James

:For the graphic designer, see James Turner. 
:For the recurring character whose Japanese name is James, see Hobbes.
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James (Japanese: コジロウ Kojirō) is a member of Team Rocket, more specifically part of a trio with Jessie and , that follows Ash Ketchum and around in Pokémon the Series, usually trying to steal Ash's Pikachu.
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
====History====
=====Pre-series=====
As an only child of millionaires, James was forced to endure formal society while growing up. Often having to take part in numerous lessons and activities he had little to no interest in, he eventually began to grow weary of the rules and standards that appeared to be ever-present within the upper-class.
At a young age, he was engaged to a girl named Jessebelle. It was revealed in The Treasure Is All Mine! that he wanted to marry her at some point but he changed his mind after he saw how controlling and overbearing she was. Unable to stand her, he ran away, leaving his lavish lifestyle as well as his beloved pet , Growlie, behind.
In The School of Hard Knocks, Jessie and James told that while they were at the Pokémon Trainers' school Pokémon Tech, they both received the lowest scores in the school's history. The school later brought back bad memories for both Jessie and James.
After this, as revealed in The Bridge Bike Gang, Jessie and James joined a bicycle gang in Sunnytown. During his tenure there, James was known for using training wheels, subsequently acquiring the nicknames "Little Jim" and "Trainer James".
Due to conflicts in canon between Kanto and Johto episodes and the special episode Training Daze, what happened between James and Jessie after the bike gang is unknown. What is known, as shown in the special episode, is that they joined Team Rocket separately and were on initially unfriendly terms after being grouped with but they quickly made up and became good friends.
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James debuted in Pokémon Emergency alongside Jessie and Meowth. The trio first set their sights on the injured Pokémon in the Pokémon Center. Sending out their and from their Meowth balloon, they quickly overtook the Pokémon Center, which only had Nurse Joy, , and inside. Before they could steal any of the Pokémon, however, Ash's Pikachu, who teamed up with many other in the Pokémon Center, used an electric attack, causing the entire Pokémon Center to explode. It was here that Team Rocket decided to capture Pikachu, deeming him as an exceptionally powerful Pokémon, and made it their goal to capture him.
In Electric Shock Showdown, after hearing that Pikachu would fight to defend his own honor and Ash's, the trio were inspired to cheer on Pikachu before his rematch against Gym Leader Lt. Surge's .
In Battle Aboard the St. Anne, the Team Rocket trio worked together with other s to steal the Pokémon of all the s on board the S.S. Anne. Out on the open ocean, Team Rocket began taking the Pokémon of everyone by force. Ash led a counterattack against the Rockets, leading to a large battle and many of the members of Team Rocket being blasted off through the side of the ship. Afterwards, the S.S. Anne started taking on water and sunk, trapping Team Rocket, Ash, and his friends underwater. When the two groups met up, they initially fought, but Misty took charge and directed all of them in an emergency escape plan before the ship fell into the depths of the sea floor. They eventually found an exit, with Team Rocket nearly drowning due to having to rely on James's Magikarp to swim them to safety. After getting stranded, Magikarp evolved into and sent them all flying with a cyclone made from .
In Holy Matrimony!, James returned to his home as a result of a trap by his parents, who pretended to be dead in order to get him to come back to the estate, knowing he would return to pay his respects. He suspected that it was a trap, but he ended up being forced into participating by Jessie and Meowth, who wanted the fortune. After the deception was revealed, he was once again subjected to Jessebelle's torment until Growlie came to his rescue. After temporarily chasing Jessebelle away, James soon left his family's manor and as a result declined his inheritance. Growlie stayed behind upon James's request when he returned to Jessie and Meowth.
In The Ultimate Test, James expressed interest in joining the Indigo Plateau Conference and decided to take the Pokémon League Admissions Exam in order to accomplish that. However, when the results of an exam that measured his knowledge on Pokémon were revealed, he was shown to be one of the lowest ranking applicants along with Jessie and Ash. Later, during the practical skills exam, where he had to face one of the instructors in three consecutive , he broke the rules by sending two Pokémon at once and was expelled.
In The Battle Of The Badge, James, Jessie, and Meowth were made the temporary Gym Leaders of the Viridian Gym in Giovanni's place. Having rigged the platforms so that the Trainer feels the pain their Pokémon feels, they battled against Ash. Despite using Giovanni's Pokémon and cheating, they ultimately lost and were sent blasting off.
The Team Rocket trio continued to follow Ash to the Orange Islands, where they were ordered by Giovanni to operate a blimp in an attempt to get rid of them. The three performed their duty as wait staff before realizing no one was piloting the blimp, and because of this it drifted straight into a storm. They then found Ash and friends and started a battle, which tore a hole in the blimp. Meowth attempted to make a parachute from some of the broken fabric, but landed on top of it and. Meowth, unable to stay awake, let go of the fabric, causing the trio to fall into the ocean and drift away.
After Jessie fell ill from inhaling in The Stun Spore Detour, James and Meowth attempted to find Salveyo weed. However, they had to contend with and her newly befriended , also on a mission to heal her friends, for the rare medicinal plant. Despite their antics, Misty later gave them some Salveyo weed.
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In The Trouble with Snubbull, Team Rocket first tried using Meowth as bait for a newly evolved so they could collect a reward from the Granbull's owner, Madame Muchmoney. This failed, and they subsequently used a Meowth-shaped mecha for their next attempt. Through a misunderstanding over Meowth trying to release Granbull from the mecha's tail, Team Rocket were mistakenly assumed to have tricked Madame Muchmoney. When Team Rocket was blasted off following a battle between the mecha and Granbull, Granbull returned home and no longer followed Meowth.
