What should the next Rocket-dan episode be like?

[Iteru]

With the latest two parter featuring the Rocket-dan having mixed to poor reviews, what do you think the next episode featuring the Rockets should be like? Should it be a two parter? What Pokémon should they go after? Would it have buildup and foreshadowing in previous episodes or be completely standalone?

 

[PTOldMan]

I think we're done with these kind of two-parters. I hope and I think that now the timing is more than perfect to move to a new kind of two-parter - that is, one with Black Team Rocket and MAYBE Team Plasma. As we are getting near the Poké-League and Iwane seems to be pointing that Team Plasma will appear soon, I think this makes sense.

 

[Moe]

I'm mixed on the foreshadowing issue - I don't like the segments in the episodes, but I genuinely forgot James had caught Yamask in the space between the Team Rocket appearances, so the segments are at best in lieu of better spacing of TR appearances.

The problem is, unlike 'Steal Pikachu' - there's next to no definable TR objective. I hate to bring up Team Plasma, but at least when Giovanni mentioned monitoring the activities/drawing out the unknown local organisation there was something attached to that. We have two energy based episodes + two fossil episodes that vaguely run together - if I understood enough of the second part of the Tirtuoga episode, Zager mentioned the energy sources as part of the fossil reviving process. If that's the case, the one vague string connecting half the TR appearances concluded once they successfully achieved a revival of a fossil. If I am misunderstanding, it just means there's even less of a connection between any of TR's appearances, which brings you back to the issue of no real overarching objective for their activities.

Because you don't know why TR are doing what they are, outside the boring old 'steal all the Pokemon' episodes - of which the fishing one was my favourite for at least getting back to basics - it's hard to really predict why/when they should appear next, because there's no real reason for their previous appearances.

Is their objective to catch a lot of Pokemon? Powerful pokemon? Renewable energy? It'd be all right if there seemed to be a pattern, but they randomly go from each different plot, so there's as much chance of the next Rocket episode being a fake bug catching contest as there is of it being a plot to capture Zekrom.

What should it be like? Well take the time to ground TR in a mission objective, bring Giovanni back and give them instruction, tell them how important it is to succeed this time. How about starting with the words "Our spies have spotted sudden growth in the population of non-native Pokemon in the Unova region, your mission is to bring us back as many of them as possible and find out the reason behind this. [to assist see the Pokeballs in this package.... Carnivine!]"

That way, the foreshadowing of Team Rocket can occur through the perspective of the TR Spies, rather than Jessie/James/Meowth - allowing it to be slightly more seamless cutaways to monitoring wild Pokemon, than being those annoying scenes of over dramatic scheming.

 

[Adil]

Anything but not Koromori and Desumasu. Either they should capture some new Pokes or evolve those suckers. Seriously, they can never be any good if they don't work on that.

 

[SammyW27]

For starters, they need to make the Trio more watchable again. I was all for them being COMPOTENT again after being the Worst Villains Ever for so long, but boy, oh boy, did it ever backfire! (Though at least it forced TPCI to have them speak English instead of Badpunese.)

They need to have them show up more. I get that banning TP REALLY threw a big ol' monkey wrench into whatever the porducers were planning, but shrinking TR's role hasn't helped any. The game version of TR became obsolete long ago, but we needed them in the anime to provide antagony as needed (and, unfortunately, comic relief. Especially since 4Kids/TPCI kept ruining TR's attempts at humor wih the Worst Dialogue this side of M. Night Shamylon).

I'm glad someone FINALLY realized their main villains should be used for more than comic relief. But they need to use more and make them more fun. I'd like if the producers would look to the past and make the Trio like they were back in Kanto, back when they were allowed to walk the line between being threatening and comical before devolving into the Three Stooges of Crime. make them realize there are other Pokemon BESIDES an electric rat. Have them go back to stealing pokemon to use for evil purposes (NOT that stupid BS in those retarded boss fantasies! :complain: ). I see no reason they can't be better villains and still be fun to watch.

 

[Garren]

Give us a comedy-based Team Rocket episode, if even for only one episode.

