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Team Rocket Grunt (Trainer class)

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Team Rocket Grunt
ロケットだんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling
HeartGold SoulSilver Team Rocket Grunt.png
Art from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Other names Rocket Grunt (ロケットだんいんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling Member) (Generation II)
Rocket (ロケットだんいん Team Rocket Member) (Generation I)
Introduced in Generation I
Appears in Red, Blue, and Yellow
Gold, Silver, and Crystal
FireRed and LeafGreen
HeartGold and SoulSilver
Stadium 2
Gender Both
counterpart {{{counterpart}}}
Notable members The Rocket Brothers,
Jessie and JamesY
Anime debut Battle Aboard the St. Anne
TCG debut Gym Heroes
TCG Card Minion of Team Rocket
Manga debut A Glimpse of the Glow (Adventures)

Team Rocket Grunts (Japanese: ロケットだんいん Team Rocket Member in Generation I, ロケットだんいんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling Member in Generation II, ロケットだんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling in Generation III and IV) are members of Team Rocket. They act as fodder, enforcers, workmen, crooks, and backup for various leaders in the criminal organization.

Contents

In the games

Being the underlings of Team Rocket, the grunts have appeared in all of the games this villainous team has appeared in; namely, in Generation I and Generation II, as well as their remakes, FireRed and LeafGreen and HeartGold and SoulSilver, respectively.

In these games, a Team Rocket Grunt is considered a Trainer class. How they are referred to has varied slightly throughout the generations. A Grunt is called Rocket (Japanese: ロケットだんいん Team Rocket Member) in Generation I, Rocket Grunt (Japanese: ロケットだんいんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling Member) in Generation II, and finally Team Rocket Grunt (Japanese: ロケットだんのしたっぱ Team Rocket Underling) in Generations III and IV. Additionally, unlike other Trainer classes, Team Rocket Grunts are never given individual names, a tradition continued with the other villainous teams, whose members are also referred to as simply grunts. However, there are four grunts that appear to be related to each other, the Rocket Brothers, in Silph Co.

Appearance

Male Rocket grunts are depicted as men wearing black uniforms with a big red R on them, as well as gray gloves and boots (white in Generations I and II). They also wear a black cap, which in the first three Generations completely hides their short hair, though it is shown as pink in Generation IV. In Generation I, they each hold a whip, though, in a similar change to the Cooltrainers, it is omitted in all further depictions. They also seem to be adults in Generation I, though they seem a bit younger, perhaps even teens, in further games.

In Generation II, female Rocket grunts started to appear. In their introductory games, these female grunts are depicted as red haired women in white Team Rocket uniforms without caps, with their design being very similar to Cassidy and their outfit similar to Jessie's. In Generations III and IV, their design is drastically changed, and they are shown more similar to their male counterparts, wearing a black uniform with a red R, a black cap, and gray gloves and boots, though they wear black shorts or a skirt instead of pants. They are shown to have short, orange-pinkish hair in the games, though their artwork from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen shows their hair as green.

Red Blue TR Grunt.png FireRed LeafGreen Team Rocket grunts.png
Artwork from
Red and Blue.
Artwork from
FireRed and LeafGreen.


GenIRocket.png Team Rocket.png GSC Rocket GruntM.pngGSC Rocket GruntF.png S2 Rocket GruntM.pngS2 Rocket GruntF.png FL RocketGruntM.pngFL RocketGruntF.png HGSS Rocket Grunt M.pngHGSS Rocket Grunt F.png
Image from
Red and Blue
Jessie and James's sprite from
Yellow
Images from
Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Images from
Stadium 2
Images from
FireRed and LeafGreen
Images from
HeartGold and SoulSilver

History

Main article: Team Rocket#In the games


In Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the grunts are found throughout Kanto creating general disruption. They first appear in Mt. Moon, going after fossils. One grunt is found at the end of the Nugget Bridge recruiting for Team Rocket, and another had stolen a TM from an elderly couple in Cerulean City. In Celadon City, the grunts operate a base under the Game Corner trafficking Pokémon all over the world, and they are also responsible for the murder of the mother Marowak in Pokémon Tower as part of a plan to steal Cubone and sell their skulls. They also appear when they take over the Silph Co. headquarters. After the player defeats them there, Giovanni disappears, later reappearing at his own Gym, and the grunts are not seen after this in the original games. However, in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, two grunts remain in an old man's house next to the restaurant in Celadon City; they will never leave, nor will they battle the player. Additionally, in Pokémon Yellow, both Jessie and James are from the Rocket Trainer class, and appear next to the regular grunts in Mt. Moon, the Game Corner and Silph Co.