In Dues and Don'ts, the Team Rocket trio learned they'd been disbanded from Team Rocket for unpaid dues. However, a Rocket Scout informed them she could get them back in if they prove themselves to her by defeating Ash and his friends. The three begged to borrow her to help them, which she agreed to. Even with the support, they failed to complete the mission, but were reinstated anyway due to a labor shortage. Their signing bonus helped pay off their bills, but the Rocket Scout informed them Delibird would be following them to make sure it didn't happen again. By Can't Beat the Heat!, Delibird stopped following them, satisfied with the money they earned during the Silver Conference.
In Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?, James impersonated the world-renowned , while Jessie was disguised as DJ Mary, in a bid to enjoy all the perks of being famous. The real Oak and Mary arrived in Maroon Town for a meet-and-greet event when they were confronted with their doppelgangers. To solve the issue, James and Professor Oak went head-to-head. While James did well on the Pokémon knowledge, Nurse Joy saw through his poetry recital and accused him of being the fake. James attempted to impersonate Oak again during the Twinleaf Festival in A Faux Oak Finish!, where his true identity was again revealed.
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James went with Jessie and Meowth to Hoenn while they were stuck on the hull of the ship.
In That's Just Swellow, James partook in the Crossgate PokéRinger competition. He was able to get to the final round with Jessie's Dustox but lost to Ash's Swellow. He was taken by Jessie and Meowth to their balloon in which they reveal the stolen Pokémon. Swellow freed them with and then Team Rocket was sent flying by .
In A Scare to Remember!, Pikachu developed amnesia after an attack by Team Rocket and their machine. Team Rocket took advantage of this and tricked Pikachu into joining them. Trying to get Pikachu back, Ash jumped on their balloon, and the trio ordered Pikachu to hit Ash with Thunderbolt. This caused them to get blasted off, while Ash and Pikachu fell into a river. As Ash protected him, Pikachu managed to regain his memory and got rid of Team Rocket once again.
In Sweet Baby James, James reunited with Nanny and Pop-Pop. While there, they looked after his sick while James got a 
In Off the Unbeaten Path, James along his Team Rocket colleagues participated in Pokémon Orienteering. He was able to win the contest with Mime Jr. Despite winning, James gave the fruit to and for their actions earlier.
In The Ole' Berate and Switch!, following a failed attempt of getting Ash's Pikachu, James separated with Jessie and Meowth, and met up with Cassidy. James went back with Jessie and Meowth after Team Rocket were caught stealing a load of Poké Balls.
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The trio arrived in Sinnoh using their balloon. In Two Degrees of Separation!, the trio arrived in James's vacation house and James retrieved his that he caught a long time ago. James left the house with Jessie and Meowth because Mr. Cheeves told James that Jessebelle would be coming to the house soon. Giovanni approved the trio's plans to set up a Team Rocket branch in Sinnoh.
The trio were hired by Team Galactic to steal the Adamant Orb from the Eterna Historical Museum in A Secret Sphere of Influence!.  Team Rocket successfully made the theft, framing Nando in the process, but ultimately failed to get away with the orb.
James said goodbye to his cherished in Once There Were Greenfields, while Gardenia offered to train it. He struggled with the decision for sometime, like in Throwing the Track Switch and The Keystone Pops! where he was particularly sad. Though he was pleased to hear that Cacnea had mastered in Barry's Busting Out All Over!.
In Sleight of Sand!, the trio argued with Butch and Cassidy over who would steal a . Their constant bickering made it easy for Ash and his friends to save the Heavyweight Pokémon.
In Pursuing a Lofty Goal!, James borrowed Jessie's Yanmega to enter the Squallville PokéRinger competition. In the first round, he and Yanmega faced off against Steveland and his . James was confident he could win the match, but when an updraft hit the two Pokémon, Yanmega was left disoriented and fell to the ground. Skiploom used this opportunity to grab the ring from the balloon and bring it to the goal, earning Steveland the win. As a result, James was eliminated from the competition.
In Dressed for Jess Success!, James disguised himself as Jessilina and entered the Lilypad Town Pokémon Contest in Jessie's place because she had caught a cold. In the Performance Stage, James had Meowth use his to slice ramen for the Contest Judges, which impressed them enough and put James among the eight s moving on to the Battle Stage. There, James faced off against in the semifinals. During their battle, he took advantage of the fact that usually started the battle off by swallowing and had Carnivine steal the Ice Shard with before it happened. As a result, Mamoswine became enraged and James was able to win. James went on to the finals and won, earning himself a Ribbon and gave it to Jessie afterwards.
After Ash's Monferno accidentally uncovered James's long-hidden treasure chest, containing a childhood love letter, all matter of chaos unfolded in The Treasure Is All Mine!. While trying to keep the chest's content a secret, James's obsessed fiancée, Jessebelle, made an unwelcome appearance and tried to again get James to marry her.
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Jessie, James, and Meowth were sent to the Unova region under orders from after they were promoted in Memories are Made of Bliss!. Now wearing black uniforms instead of their previous white ones, Jessie and James, along with Meowth, followed various missions given to them by Giovanni through other people. To prevent them from getting too much attention, Giovanni did not allow their other Pokémon to be sent to them, making them use only Pokémon native to Unova. Unknown to the trio, Giovanni was not certain they would be successful; however, he knew that their presence in the region would force Team Plasma to reveal themselves. In Battling for the Love of Bug-Types!, Jessie and James go back to wearing their white uniforms. The trio seems to be more serious and is much less comedic than before, using thought-out methods of escape, such as jetpacks, and thus has not been sent blasting off in Pokémon the Series: Black & White. They also appear much less often than in previous series.