Hell, let Professor Seger get in on the motto. Dude's the new Wobbuffet, basically anyway.

 

[SammyW27]

Hell, let Professor Seger get in on the motto. Dude's the new Wobbuffet, basically anyway.

But...he actually DOES something

 

[Garren]

I know, tell me about it. Professor Seger is a pretty worthless character, right?

 

[SammyW27]

I know, tell me about it. Professor Seger is a pretty worthless character, right?

I meant Seger does something.

Did Wobuffet ever do anything? Because if he did I sure missed it!

 

[Duckgon Z]

How about one where they blastoff and leave the show because of how fucking boring and uninteresting they've been since oh...the train episodes?

No? How about something where they actually gain a purpose this region, that'd be fun.

 

[SammyW27]

No? How about something where they actually gain a purpose this region, that'd be fun.

Like they had a purpose in Hoenn, Kanto Redux, and Sinnoh

Thing is, they HAD a purpose...then it all came crashing down...

 

[PTOldMan]

No? How about something where they actually gain a purpose this region, that'd be fun.

Like they had a purpose in Hoenn, Kanto Redux, and Sinnoh

Thing is, they HAD a purpose...then it all came crashing down...

We had Pokémon Contests which, at least in Sinnoh, kind of gave us a purpose for Team Rocket because, even if we knew that a certain episode had nothing to do with it, at least we knew that sooner or later a new contest for Team Rocket would appear.

During Hoenn they started really well, it was as if they were also the good guys, defeating Rico and foiling that Team Aqua guy's plan was excellent, but then in came downhill for them. However, even if they had no purpose, at least they were entertaining and original, things like Meowth filling in the Team Rocket's motto never appeared since the end of AG, which is a shame. It is kind of like what happened with Brock: he had EXACTLY the same purpose during his whole stay, but he was extremely entertaining until Sinnoh, we he started to be a drag. And this may be what's happening to Team Rocket in Unova, the difference lies in the fact that they started REALLY well, those first two episodes really give us the idea that there will be something big for Team Rocket this time, but then... This is what's happening.
But I do find these two-parters entertaining, the only one I didn't like was that thing with the Kami trio.

 

[matt0044]

For starters, they need to make the Trio more watchable again. I was all for them being COMPOTENT again after being the Worst Villains Ever for so long, but boy, oh boy, did it ever backfire! (Though at least it forced TPCI to have them speak English instead of Badpunese.)

They need to have them show up more. I get that banning TP REALLY threw a big ol' monkey wrench into whatever the porducers were planning, but shrinking TR's role hasn't helped any. The game version of TR became obsolete long ago, but we needed them in the anime to provide antagony as needed (and, unfortunately, comic relief. Especially since 4Kids/TPCI kept ruining TR's attempts at humor wih the Worst Dialogue this side of M. Night Shamylon).

I'm glad someone FINALLY realized their main villains should be used for more than comic relief. But they need to use more and make them more fun. I'd like if the producers would look to the past and make the Trio like they were back in Kanto, back when they were allowed to walk the line between being threatening and comical before devolving into the Three Stooges of Crime. make them realize there are other Pokemon BESIDES an electric rat. Have them go back to stealing pokemon to use for evil purposes (NOT that stupid BS in those retarded boss fantasies! :complain: ). I see no reason they can't be better villains and still be fun to watch.

THIS! I wish Jessie, James and Meowth were able to be serious yet also sometimes comical with their personalities. Like no boss fantasies or random spazzing out and singing but having the ability to get the job well done or at least give our "heroes" a good challenge while saying a few clever quips and having a few gags that aren't overblown with silly faces and all that cartoonish shtick. You know, back in Kanto's early days but a bit better.

