie and Meowth see James, wrapped in bandages, who is told he may not move for some time. Jessie, along with Butch and Cassidy, is being presented with a final test. Viper demands them to steal a caged red Snorlax, inside a tower. At midnight, a helicopter will arrive and must be loaded onto it. Should they fail, they will likely get caught and jailed, failing the test. Cassidy laughs, thinking Jessie has nobody but herself for the test.
Instead, Meowth goes with Jessie. Butch, Cassidy and their Raticate climb up the tower, while Jessie sees she has nobody but herself for this task. James appears, bandaged, disagreeing with her, as he removes the bandages. Jessie and Meowth worry for him, but James swore never to let them down. Jessie re-gains confidence and goes with James and Meowth to steal the red Snorlax. Facing many traps and guards, both teams run up and come to the top at the same time. Cassidy claims Jessie will always be a loser and goes with Butch to steal Snorlax. Cassidy, Raticate and Butch run towards the cage, but fall into a trap. James and Meowth do the same, but Jessie manages to catch Meowth. The alarm is ringing, so James goes to let go, but Meowth and Jessie catch him, reminding James they are one team. James knows if the guards catch them, they will be prisoners for eternity, but Jessie reminds James he promised they will be a team.
Hearing this, James is pulled up. They place device to inflate a balloon to lift the cage. However, an alarm, inside the cage is triggered. The Snorlax removes its head, revealing to be Viper, the drill sergeant, who claims they nearly reached their goal. At the academy, the teams gather, with Butch, Cassidy and Raticate bandaged. Cassidy is angry, but Jessie thinks she is just a sore loser. Viper comes and reminds the teams neither one of them finished the task. However, the red team, led by Jessie, got the furthest in this nearly-impossible task and are now known as field agents, while the blue team, led by Cassidy, are "Villains in Training". Both teams cheer, as they succeeded. In the present, Jessie realizes that moment, when they worked together and had the whole world in their fingertips. Despite it not working out as they had planned, Jessie raises the morale, as there are new opportunities to be found. Team Rocket *proudly* blasts off, with Wobbuffet.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Viper
*Jubei
==Trivia==
*The title is a pun on "training days".
*Since makeup would run while working out, Jessie and Cassidy did not wear lipstick when they were working out on the treadmill.
*Jessie blushes after James falls on top of her after being pulled up by her and Meowth.
*This is the first ever episode of the series wherein Ash, Pikachu and the other protagonists did not make an appearance.
*The shot of Butch and Cassidy cheering was cut from the English dub. 
*The Team Rocket trios personalities are a little different from their usual comedic style: James has a somewhat serious persona in this episode while Jessie is shown to not tolerate losing or failure.
==Errors==
*Jessie and James were shown meeting for the first time at the training academy. However, in , it was stated they met at school as kids.
==Gallery==
Category:Pokémon Chronicles episodes
Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
Category:Episodes written by Junki Takegami
Category:Episodes directed by Masahiko Watanabe
Category:Episodes animated by Yūko Inoue
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hazuki Tsuji
Category:Episodes focusing on Jessie