The trio completed multiple missions for Giovanni in the early episodes of this series, with their first mission coming in Triple Leaders, Team Threats!. After arriving in Striaton City, Giovanni ordered them to visit a former laboratory located at the nearby Dreamyard, where they were tasked to take control of the area's mysterious ‘Future Energy'. They arrive and assemble a machine to collect data to be sent back to headquarters, though the machine ended up alerting Ash, his friends, and Officer Jenny of their plan. The machine is destroyed, but not before they transmitted the data back to HQ for analysis.
In The Bloom Is On Axew!, Giovanni instructed the trio to head to the Desert Resort and meet up with another Team Rocket agent to investigate a meteorite fragment located there. Upon arriving at the meetup location, the trio were surrounded by the police. As Officer Jenny prepared to arrest them, the agent-Pierce-arrived and rescued them. As they escaped, Pierce handed a briefcase to James with vital information.
In A Home for Dwebble!, the trio succeeded in their mission to steal data concerning the Meteonite from the Antimony Research Lab.
In A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!, the trio was given a mission to break into the Nacrene Museum and swap out a fake meteorite with the real one, which they accomplished in the next episode, and later handed it off to Dr. Zager.
In A Venipede Stampede!, they located the Meteonite in the Desert Resort. This would be their final mission from Giovanni, and after this they were advised to act on their own in the best interest of Team Rocket. The three decided to focus on what they do best-trying to capture Ash's Pikachu.
In Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 2, after destroying the shrines of and , Team Rocket tried to capture the forces of nature, but were thwarted by Ash and his friends.
In A Restoration Confrontation! Part 1, the trio were given a mission by Dr. Zager to obtain a Cover Fossil inside Twist Mountain, which would be used to open a time gate to steal countless Fossil Pokémon from the past.  Once they stole one from Ferris, they retreated to Dr. Zager's helicopter. The Cover Fossil was successfully revived into a , but it escaped from the group. Team Rocket chased it down-where it evolved into a -and held it down in front of the Time Gate. As they were about to pass through the gate, Ash and his friends arrived to stop them. This, along with Carracosta from the past, forced Team Rocket to flee emptyhanded.
The trio reappeared in An Epic Defense Force!, where they tried to capture a for a future job: Operation
Tempest. The plan continued in All for the Love of Meloetta!, where they were able to injure Meloetta before it was found by Ash and . In Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!, the operation began in full, with the trio capturing Ash, Pikachu, and Meloetta and bringing them to the Abyssal Ruins.
Once there, Giovanni used Meloetta's song to summon the Reveal Glass and the forces of nature. During the battle, Giovanni possessed by the Reveal Glass, and Meowth, Jessie, and James jumped in and removed him from its influence. He then ordered a full retreat from the Unova region, with the trio joining him.
Along with Jessie and , James reappeared in New Places... Familiar Faces!, where he returned to Unova for the first time since their Operation Tempest and temporary retreat back to Kanto. He went back to this old ways by catching Pikachu but with a new addition to his team, with James catching an sometime before meeting up with Ash and his friends. In The Dream Continues!, he is forced to give away his Pokémon to Giovanni under the pretense that he captured them for him.
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Team Rocket followed Ash into the Kalos region. In A Battle of Aerial Mobility!, Giovanni approved the trio's plan to steal as many rare and powerful Pokémon as they could in Kalos. In the same episode, James caught an .
In A Battle by Any Other Name!, the Team Rocket trio entered the Poké Puff Contest. After failing the preliminary round, the three decided to instead steal all the food and Pokémon at the event. They are stopped by a combined attack from the twerps Pokémon.
The episode Facing the Grand Design! focuses highly on the strong bond between James and Inkay. During the episode, Inkay was furious when showed up with two other evil Malamar, and while Jessie and Meowth believed it was because Inkay wanted to hand them over to the evil Malamar, James knew otherwise, but was still concerned about why Inkay was acting the way he was. Later on after escaping being caught by the evil Malamar along with Meowth, Inkay, and Clemont, James found out through Meowth's translation that Inkay was furious with the evil Malamar for hypnotizing him in the past and wanted to make Malamar pay for what it had done.
Inkay then began talking to the forest Inkay and Malamar to try and get them to help with the quest to stop the evil Malamar. At first, the good Malamar were skeptical about Inkay's story until one of the Malamar showed up and attacked the forest Pokémon with . As the gang worked to stop the evil Malamar, the leader captured Inkay and brainwashed him with and made him attack his Trainer. James took Inkay's head on and then fed him a croissant, Inkay's favorite food. As he ate, Inkay began to remember all the times he and Inkay spent together, and Inkay was successfully returned to normal. When the group finally defeated the evil Malamar, Team Rocket watched the forest Pokémon as the Inkay led James's Inkay into the forest to play with them. James got up to leave without Inkay, but Inkay went back to him. Although at first James told Inkay that all he wanted was for him to be happy, so he wasn't going to ask him to stay with him, Inkay began shouting at James and Meowth translated this to say that being with his Trainer and the rest of Team Rocket makes him happy. James was overcome with tears of joy after hearing this.
In Party Dancecapades!, James and his team members decided to attend a dance party hosted by Monsieur Pierre. After seeing Serena and her friends go inside, James noted that it was no surprise that they were there as well, and Meowth noted that it would be a perfect chance to catch Pikachu. Jessie and then approached the two, and Jessie decided that James would be her date while Gourgeist decided Inkay to be hers. Later, he was seen being flailed by Jessie during their dance. With the dance party over, Monsieur Pierre announced a Tag Battle and Miette and James were partnered against Ash and Serena, much to the chagrin of James. However, despite putting up a good fight, James and Miette lost, much to the frustration of Jessie and Gourgeist.