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, grunts are also found on several of the Sevii Islands, even after Giovanni's defeat. On Knot Island, the player faces two in front of a cave which leads to the Ruby for the Net Center. On Floe Island, the player helps Lorelei, who nearly defeated a grunt with her Lapras's Ice Beam while interrogating Team Rocket at Icefall Cave. On Fortune Island, there is a Grunt in front of Altering Cave. On Chrono Island, the player finds a group of male and female Grunts operating from a warehouse obtaining a large number of Pokémon, most of them rare, and trying to make a working prototype of the high-frequency sound wave machine which would influence evolution. After the player defeats the Grunts and the two Admins, they will pull out, but not before telling the player that they will find Giovanni and restore Team Rocket. They have not been seen in the Sevii Islands since.

In the Generation II games and their remakes, three years after the events of the original games, Team Rocket, under the administration of the Executives, create havoc throughout Johto gaining profit and trying to communicate with their old leader, Giovanni. The Grunts are first seen operating in Slowpoke Well, led by Proton, cutting off Slowpoke's tails to sell. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, a Grunt is seen bothering a Kimono Girl at the Ecruteak City Dance Theater. In Mahogany Town, the player finds Team Rocket HQ underneath a souvenir shop, in which Team Rocket have been using a fully-working high-frequency sound wave machine that influences Pokémon evolution, transmitting it from an antenna in a tree. They also help their Executives take over the Goldenrod Radio Tower, as well as guard the Radio Director, who is hidden in the Goldenrod Tunnel. After defeating Archer, most Grunts are gone for good. However, a lone grunt appears in Cerulean City later on, unaware of the disbanding of Team Rocket, who has stolen the Machine Part from the Power Plant in Kanto. After he is defeated, he states that he will return to his home country and revive Team Rocket there. It is later revealed that when he returned home to Icirrus City, he fell in love and started a family, effectively abandoning the idea for a quiet and peaceful life with his wife and child. Team Rocket has not been seen since.

Pokémon

Team Rocket Grunts use Pokémon from a variety of types, but often employ Poison-type Pokémon more than others. Also, the large majority of their Pokémon were introduced in Generation I, though several they use in the Sevii Islands and Johto were introduced in Generation II.

Kanto Branch

Spr 3f 019.png
Rattata
Spr 3f 020.png
Raticate
Spr 3f 023.png
Ekans
Spr 3f 024.png
Arbok
Spr 3f 027.png
Sandshrew
Spr 3f 028.png
Sandslash
Spr 3f 041.png
Zubat
Spr 3f 042.png
Golbat
Spr 3f 066.png
Machop
Spr 3f 067.png
Machoke
Spr 3f 088.png
Grimer
Spr 3f 096.png
Drowzee
Spr 3f 097.png
Hypno
Spr 3f 104.png
Cubone
Spr 3f 105.png
Marowak
Spr 3f 109.png
Koffing
Spr 3f 110.png
Weezing

Sevii Branch

Spr 3f 019.png
Rattata
Spr 3f 020.png
Raticate
Spr 3f 023.png
Ekans
Spr 3f 027.png
Sandshrew
Spr 3f 028.png
Sandslash
Spr 3f 041.png
Zubat
Spr 3f 042.png
Golbat
Spr 3f 044.png
Gloom
Spr 3f 045.png
Vileplume
Spr 3f 066.png
Machop
Spr 3f 067.png
Machoke
Spr 3f 088.png
Grimer
Spr 3f 089.png
Muk
Spr 3f 097.png
Hypno
Spr 3f 104.png
Cubone
Spr 3f 105.png
Marowak
Spr 3f 109.png
Koffing
Spr 3f 110.png
Weezing
Spr 3r 228.png
Houndour
Spr 3r 229.png
Houndoom

Johto Branch

Spr 4h 019 m.png
Rattata
Spr 4h 020 m.png
Raticate
Spr 4h 023.png
Ekans
Spr 4h 024.png
Arbok
Spr 4h 041 m.png
Zubat
Spr 4h 042 m.png
Golbat
Spr 4h 043.png
Oddish
Spr 4h 044 m.png
Gloom
Spr 4h 045 m.png
Vileplume
Spr 4h 048.png
Venonat
Spr 4h 089.png
Muk
Spr 4h 096.png
Drowzee
Spr 4h 109.png
Koffing
Spr 4h 198 m.png
Murkrow
Spr 4h 228.png
Houndour

In the anime

Rocket grunts in the anime

In the anime, the grunts have had few appearances. They first appear in Battle Aboard the St. Anne, under the command of Jessie, James, and Meowth trapping Trainers and trying to steal their Pokémon. But before Team Rocket could steal the Pokémon from all the Trainers onboard, they were stopped by Ash and his friends.