I also wish that Team Plasma and Team Rocket were featured more working towards their goals for taking over Unova and taking each other out enemies with Ash and co. caught in the middle. Like give the episodes a more epic feel with Team Rocket stealing Pokemon and fulfill their main agenda (whatever it may be), Team Plasma trying to stop them and fulfill their agenda (game players know what I mean) and Ash trying to stop them due to his history with TR. The plot would be more serialize and linear with less filler and CoTDs and PoTDs that hog all the attention, meaning Ash gets good development (building off his DP persona to make him more well rounded, if the staff gets were serious) along with others. I honestly wish the production staff decided to do this as a way of making a "fresh start" for the series and got off their lazy asses to put in some effort like they would with the movies. If they lead up to TR's overall defeat, they can always have Jessie, James and Meowth reform and become misfits like Ed, Edd and Eddy in the end. They pretty much did as of now. It may be for kids but it's also an Anime where even ones meant for kids (like Shonen, Shojo or what have you) have more creativity and depth put into them. Gundam's for kids, for crying out loud! I ain't asking for anything like Higurashi but maybe something like Sonic SATAM or Avatar: TLA. The whole "it's for kids" excuse irks me and furthers the stereotype of TV being "mindless garbage."

Alright, rant aside, I want the next Rocket episode to show other members of TR like have Flint return or, hell, Butch and Cassidy. Sure, "new viewers" might not know them but then why not introduce them again but keep their history in mind (have Jessie allude to her and Cassidy "going way back.") Zager could even be Namba's rival.

 

[Duckgon Z]

No? How about something where they actually gain a purpose this region, that'd be fun.

Like they had a purpose in Hoenn, Kanto Redux, and Sinnoh

Thing is, they HAD a purpose...then it all came crashing down...

Ah my mistake. I should have said "regained" a purpose. The early BW stuff seemed to have a point and was building up towards something with Team Plasma, but then the earthquake happened, and we're at the point that these episodes were made after the earthquake happened...yet they're still not doing anything relevant.

 

[Dogasu]

The obvious answer, for me, is to have the Rocket trio go back to being in-character.

But since that's realistically not going to happen banghead, my next answer is to start laying the groundwork for them to leave the series. Satoshi's almost at the seventh Gym, and though we don't know how the plot of BW 2 will affect things, or if they'll pull a DP on us and have another year between badges seven and eight, I think it's safe to assume that Satoshi's current adventures in the Isshu region will be finished by the end of the year. Having the Rocket-Dan leave then would be ideal, I think.

Failing that, making the trio competent would be a step in the right direction. This whole "being defeated by the very pokemon they're trying to capture" schtick is getting old. Increase their screentime, make them competent battlers (how about teaching their pokemon some new moves?), give them small victories other than "stealing data with no opposition"...if we're going to be stuck with a boring, out-of-character Rocket trio, they might as well give them an intelligence boost to compensate.

Is their objective to catch a lot of Pokemon? Powerful pokemon? Renewable energy?

The Rocket-Dan is kind of the odd organization out in the games. Their sole purpose seems to be "catch pokemon, get strong, make lots of money," which for a criminal organization makes a lot of sense. Starting with Ruby and Sapphire, though, the game producers started leaning more toward having eco-terrorists as the games' main bad guys. "Increase the area of the land / sea," "destroy the universe so Akagi can recreate it in his image," "become the hero and use the power of Reshiram / Zekrom to rebuild the nation" Groups that are "just thieves," like the Rocket-Dan, are a thing of the past.

I think the problem is that the producers of the TV series have been trying to give the Rocket-Dan one of these post Gen-III villain goals without knowing how to really go about doing it. They don't want to rehash any of the other teams' goals, but it also seems like they want to do more than the simple "steal pokemon" thing. So they're awkwardly trying to do both, and it's not working.

You were absoultely right when you said "there's as much chance of the next Rocket episode being a fake bug catching contest as there is of it being a plot to capture Zekrom." The writers need to sit down and have a nice, long meeting about what they want out of the trio instead of making shit up as they go along.

Anything but not Koromori and Desumasu. Either they should capture some new Pokes or evolve those suckers.

The problem is that they never use the pokemon they have in the first place. So any new captures would just rot in their Monster Balls the way Koromori and Deathmas are doing now.

Despite the fact that we saw them being given six (I assume empty) Monster Balls at the beginning of the region, I think they've caught all the pokemon they're going to catch.