In An Explosive Operation!, Jessie, James, and Meowth were first seen contacting Giovanni and informed them about Team Flare and a powerful Pokémon which can exhibit various Formes. Intrigued, Giovanni assigned them with the task to catch the . As the trio searched for Squishy, they met up with another Pokémon resembling Squishy but having a blue core and Team Flare scientists Aliana and Mable. After his Inkay successfully damaged the device which was used by Team Flare to catch Z2, Jessie sent out her Gourgeist to attack Mable's Weavile and Aliana's Druddigon with which created smoke, successfully allowing Team Rocket to escape with Z2. Upon noticing the tired condition of Z2, he climbed up a small cliff and put it on the top which allowed it to regain its energy by . He and his teammates were confronted once again by Team Flare but despite putting up a good fight, his Inkay ended up losing. Later, he witnessed Z2 transform into its 50% Forme to fight against Team Flare's Pokémon and later Alain's Charizard. When the Order Pokémon lost, he along with his teammates jumped in front of Z2 to rescue it from Team Flare but ended up being blasted off by Mable's and Aliana's .
In Master Class Is in Session!, James first appeared praising Jessie, who had entered the Gloire City Pokémon Showcase Master Class, as the future Kalos Queen. He seemed visibly excited just before the first round of Master Class, claiming that they could successfully return to the life of crime if Jessie managed to win this. He, time and again, cheered Jessilee from the sidelines during her performances, causing his neighbors to be bothered. When the Master Class was over, he, along with Meowth, Inkay, Gourgeist and Wobbuffet, were seen walking behind a silent Jessie through Gloire City, fearing her wrath on losing. However, she shrugged their fears and decided that she just wanted to give them a feast for supporting her, which causes them to be overjoyed and jump over her; Jessie then angrily declared that the feast shall be financed by James, something James readily accepted.
He, his teammates, and Jessie's Wobbuffet worked as Malva's assistants during the Lumiose Conference from A League of His Own! to Down to the Fiery Finish!, with the aim of earning money and capturing any strong Pokémon in the Kalos League. However, they were not very pleased with their job and felt that they were overworking; despite this, they did not quit their jobs. In Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare!, they made it a point to steal the two finalists, Ash and Alain's, Pokémon after the battle, but could not execute their plan due to Team Flare wreaking havoc in Lumiose City.
In Coming Apart at the Dreams!, he, in disguise of a news reporter, set out with his teammates, , Mairin and Professor Sycamore towards Lysandre Labs in an attempt to take over the base and bring Team Flare down. They reached the Lysandre Labs in The Right Hero for the Right Job!, where a surprise attack from Celosia's caused him, and his teammates, to be enraged enough to remove their disguises and take on Celosia and Drapion with his Inkay. In the next episode, he finally subdued Celosia, Mable, and their Pokémon by trapping them in a net, and after the Giant Rock transformed into a Zygarde, fled the Lysandre Labs along with his teammates on their helicopter. He piloted the helicopter as they followed the Rock on its way towards Anistar City, and like his teammates, was utterly surprised to see the seven Gym Leaders and Kalos Champion Diantha arrive on the scene to deal with the Giant Rock. He later assisted Ash and Alain in infiltrating the Giant Rock by sending out his Inkay in Forming a More Perfect Union! to fight the Megalith Zygarde. One of the roots, however, blasted him and his teammates out of the helicopter, but they were saved by Diantha's Gardevoir.
After the disaster, he and his teammates claimed sole credit for defeating Team Flare to Giovanni.
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In Loading the Dex!, the trio arrived in the Alola region to obtain some rare Alolan Pokémon for Giovanni, as well as Ash's Pikachu, which they were surprised to find on Melemele Island. They had also left Inkay and Gourgeist behind at the headquarters. They allied with a which hated Pikachu, but at the end of the episode, a wild kidnapped Jessie and James. In First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!, the Bewear looked after the trio, giving them food and shelter at its den. Jessie used James's Luxury Ball to capture Mimikyu.
In The Sun, the Scare, the Secret Lair!, James made an attempt to catch a , but he failed. However, in the same episode, he managed to catch a female after saving her from a .
In A Seasoned Search!, the trio completed their secret base in Bewear's den.
In A Team-on-Team Tussle!, the trio, upon learning about Z-Moves, began their search for a Z-Crystal. They discovered a Darkinium Z in a nest of and , led by a Raticate, and attempted to retrieve it. However, they were intercepted by members of Team Skull, also after the same Z-Crystal. Ultimately, after a clash with the other team, and with the Totem Pokémon, the trio obtained the Z-Crystal for themselves.
In Pulling Out the Pokémon Base Pepper!, James, along with his teammates, played Pokémon Base against Ash and in an effort to get Oluolu's autograph for Jessie, but lost.
In Alola, Kanto!, Team Rocket was revealed to have flown to Kanto as per orders from the headquarters. At the airport, the trio noticed and meet up with Ash and his classmates, and after eavesdropping on the group's conversation, decided to steal Pokémon off of Professor Oak's Laboratory to present them to Giovanni. However, their attempt to steal the group's Pokémon was thwarted, and they were carried back to Alola by Bewear in When Regions Collide!.
In Fighting Back the Tears!, James fought with Mareanie's former crush, a , for her affections. Later, James talked about leaving Mareanie with Toxapex. She eavesdropped on this and subsequently ran away, later finding sanctuary with Ash at 's house. The next morning, James saw Mareanie being attacked by another Tentacruel, and saved her again. Despite their reunion, he still insisted on Mareanie, leaving her in tears. However, James was then challenged to a fight by Toxapex to make Mareanie happy, which ended in a tie. Following the fight, Mareanie decided to stay with James, which he accepted.
In Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, Mareanie learned , meaning the trio finally had a move that worked with their Darkinium Z. They reported this to Giovanni and Matori, who informed them they needed a Z-Ring to use it. Giovanni told them to head to Ula'ula Island to meet Nanu, an old acquaintance of his who could help them out. They later arrived on the island and ran into a -nicknamed Greedy Rapooh-who stole their Darkinium Z. They chased it down, with Mimikyu attacking it with Shadow Ball. Greedy Rapooh jumps from body to body possessing them; James used the distraction to retrieve the Darkinium Z. As the battle continued, Nanu arrived and gave the trio a Z-Power Ring. The Greedy Rapooh is then defeated with Mareanie's . Afterwards, Jessie was given a Mimikium Z from Acerola.
In A Battle Hand-Off!, Team Rocket acted as Ash's opponent during his trial. Mimikyu battled Pikachu, and eventually Mimikyu used , with all of Team Rocket working together to provide the Z-Power. However, Pikachu was able to survive the Z-Move when he shielded himself with his newly learned . When Ash's Electrium Z turned into a Pikashunium Z, Pikachu was able to use , which defeated Mimikyu.
In Spying for the Big Guy!, Giovanni informed the trio that he wanted them to send Bewear to him, as they had earlier stated they had caught her. They attempted to catch her before realizing it would be impossible, after which Matorni and her Meowth appeared demanding the Strong Arm Pokémon. They managed to stall by promising other strong Pokémon-namely those belonging to Ash and his friends and Grandpa Forest. Both attempts failed, and Matori settled for taking . Unable to let their friend be taken, the trio tricked Matori into taking Meowth disgused as Stufful. When the ruse was discovered, Matori's Meowth attacked, which summoned Bewear to the rescue.
In Battle Royal 151!, James entered the Manalo Conference alongside Jessie. Disguised as Jamesio (Japanese: デコジロウ Dekojirō), James was among the 151 Trainers taking part in the Battle Royal preliminary round. Using Mareanie, James was one of the 16 Trainers still standing at the end of the round. The match-ups for the next round revealed that he would be battling Jessie.
In The Battlefield of Truth and Love!, James used Mareanie against Jessie and Wobbuffet, but resigned himself to defeat and took a halfhearted approach to the match. When Mareanie became locked in a stalemate with Wobbuffet, James advised her to throw the match by pretending to be defeated. However, her resolve to continue battling inspired James to take the fight more seriously, and his newfound determination to win allowed Mareanie to defeat Wobbuffet with a relentless barrage. James subsequently advanced to the second round, where he was set to face .
In Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Strategy!, Jessie gave James the trio's Z-Power Ring to be used in his battle against Gladion, telling him not to lose. Remembering his motivation to reach the Masked Royal in the Manalo Conference's , James and Mareanie resolved to give it their best in the battle. In the match, Mareanie was getting badly beaten up by Gladion's Lycanroc, so James decided to perform . However, Gladion countered it with , before dealing the finishing blow on Mareanie. Despite James's fear of being scolded by Jessie for his loss, she instead comforted him, and the trio returned to selling Malasadas.
In Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues!, Team Rocket received a call from HQ to return to headquarters. Unable to believe Mimikyu and Mareanie would be happy there, they released the two Pokémon before returning to Kanto.
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In Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower!, Giovanni ordered Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet to steal strong and rare Pokémon for the organization and make Team Rocket known and feared across the world. He then promised to deliver them a new secret weapon meant to help them achieve these objectives: The Rocket Prize Master. They used it for the first time against Ash and Goh, receiving a and . Despite the powerful Pokémon, they lost to Ash's Pikachu.
Sometime prior to Kicking It from Here Into Tomorrow!, Team Rocket was revealed to have made a secret base in Vermilion City.
In A Talent for Imitation!, Team Rocket encountered a movie-star who'd run away due to its inability to properly and its Trainer's short temper. Deciding to make Ditto a new member of Team Rocket, the group worked to teach Ditto to control its nerves and transform properly. After learning that Ditto was needed back, however, Team Rocket pretended they'd kidnapped Ditto to cover up the fact it ran away. The trio provoked Ash and Pikachu to blast them off, and with that Ditto was returned to the studio.
In A Little Rocket R & R!, Team Rocket was ordered to go on vacation to the Resort Area in Sinnoh. However, the reward was a ploy by Matori and her agents, who planned to steal many Pokémon from the Resort Area. After overhearing her insulting them, the four decided to get their revenge by helping Ash and Goh free the Pokémon. The subsequent battle quickly turned against Matori and her unit, and when Officer Jenny arrived, they retreated.
In Sword and Shield: The Darkest Day!, the trio were sent to Galar on Giovanni's command. During the trip, the Darkest Day began, and the trio planned on using the opportunity to capture . The plan failed, however, when Meowth was hit by a beam of Dynamax energy, causing him to Gigantamax. Unable to handle the energy, he began to attack his teammates. He eventually regained control of himself and went to attack Eternatus with , but was robbed of his Dynamax energy and subsequently sent blasting off by the Gigantic Pokémon.
In The Good, The Bad, and The Lucky!, Team Rocket met up with Cassidy, who was running a café in a small snowy village with her . James grew to like the place and was encouraged by the others to stay, which he agreed to. He eventually got kicked out after his started eating all the food for the customers and returned to his friends.
In Radio Lulled the Mischievous Stars!, Team Rocket was ordered by Giovanni to recruit new members for Team Rocket. They figured radio was the best method, and as a result started a new late-night radio show. However, after their first episode, they discovered not a single person tuned in to listen. The second episode went no better, and as a result they gave the show a major overhaul. Through many changes, Team Rocket's radio program started to become more and more popular, but along the way they forgot about the goal of recruitment. They were later scolded by Giovanni for this, though they occasionally did the show for fun.
In Team Rocket Expedition which stands by the evils of love and truth, James briefly travels alongside Jessie and Meowth to the Paldea region.