There are also many Rocket Grunts that appear in one scene from Mewtwo Strikes Back. They are using Mewtwo's psychic abilities to capture a large herd of Tauros.

In Johto, operating from an under sea base, grunts are under the command of Dr. Namba, Butch, and Cassidy, attempting to harness a Lugia and its child, but Ash, his friends and Ritchie stopped them.

Later, they operate around the Lake of Rage under the command of Professor Sebastian and Tyson to help in Project R; the project's goal is to force Pokémon to evolve artificially, thus giving the group powerful Pokémon to use. But they were stopped yet again by Ash and his friends, with the help from Lance of the Pokémon G-Men.

They also appear in copious amounts during Mewtwo Returns, led by Giovanni and Domino, to capture Mewtwo and build a new base for Team Rocket on Mount Quena. However, they are all mind-wiped and transported away from the mountain at the end of the movie.

They have also been seen helping Butch and Cassidy with their stadium scam in The Ole' Berate and Switch. There, they were disguised as several tournament officials.

Their latest appearance was in A Venipede Stampede! where one informs Giovanni that they will arrive shortly in Unova. They were also to appear in two unaired episodes to do battle with Team Plasma which is the first time Team Rocket as a whole (not counting Jessie, James, and Meowth) has battled against another villainous Team.

Pokémon

Team Rocket grunts have been known to use the following Pokémon:

Tauros (multiple)
Tauros (multiple)
These Tauros were first seen running wild on a field towards Mewtwo. However, Mewtwo was way too strong for them as they got sent flying by Mewtwo's Psychic. They were then caught by several Team Rocket grunts.

None of Tauros's moves are known.

Debut Mewtwo Strikes Back
Rocket Grunt's Zubat
Zubat
Zubat was used by Team Rocket in the Rocket battle after the Trainers found out that the Tournament was a scam used to steal the Trainers' Pokémon.

None of Zubat's moves are known.

Debut The Ole' Berate and Switch
Rocket Grunt's Doduo
Doduo
Doduo was used by Team Rocket in the Rocket battle after the Trainers found out that the Tournament was a scam to steal the Trainers' Pokémon. Doduo was seen being defeated by a Trainer's Rhydon.

None of Doduo's moves are known.

Debut The Ole' Berate and Switch
Rocket Grunt's Venomoth
Venomoth
One of the Team Rocket grunts sent out Venomoth when the Trainers found out that the Tournament was a scam to steal the Trainers' Pokémon. He used Venomoth against a Trainer's Ledian.

Venomoth's only known move is Supersonic.

Debut The Ole' Berate and Switch
Rocket Grunt's Skarmory
Skarmory
Nothing is known about the grunt's Skarmory as it was only had a brief appearance fighting a Trainer's Hitmontop.

None of Skarmory's moves are known.

Debut The Ole' Berate and Switch

Mentioned

Yanma (multiple)
After Jessie sent her Yanma to Giovanni, one of the Rocket Grunts mentioned that they already have too many Yanma. As a result, Giovanni sent the Yanma back to Jessie and James.
Debut The Thief That Keeps On Thieving!

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing sections and complete it.
Reason: FRLG chapter info.
A Team Rocket Grunt in Glimpse of the Glow

Red, Green & Blue chapter

Pokémon
Rocket Grunt I's Rhyhorn
Rhyhorn
Team Rocket's Rhyhorn was first introduced in Mt. Moon where Red and Misty were searching for a Moon Stone. However, this peticular Rhyhorn belonged to Koga, a former admin of Team Rocket and Gym Leader as well. Another Rhyhorn appeared in Tauros the Tyrant.
Debut Raging Rhydon
Rocket Grunt I's Rhydon
Rhydon
Koga's Rhyhorn evolved into a Rhydon after injecting it. Another Rhydon reappeared in Tauros The Tyrant where it was controlled by a Tauros.
Debut Raging Rhydon
Rocket Grunt I's Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee was used to attack the Game Corner in Celadon City. However, he attacked Machamp instead of the Game Corner. He was also under the control of Tauros.
Debut Tauros the Tyrant
Rocket Grunt I's Machamp
Machamp
Machamp was used to attack the Game Corner in Celadon City. However, it attacked Hitmonlee instead of the Game Corner.
Debut Tauros the Tyrant
Rocket Grunt I's Tauros
Tauros
Tauros is described as the King of the Safari Zone and the leader of his herd. He controlled the other Pokémon and charged at Green and her Wartortle where the Water-type was defeated by their combined power.
Debut Tauros the Tyrant
Rocket Grunt I's Geodude and Graveler
Geodude and Graveler
Team Rocket were shown to have a Geodude and Graveler that was under Tauros' control.
Debut Tauros the Tyrant
Rocket Grunt I's Jynx
Jynx
Jynx was used to steal the disc containing Mewtwo from Mew. As Red and Green tried to protect Mew from harm, Jynx froze Red's Saur and Poli, prompting Mew to attack.

