TEAM ROCKET'S POKEMON

First Appearance: Butch and Cassidy had one in their debut episode (Episode 57 "The Breeding Center Secret")

Raticate is the Meowth for Butch and Cassidy. It never did much when it was with Team Rocket 2 (the name I give to Butch and Cassidy so they won't be confused with Jessie and James).

There was also a time when Ash had a Raticate for one episode. In Episode 15, "Battle Aboard the St. Anne," he trades his Butterfree for a Raticate, thinking that Raticate would be a good Pokemon to have. He soon misses his Butterfree and trades it back, right before the ship crashes.

First Appearance: Ekans is with Team Rocket in their debut episode (Episode 2, "Pokemon Emergency!")
Evolves: Episode 31 ("Dig Those Diglett!")

Ekans is Jessie's pokemon. It's a powerful pokemon, definitely with an advantage over Ash's early Pokemon (they were mostly bug-types like Butterfree). We mainly see Ekans use Dig, Poison Sting, and Glare attacks. Ekans evolves into Arbok at the same time James's Koffing evolves into Weezing.

First Appearance: Growlie is James's pet from Episode 48 ("Holy Matrimony!")

Growlithe is a fire-type puppy Pokemon who is James's childhood friend. James has owned Growlithe since he was little and went everywhere with him...they were inseperable. James ran away from home because he couldn't stand the cushy lifestyle, leaving Growlie (his Growlithe) for his parents to take care of. When James returned home years later, as a member of Team Rocket, it helped James and the others escape from James's insane parents and Jessiebelle. Again, Growlie stayed with the mansion instead of going with James.

Growlithe doesn't just belong to James, Growlithe are also the police's Pokemon. Officer Jenny and the other police officers train the K-9 pokemon to handle criminals, much like real police officers do. Lara Laramy (in Episode 33, "The Flame Pokemon-athon!") also raises Growlithe in her Pokemon Ranch near the Safari Zone, and her Growlithe are very powerful.

First Appearance: We never see! Victreebell first showed up in Episode 57 ("The Breeding Center Sectet")

James's mystery Pokemon! This Pokemon raises many questions. When did James catch it? Where did he get it? The answer: nobody knows!

There has yet to be an explanation of how or where James gets Weepinbell. The first time we see it is in Episode 57 ("The Breeding Center Secret") inside Butch and Cassidy's breeding center. James comments that he left an Weepinbell at the breeding center and that it had evolved into an Victreebell. So when he caught it, it was an Weepinbell. We never see James catch it (even in the two episodes that have yet to air in the United States) so no one knows, not even the Japanese fans. I can simply say that James caught it way before Ash began his Pokemon journey.

So what does it do? Victreebell doesn't do much but munch down on James's head whenever it's summoned! It fights only a little bit, but it's usually just there for comic relief.

Drowzee was used in Butch and Cassidy's second appearance. Its psychic waves were used to make Pokemon attack their masters (including Pikachu and Togepi!) and bring them to Butch and Cassidy where they may present the Pokemon to Giovanni. Drowzee is defeated and so is Team Rocket 2.

Drowzee was also showcased in Episode 27 ("Hypno's Naptime") when it and its evolved form, Hypno, were the causes of a massive child disappearance. The Pokemon were used to help a club of insomniacs get to sleep. Their sleep waves were modified to affect humans, and as a side-effect certain children sensitive to the waves became hypnotized. The children all went to the mansion thinking they were Pokemon. However, thanks to some detective work, Ash cures them all.

First Appearance: The Girls' Day Special Episode (Episode 52, "Princess vs. Princess")
Leaves: Episode 146 ("Tricks of the Trade")

Lickitung is Jessie's other Pokemon. It was a wild pokemon who wandered around when it came across Team Rocket. Hungry, it ate all the presents Jessie had bought for Giovanni (to make up for their failures). A frustrated Jessie throws a Poke Ball at it and catches it just to get it out of the way. Jessie enters a Girls' Day Festival later that day, forgetting about Lickitung. She went on to face Misty in the final round. When Arbok, Weezing, and Meowth are defeated by Pikachu she remembers that she has this Pokemon, she easily beats three of Misty's four Pokemon (Ash's Pikachu and Bulbasaur and Brock's Vulpix). But Lickitung is defeated by Psyduck, and the tournament is lost. It's used every now and then, but not nearly as much as Arbok. It is accidently traded for a Wobbuffet in the Johto League episodes.

First Appearance: Koffing is with Team Rocket in their debut episode (Episode 2, "Pokemon Emergency!")
Evolves: Weezing--Episode 31 ("Dig Those Diglett!")

Koffing is a happy-go-lucky Pokemon which belongs to James. Koffing'smain purpose is to create Smoke Screens to cover Team Rocket's escapes, or to use its Sludge attack to blind its opponents. It's not evil by nature, it only does bad things because James commands him too.

Koffing is such a happy pokemon who always has a vacant look on its face. "Hooray! I'm a Pokemon! I'm so happy!" Then, it evolves into the sad-looking, manic-depressive Weezing. "Somebody put me out of my misery! These extra two heads are heavy! Just shoot me now!" See the difference? Koffing should have never evolved...

First Appearance: Episode 146 ("Tricks of the Trade") Jessie gets Wobbuffet by accident. There was this Pokemon Trading Festival, a festival which focused on people trading Pokemon. This one boy, had a Wobbuffet which he wants to trade so that he can train another type of pokemon. Team Rocket appears, trying to steal all the pokemon being traded. Suddenly, James spots the guy who sold him the Magikarp (waaaaaay back in Episode 15, "Battle Aboard the St. Anne") and chases him around, and in the confusion, the Poke Ball with the boy's Wobbuffet and the ball with Jessie's Lickitung get mixed up. Wobbuffet won't attack until it is attacked and can use Counter to double the damage done to it. Wobbuffet is constantly popping up out of its Poke Ball (like Misty's Psyduck).