In Rocket Revengers!, James, Jessie, and Meowth reunited with their Pokémon that had been residing at . Realizing the potential of such a large group, the team hatched a scheme to isolate Ash's Pikachu and capture him. The trio waited at the end of the trap, where they ambushed an isolated Pikachu. Despite their efforts, however, Pikachu was able to evade capture, and a wild that had been following Ash intervened and sent the evil group blasting off. Upset over the failure, the trio decided it was time to go their separate ways.
In Ash and Latios, he returned to the headquarters and gained a job working in the cafeteria, though the work was harder than he imagined. He later snuck out to try and steal Pikachu once again, where he unexpectedly ran into Jessie and Meowth, who had gotten the same idea. Tired of working at the cafeteria, the Team Rocket trio rekindled their friendship and decided to work together once more. They launched their attack, snatching Pikachu in a net and reciting their motto to celebrate their reunion. Ash's Pidgeot came to Ash and Pikachu's rescue, and Pikachu delivered the usual blast-off Thunderbolt. Despite failing once again, the Team Rocket trio were happy to be together again and vowed to never give up on chasing after Pikachu as a team as they disappeared into the distance.
====Character====
James' well-traveled and wealthy lifestyle afforded him luxuries and time to become well-versed in various activities, including Pokémon Haiku, Pokémon Orienteering, and PokéRinger, among other things. Despite James' wealthy upbringing, he often criticizes it as sheltered and because of Jessebelle's harassment. Joining Team Rocket offered him an adventurous escape from his families demands, riches, and expectations.
However, there are certain instances where James has shown that he is not a bad person at all. His horrible past is the only reason he joined Team Rocket. Unlike his teammates Jessie and who have more rude personalities, James is actually shown to love and adore Pokémon since childhood. James has an odd and rather submissive personality. He regularly complies with Jessie and 's schemes, the results of which often do not fare in his favor, including the loss of his bottle caps and trading away his . He and Meowth also bear the brunt of Jessie's many tirades. However, James is sometimes shown to get angry himself, though not to the same extent as Jessie. Despite the arguments, James' self-doubt and lackluster confidence is bolstered by his teammates. In A Hole Lotta Trouble, Ash and Brock attempted to make James aware that he needed to assert himself without his teammates.
James also has a tendency to cross-dress. He commonly impersonates Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and Jessie. He also often dresses up like famous celebrities like , Juan, and Norman, and impersonates other non-human objects, including Pokémon, animals, and shrubs. Largely because of this cross-dressing trait and his more submissive personality, the English dub often exaggerates this by making jokes inferring he is effeminate.
James has collected an impressive amount of rare bottle caps since he was a young child. In the episode All That Glitters! it is revealed that he has "drunk enough soda pop to float an aircraft carrier".
At times, instead of a Pokédex, he uses a deck of cards to identify Pokémon, such as in Gymbaliar! when he first learned of 's , or in Mass Hip-Po-Sis! when he used it to look up . The cards, used in the Sinnoh region, shared similar details to an electronic Pokédex, including statistics like height and weight. In Pokémon the Series: XY, James's Pokémon flash cards returned in the form of a handheld computer with a Pokédex function.
Victreebel and 's overenthusiastic displays of affection are evidence of James' strong relationships with his Pokémon. James has been shown to be emotional and shares a close bond with his Pokémon, in which he prioritizes their health and potential. For example, James left his at his old vacation home so it could recover fully from a fever in Sweet Baby James. Also, in Once There Were Greenfields, James accepted Gardenia's offer to train on how to master .
James has a tendency to be swindled by the Magikarp salesman, who, despite James's increasing wariness and personal vendetta against the shady character, has on many occasions tricked him into buying a Magikarp or other useless Pokémon and items for large sums of money.
Throughout most of the series, James and his two friends were presented as horribly failing and erroneous criminals, always botching their missions to capture or other Pokémon. However, early in Pokémon the Series: Black & White, the Team Rocket trio had developed a more serious work attitude. This slowly reverted to the previous, blundering attitude by the end of Pokémon the Series: Black & White.
In the TCPi dub, James was given a Southern English dialect to his dialogue, occasionally using British terms such as "bloody" as well as referring to Mime Jr. as "Old Bean" once.
====Pokémon====
As the standards of the Team Rocket organization dictated, James was first shown with a Poison-type Pokémon. However, James seems to have a fondness for carnivorous (or at least dangerous) , owning , , , , and . It was shown during a flashback in Cream of the Croagunk Crop! how James, as a boy, found in the Great Marsh. It was trapped in the mud and James rescued it, the two forming a bond of friendship. The capture of a early in Hoenn furthered his apparent preference for Grass types. Often, when going into battle, his Grass Pokémon will show great affection towards James, which usually results in pain for him since all of them either have sharp teeth or spines. It is also shown that James develops a strong bond with each of his Pokémon in general; James almost treats them as his own children, and they in turn are all greatly attached to him. This could stem from the childhood memories he occasionally brings up, where it is shown that while growing up James hadn't really had any friends other than his Pokémon. When it comes time to leave a Pokémon behind for one reason or another, James often has great difficulty in letting go of his beloved friends, as shown in A Poached Ego! when he had to release his , and in Throwing the Track Switch, when he spend much of the episode depressed due to leaving his behind one episode prior. He also repeatedly delayed telling his that he was being recalled to headquarters and leaving her behind in Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues!. He ends up whispering his goodbyes while she's sleeping.
Team Rocket party Original series.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from 
Team Rocket party Johto.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from (excluding )
Team Rocket party Hoenn.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from (excluding )
Team Rocket party Sinnoh.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from (excluding and )
Team Rocket party Best Wishes series.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from 
Team Rocket party XY series.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from 
Team Rocket party SM series.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from 
Team Rocket and Morpeko.png|Jessie and James's Pokémon from 
=====On hand=====
	 	♂
	♂	
=====Travels with=====
This section is for the Pokémon that James currently travels with, but has not caught.
