James's Yamask

James's Yamask (Japanese: コジロウのデスマス Kojirō's Desumasu) is the first Pokémon that James caught in the Unova region, and his tenth overall.
==History==
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====Unova====
Yamask first appeared before Team Rocket in a warehouse in Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!. suggested that they capture him to increase their strength. Jessie agreed and called out her to battle him, but James claimed he was hungry and he proceeded to feed him. Once he was full, he happily went into James's , the trio welcoming their newest addition with enthusiasm.
In Scare at the Litwick Mansion!, Yamask befriended a group of in a mansion that Team Rocket was temporarily using as a base. However, he was kidnapped by the Candle Pokémon in an apparent attempt to lure James, Jessie, and Meowth into a trap. Yamask teamed up with Jessie's Woobat, , , and to defeat the Litwick and their leader.
Yamask had its first battle against and in The Dragon Master's Path!, where it joined forces with Woobat to capture Iris's Axew and Emmy's . The two dragons later escaped, and Yamask and Woobat follow in hot pursuit. The two managed to overpower Axew and Druddigon at first, but Yamask ended up fainting when Druddigon learned .
Yamask was used in A Restoration Confrontation! Part 1 to capture a that Dr. Zager had just resurrected, however it escaped after blowing a hole in the helicopter with . In the next episode, Yamask ambushed Ferris and the group with and battled to capture the Prototurtle Pokémon alongside Woobat. After Tirtouga evolved into and fled the scene, Yamask used his to stop and from following . Yamask later battled Pikachu and , revealing his attack, as they tried to rescue the captured Carracosta before the time gate at Twist Mountain.
Sometime before An Epic Defense Force!, Team Rocket began tracking for their latest plan, Operation Tempest. Yamask helped kidnap Meletta by distracting Meloetta's protector, Ridley, with his Haze attack. He later teamed up with Woobat to expose the Melody Pokémon. Meowth tried to catch it in an electric net but Meloetta escaped through its invisibility. In Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!, Yamask and Woobat confronted Ash and his friends so that Team Rocket could steal Meloetta. He battled against Iris's Axew and Cilan's Pansage while pursued Ash and Meloetta. Then in the next episode Yamask and Woobat used their combined attacks to launch Ash off the top of the ancient temple to prevent him from interfering with Operation Tempest. When Team Rocket were finally defeated, Yamask allowed them to retreat by concealing them all with Haze. After the operation failed, Yamask joined James in retreating to Kanto.
When James returned to Unova in New Places...Familiar Faces!, he brought Yamask with him, as revealed in The Pokémon Harbor Patrol!, where he used Will-O-Wisp against Ash's Oshawott during an attempt to steal Pikachu.
Yamask also helped to fight off Team Plasma's controlled Pokémon in What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals!.
====Decolore Islands====
In Team Rocket's Shocking Recruit!, Yamask battled Ash and for the final time in Unova. Team Rocket had managed to trap Iris's Axew and , and Ash's Snivy stepped up to save them. Yamask tried to stop her with Shadow Ball, but was pushed back by multiple s and a . The Pokémon were then freed by a variety of attacks and Team Rocket was blasted off.
Yamask appeared in The Dream Continues!, where he attacked Ash, , and Alexa with Will-O-Wisp. Later in the episode, he was given away to Giovanni for Team Rocket's cause.
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In Rocket Revengers!, Yamask, alongside the rest of Team Rocket's Pokémon at , were sent to Jessie and James so they could be added back to their team. Realizing the potential of such a large group, the team hatched a scheme to isolate Ash's Pikachu and capture him. Yamask and were the second to do so, distracting and her Pokémon while Ash and Pikachu ran ahead. Upon getting a distress signal from , the two returned to their Trainers to take on Pikachu as a group. He joined all of Team Rocket to launch a combined attack at the Mouse Pokémon. However, it was dodged, and ended up sending it back with . A wild that had been following Ash then intervened and sent the evil group blasting off.
==Personality and characteristics==
Like many of James's Pokémon before him, Yamask is very friendly and is shown to have a great relationship with his Trainer. He is a very thankful Pokémon, as shown when he let James catch him after he was given some food. Unlike several of James's other Pokémon, such as , , and , Yamask doesn't show any kind of special affection to James when coming out of his Poké Ball.
As seen in A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!, he can use his mask to deflect attacks, and can even throw it onto an opponent as a means to distract or blind them, as shown in Rocket Revengers!. He can also, like Jessie's Seviper before him, use to shroud Team Rocket in a dark cloud of smoke to allow for a quick escape.
==Moves used==
===Moves improvised===
	 	 	
	Rocket Revengers! 	, , , , , and 	, , , , , , , and
	Description: A combination move used by Jessie and James's Pokémon. Woobat launches Air Slash, Frillish, Gourgeist, and Yamask launch Shadow Ball, Amoonguss and Carnivine launch Energy Ball, Yanmega launches Silver Wind, Inkay launches Psybeam, and Seviper launches Sludge Bomb. The attacks fuse together to create a single massive beam of energy. This was used against , , , and in Team Rocket's attempt to steal Pikachu, but once they dodged, the attack headed towards Team Rocket.	Description: A combination move used by Jessie and James's Pokémon. Woobat launches Air Slash, Frillish, Gourgeist, and Yamask launch Shadow Ball, Amoonguss and Carnivine launch Energy Ball, Yanmega launches Silver Wind, Inkay launches Psybeam, and Seviper launches Sludge Bomb. The attacks fuse together to create a single massive beam of energy. This was used against , , , and in Team Rocket's attempt to steal Pikachu, but once they dodged, the attack headed towards Team Rocket.	Description: A combination move used by Jessie and James's Pokémon. Woobat launches Air Slash, Frillish, Gourgeist, and Yamask launch Shadow Ball, Amoonguss and Carnivine launch Energy Ball, Yanmega launches Silver Wind, Inkay launches Psybeam, and Seviper launches Sludge Bomb. The attacks fuse together to create a single massive beam of energy. This was used against , , , and in Team Rocket's attempt to steal Pikachu, but once they dodged, the attack headed towards Team Rocket.
==Trivia==
* Yamask is the first Pokémon to be officially owned by a main character.
* Yamask was the first Pokémon James added to his party since in Two Degrees of Separation!, 212 episodes before. However, since Carnivine was actually obtained when James was still a child, it was more accurately his first capture in 259 episodes, with the capture of 
* Yamask is the only Pokémon caught by in Unova whose capture was on-screen.
* Yamask is James's first Pokémon with a confirmed gender.
* In the scripts released for the original and , it was revealed that Yamask was intended to debut in those episodes, secretly observing as they obtained the Meteonite in the Relic Castle and later following them to Castelia City.
** If that had been the case, it would have made Yamask the first recurring Pokémon to be caught by Team Rocket.
==References==
==Related articles==
Yamask
Category:Giovanni's Pokémon
Yamask
de:James’ Makabaja
es:Yamask de James
fr:Tutafeh de James
it:Yamask di James
ja:コジロウのデスマス
zh:小次郎的哭哭面具