Jynx's known moves are Ice Punch, Psybeam and Psywave.

Debut The Jynx Jinx
Rocket Grunt I's Muk
Muk
Team Rocket used Muk to help them on their mission to get Articuno.
Debut You Know...Articuno!
Rocket Grunt I's Magnemite
Magnemite
Magnemite was used to surround Blaine in Cinnabar Island.
Debut Holy Moltres
Rocket Grunt I's Gengar
Gengar
Gengar was used to surround Blaine in Cinnabar Island.

Gengar's only known move is Night Shade.

Debut Holy Moltres
Rocket Grunt I's Articuno
Articuno
This Articuno was originally seen at the Seafoam Islands. Even though Red tried to stop Team Rocket for the first try, they were finally able to catch this legendary bird because of its energy loss, and was sent to Koga afterwards.

Articuno's known moves are Blizzard and Ice Beam.

Debut You know... Articuno!
Rocket Grunt I's Zapdos
Zapdos
Zapdos was used as an experiment from Team Rocket. Lt. Surge took control of it prior to Zap! Zap! Zapdos. Around the end of the battle against Red, it ended up shocking Lt. Surge with its tremendous Thunder attack after Saur's Razor Leaf tore up his insulating underwear, rendering it useless and nearly killing him. As a result, Red earned his badge and stole his electric-proof gloves. It was later recaught by Green.

Zapdos's known moves are ThunderShock and Thunder.

Debut Holy Moltres
Rocket Grunt I's Moltres
Moltres
Moltres, having been captured near the Indigo Plateau, first appeared on Cinnabar Island, where it fought against Blaine and Red before being sent to Sabrina.
Debut Holy Moltres
Rocket Grunt I's Zapmolcuno
Zapmolcuno
Main article: Zapmolcuno

During the battle between Red, Blue and Green, and the Rocket Triad members, Lt. Surge, Koga, and Sabrina, Moltres was combined with Articuno and Zapdos to create Zapmolcuno. Once it was beaten, the three birds separated and returned to the wild.

Debut The Winged Legends

Gold, Silver & Crystal chapter

The grunts as well as the Team Rocket Elite Trio were reorganized under Masked Man.

Pokémon
Cubone (multiple)
Cubone (multiple)
Cubone were used as reinforcements. They tried to attack Gold.
Debut Piloswine Whine
Drowzee (multiple)
Drowzee (multiple)
Drowzee were used as reinforcements. They tried to attack Gold.
Debut Piloswine Whine
Ledian (multiple)
Ledian (multiple)
Ledian were used as reinforcements while stuck in the Lighthouse. They tried to attack Gold.
Debut Piloswine Whine
Rocket Grunt II's Ninetales
Ninetales
Team Rocket used Ninetales while infiltrating the Lighthouse in Olivine City. It attacked Gold but it was stopped along with the other Pokémon by Gold's Exbo.
Debut Piloswine Whine
Rocket Grunt II's Piloswine
Piloswine
Team Rocket's Piloswine was used to destroy the Lighthouse using Earthquake. Carl is mostly seen interacting with Piloswine.
Debut Piloswine Whine
Rocket Grunt II's Ditto
Ditto
Ditto first appeared as a Suicune in disguise while Team Rocket surrounded the real one. Ditto's stretchiness was able to grab both Crystal and Eusine but Crystal escaped with her Monee.

Ditto's only known move is Transform.

Debut Miltank Melee
Houndour (multiple)
Houndour (multiple)
Team Rocket owns many Houndour. One of them is owned by the Masked Man in which it was used to overwhelm Gold's team. The same Houndour was used to take on Lt. Surge while he found Team Rocket's base. Many Houndour are summoned if the leader uses Howl.

Houndour's known moves are Bite, Flamethrower, Headbutt, Iron Tail, Faint Attack, and Howl.