♂			
=====In training=====
			
=====At home=====
			
=====With housekeepers=====
			
=====Released=====
			♀
=====Traded away=====
			
=====Escaped=====
	
=====Lived with=====
This section is for the Pokémon that James lived with, but has not caught.
♀		
=====Temporarily owned=====
:Main articles: List of Pokémon temporarily owned by the Team Rocket trio and Rocket Prize Master
=====Status unknown=====
====Achievements====
=====Pokémon League=====
James has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:
* Manalo Conference - Top 8 (as "Jamesio"; Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Strategy!)
=====Pokémon competitions=====
James has competed in the following :
* Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest - N/A (with Jessie as "Rocket Boosters"; Beauty and the Beach)
* P1 Grand Prix - Runner-up (with Jessie as "Giant"; The Punchy Pokémon)
* Sunflora Festival - Disqualified (with Jessie as "Rock" and "Eta"; Grin to Win!)
* Pokémon Beauty Contest - Disqualified (with Jessie; Beauty and the Breeder)
* Grass Tournament - Top 32 (as "Mr. Semaj"; The Grass Route)
* Pokémon Balloon Race - (with Jessie; The Big Balloon Blow-Up)
* Trick House Contest - DNF (A Poké-BLOCK Party!)
* PokéRinger
** Crossgate PokéRinger - Runner-up (That's Just Swellow)
** Squallville PokéRinger - Round 1 (as "Jamus"; Pursuing a Lofty Goal!)
* Pokémon Orienteering - Winner (as "Jameson"; Off the Unbeaten Path)
* Pokémon Dress-Up Contest - N/A (All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go!)
* Pastoria Croagunk Festival - N/A (with Jessie; Cream of the Croagunk Crop!)
* - Winner (as "Jessilina"; Dressed for Jess Success!)
* Scalchop King Competition - Disqualified (with Jessie as "Jacen" and "Jesty"; Crowning the Scalchop King!)
* Poké Puff Contest - Preliminary round (with Jessie; A Battle by Any Other Name!)
* Pokémon Sky Relay - Disqualified (with Jessie as "Team R"; A Relay in the Sky!)
* Pokémon Pancake Race - Disqualified (Racing to a Big Event!)
* Charjabug race Koko Cup - Disqualified (with Jessie as "Bewear Max"; Mounting an Electrifying Charge!)
* Alola Bread Festival - Unknown (with Jessie and Meowth; Sours for the Sweet!)
* Vikavolt race Fini Cup - DNF (as "Road Rocket Racer"; A High-Speed Awakening!)
* Pokémon Grand Eating Contest - Runner-up (Crowning the Chow Crusher!)
====Voice actors====
===I Choose You! trilogy===	
	
James appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from . He first appeared in disguise with Jessie and in a Pokémon Center, being wanted for stealing Pokémon. When a Trainer who had just battled an hurried inside the Pokémon Center, Team Rocket eavesdropped on the conversation and decided to hunt for Entei themselves. While looking for Entei in the forest, they were blasted off by a raging .
====Pokémon====
=====Travels with=====
This section is for the Pokémon that James currently travels with, but has not caught.
♂		
====Voice actors====
==Gallery==
===Artwork===
 	 	 	 	 	
Official artwork from the 	Official artwork from 	Official artwork from 	Official artwork from the 	Official artwork from the 	Official artwork from the by
 	 	 	 	 	
Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by	Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by	Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by	Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by	Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by	Raw artwork for the card from illustrated by
===Sprites and models===
 	
and James's sprite from 	James's VS model from
 	
James's overworld sprite from	
==In the core series games==
Both Jessie and James appear in as in-game bosses, collectively referred to as the Trainer class rather than by name. They first attack the in Mt. Moon while trying to take one of the rare Fossils uncovered there.
Later, in Celadon City's Rocket Hideout, Jessie and James guard Giovanni's room. During that time, as the runs into them, they are eager for revenge after the main character busted up their plans at Mt. Moon.
They hold Mr. Fuji hostage at Pokémon Tower, attacking the player on the seventh floor.
Finally, at Silph Co. in Saffron City, Jessie and James make their final appearance, once again trying to stall the main character from reaching their Boss.
Unlike Pokémon the Series, Jessie and James do not follow the main character around and come up with their usual evil plans to capture .
Jessie and James appear in on the same level as admins. They are more powerful than other Team Rocket Grunts and will always challenge the player to a Double Battle. If the player tries to leave Viridian City without delivering Oak's Package, they will be blocking the north exit to the city. Above the entrance to Mt. Moon, is sleeping, but when the player takes a few steps into the cave, Jessie and James appear, Meowth wakes up and joins them, and the trio runs away, leaving the player to follow them into Mt. Moon. When the player gets a Fossil and starts leaving the cave, Jessie and James challenge them to a battle.
===Pokémon===
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=====Second battle=====
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=====Third battle=====
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=====Fourth battle=====
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====Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!====
=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
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=====Third battle=====
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=====Fourth battle=====
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=====Fifth battle=====
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==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon Puzzle League===
James is teamed with Jessie in , with a party of Weezing, Arbok, and . They are the main opponents in the "Spa Service" line clear challenge.
===Pokémon Zany Cards===
James and Jessie are the first opponents in both Wild Match mode and Special Seven mode.
===Pokémon GO===
In Pokémon GO, James is a member of Team GO Rocket. From July 7 to September 30, 2020, from December 14, 2020, to February 28, 2021, and from October 1, 2021, to October 15, 2021, he can be encountered if a Meowth balloon appears in the overworld. He will battle the immediately after Jessie is defeated. Like with other s, 500 and a Mysterious Component are rewarded upon defeating him. When Jessie and James are active in game, they may both Photobomb when taking snapshots of Pokémon, this will provoke a or encounter.
====Pokémon====
James uses a team of three in a . Green-colored cells denote the Pokémon that may be encountered during the bonus challenge. The Shadow Pokémon James leaves behind also has a chance of becoming Shiny, as denoted by the icon.
=====December 14, 2020 - February 28, 2021 & October 1 - 15, 2021=====
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"	
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"	
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"
Team GO Rocket		
=====July 7 - September 30, 2020=====
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"	
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"	
{| style="text-align:left; width:100%"
Team GO Rocket		
===Pokémon Masters EX===
James forms a sync pair with in Pokémon Masters EX. James became a playable sync pair on September 17, 2020.
In this game, James, from the alternate movie continuity, somehow got transported to Pasio while chasing a . He first appeared as an NPC during the special event . Unlike most characters in Pokémon Masters EX, James's appearance is based directly on his Pokémon the Series incarnation, and retains his Japanese and English voice actors.
|}
==Quotes==
==In the manga==
===The Electric Tale of Pikachu===
James debuts in Pikachu's Excellent Adventure. He, Jessie and Meowth tag along with a group of lost Pokémon, including , to try to find the Hidden Village. When they arrive, he and Jessie attempt to steal the Pokémon living in the village, but they are quickly expelled by a . In this chapter, he uses a in battle.
James's next appearance is in You Gotta Have Friends. He and Jessie attempt to steal a herd of wild . At this point in the manga, James's has evolved into , though its evolution is not depicted in the manga.
Following this, James and Jessie begin more regularly appearing in the manga, following Ash to the Pokémon League championship at Indigo Plateau and cheering him on at the Orange League. James, along with Jessie, seems to maintain a friendship or at least acquaintance with Ash, as he has the Team Rocket trio deliver a letter to his mother as they are passing Pallet Town in Epilogue: Wild Type.
While the nature of James's relationship with Jessie is not explicitly stated in the animated series, in the epilogue of the manga, he is shown confessing his love to her. Afterwards, he is shown to be married to Jessie, who is visibly pregnant.
====Pokémon====
=====On hand=====
===Movie adaptations===
As James has appeared in every movie to date, he has appeared in the manga adaptations of them.
===Ash & Pikachu===
In Ash & Pikachu, which is based on the , James appears along with the rest of the Team Rocket trio, Jessie and .
====Pokémon====
=====On hand=====
=====Temporary=====
♂
===Pokémon Journeys===
James debuted in Flash of the Titans!. In the manga, the role of the Team Rocket trio is quite reduced compared to the animated series, so their participation ends up being removed or much smaller than the episodes on which each chapter is based.
==In the TCG==
James has an in the expansion. This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring James or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
James may also be on the set card , as there is a Rocket Grunt in the background, seen only from the back, who has his hairstyle.
==Trivia==
* James uses the alias "Jameson" at times.
* None of James's Pokémon have evolved outside the original series, the last case occuring in Here's Lookin' at You, Elekid!.
* James is the only main character to have one Pokémon and release it or give it away, then get another Pokémon of the same species.
* James is the only main character to not obtain any Pokémon in the Johto region, if his second Victreebel is not counted.
* James is the first main character to release a Pokémon.
* A running gag in the involves James's Pokémon hurting him in a show of affection.
** would often try to swallow him when called from its .
** would hug him around the neck or waist, driving the spikes on its arms into James.
** would wrap its tail around him, leaving him unable to see.
** would often get a death grip on James's head with its mouth.
** would wrap her tentacles around James's head and poison him.
* In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, a on of Mt. Battle references James, claiming she is looking for someone with the same Pokémon as she has. The Pokémon she uses are and .
* He shares both his Japanese and Brazilian voice actors with Ryusuke Yamino, from .
* Excluding Victreebel, James has never battled any of his Pokémon before catching them.
* Including the that James briefly owned, James has owned a Pokémon from every generation until Generation VI.
* In early concept art, James was depicted wearing a hat.
* In promotional material for the Manalo Conference, James was given the title of (Japanese: ホワイトホールソルジャー White hole soldier).
===Name origin===
James's English name is taken from , an American outlaw. His Japanese name, Kojirō, is taken from 佐々木小次郎 , a prominent Japanese swordsman most famous for being killed by his rival, 宮本武蔵 , the namesake of Jessie. Also, 二郎 Jirō is a name meaning "second son," while 三郎 Saburō means "third son." Kojirō takes advantage of Jirō, while the Japanese name of Butch, Kosaburō, takes advantage of Saburō.
He is based on from the anime (originally written by Takeshi Shudō), and the young thief from the "" .
==In other languages==
Language 	Name 	Origin
Korean 	로이 Roy 	Starts with 로 ro, like 로켓단 Rocket-dan and 로사 Rosa (Jessie)
Chinese 	小次郎 Xiǎo Cìláng 	From 佐々木小次郎 Sasaki Kojirō
Hindi 	जेम्स James 	Transcription of English name
Indonesian	James (Kanto saga)Kojiro (Johto saga - present)	Based on English and Japanese name
Russian 	Джеймс Dzheyms 	Transcription of English name
Thai 	โคจิโร่ Kojiro 	Based on the original Japanese name
==References==
James is affected by the same lethargy as other adults in Filling the Light with Darkness!
==Related articles==
* 
** 
* Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
Category:Animation characters
Category:Ash & Pikachu characters
Category:Electric Tale of Pikachu characters
Category:Pokémon Live!
Category:Red, Blue and Yellow characters
Category:Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! characters
Category:Pokémon GO characters
Category:Members of Team Rocket
Category:Characters named after real people
Category:Gym Leaders
Category:Trainers with Z-Rings
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