Debut You Ain't Nothin' But a Houndour
Houndoom (multiple)
Houndoom (multiple)
Team Rocket own many Houndoom. Three of them are under the control of Carl in which one of them evolved from a Houndour during his childhood.
Debut Stop Snoring, Slowking
Persian (multiple)
Persian (multiple)
Team Rocket own multiple Persian. Three of them are under the control of Sham.
Debut Stop Snoring, Slowking

FireRed & LeafGreen chapter

The Three Beasts were introduced in this chapter and were sent by Giovanni to get Red, Blue and Green.

In the Pokémon Zensho manga

Team Rocket first appear in Cerulean City where they invade Miracle Cycle.

Pokémon

Team Rocket Gyarados Zensho.png
Gyarados
Team Rocket Zubat Zensho.png
Zubat
Team Rocket Beedrill Zensho.png
Beedrill


Members of Team Rocket
Bosses: Giovanni (anime | Adventures) | Madame Boss* | Masked Man*
Executives: Archer | Ariana | Proton | Petrel

Carl* | Sham* | Will* | Karen* | Grey*

Trios:
 
Jessie, James, & Meowth (JJM)
Koga*, Lt. Surge*, & Sabrina* (Triad)
Ken, Al, & Harry (TRET)
Carr, Sird, & Orm (T3B)
Duos: Butch & Cassidy | Attila & Hun | Annie & Oakley*
Others:

 
Executives | Scientists | Grunts | Rocket Brothers | Gideon
Dr. Fuji | Domino | Iron-Masked Marauder | Tyson | Wendy
Dr. Namba | Sebastian | Viper | Mondo | Pierce | Dr. Zager
Christopher | Miyamoto | Rocket Scout | Matori | Kaede


Trainer classes in the Pokémon main series
Kanto Ace Trainer*BeautyBikerBird KeeperBlack BeltBug CatcherBurglarCamper*ChampionGSCFRLGHGSS
ChannelerCue BallElite FourGSCFRLGHGSSEngineerFishermanGamer*GentlemanHikerJugglerLass
LeaderGSCFRLGHGSSPicnicker*Poké Maniac*Pokémon TrainerGSCPsychicRivalRocker
Rocket Boss*FRLGHGSSSailorScientistSuper NerdSwimmerTamerTeam Rocket Grunt*Youngster
BoarderHGSSDouble TeamHGSSFirebreatherGSCHGSSGuitaristGSCHGSSMediumGSCHGSSPokéFanGSCHGSS
School Kid*GSCHGSSSkierHGSSTeacherGSCHGSSTwinsGSCFRLGHGSS
Cool CoupleFRLGCrush KinFRLGSis and BroFRLGYoung CoupleFRLGHGSS
Beta Trainer class:
ChiefRGBY
Sevii Islands Aroma LadyBikerBird KeeperBlack BeltBug CatcherCamperCool CoupleCooltrainerCrush Girl
Crush KinCue BallFishermanGentlemanHikerJugglerLadyLassPainterPicnickerPokéManiac
Pokémon BreederPokémon RangerPsychicRuin ManiacScientistSis and BroSwimmerTamer
Team Rocket AdminTeam Rocket GruntTwinsTuberYoung CoupleYoungster
Only in Trainer Tower:
BeautyBurglarEngineerRockerSailorSuper Nerd
Johto Ace Trainer*BeautyBird KeeperBlack Belt*BoarderBug CatcherBurglarCamperChampion
Executive*FirebreatherFisherman*GentlemanHikerJugglerKimono GirlLassLeaderMedium
PicnickerPokéFanPoké Maniac*Pokémon TrainerPoliceman*PsychicRivalSage
SailorSchool Kid*ScientistSkierSuper NerdSwimmerTeam Rocket Grunt*TwinsYoungster
Mystery ManCHGSS*
Double TeamHGSSElderHGSSYoung CoupleHGSS
Only in the Battle TowerC or Battle FrontierHGSS:

Aroma LadyHGSSArtistHGSSBattle GirlHGSSBikerCHGSSCameramanHGSSClownHGSSCollectorHGSS
CowgirlHGSSCyclistHGSSDragon TamerHGSSGuitaristCHGSSIdolHGSSJoggerHGSSLadyHGSSNinja BoyHGSS
Parasol LadyHGSSPIHGSSPoké KidHGSSPokémon BreederHGSSPokémon RangerHGSS
RancherHGSSReporterHGSSRich BoyHGSSRoughneckHGSSRuin ManiacHGSSSocialiteHGSS
TeacherCTuberHGSSVeteranHGSSWaiterHGSSWaitressHGSSWorkerHGSS
Arcade StarHGSSCastle ValetHGSSFactory HeadHGSSHall MatronHGSSTower TycoonHGSS


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