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| {{ship}}
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| [[File:Jessie James AG.png|220px|thumb|Jessie and James choose flight over fight in ''[[AG040|Watt's with Wattson?]]'']] | | [[File:Jessie James AG.png|220px|thumb|Jessie and James choose flight over fight in ''[[AG040|Watt's with Wattson?]]'']] |
| '''RocketShipping''' (Japanese: '''コジムサ''' ''KojiMusa'') is the belief that [[Jessie]] and [[James]] of [[Team Rocket]] belong in a [[shipping|romantic relationship]]. It was also historically known as '''JAJL''', or ''Jessie and James Love''. | | |
| | '''RocketShipping''' (Japanese: '''コジムサ''' ''KojiMusa''), alongside [[PokéShipping]] is one of the most common pairings within the Pokémon fandom. It is also one of the few officially recognized by The Pokémon Company, with evidence found across multiple adaptations. |
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| | Jessie and James first appeared in ''[[EP002|Pokemon Emergency]]'', alongside {{MTR}} as members of the villainous group [[Team Rocket]]. Here they have served as the show's primary antagonists over its history, frequently performing schemes to try and steal the Pokémon of other Trainers, and primarily [[Ash's Pikachu]]. Frequently throughout the series that Jessie and James are shown to have a lot more physical contact than that between other characters, including hugging, hand-holding and even sleeping on each other. They are shown to frequently share Pokémon who frequently show affection to the pair in similar ways, as well as equipment, such as their [[Z-Power Ring]]. |
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| | There is a wide amount of variation between how the character's relationship is presented depending on the language being translated. Notably, this includes James and Meowth fearing retribution when Jessie doesn't win Contests or Showcases in [http://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/comparisons/diamond_pearl/ep161.html English], compared to being supportive and wishful for her success in the original Japanese versions. In the Latin American Spanish dub, James frequently calls Jessie “mamita” or “querida” (terms of endearment like “honey” or “sweetie”), “mi Jessie” (my Jessie) or by pet name “Jessita”. |
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| ==History of the RocketShipping Fandom== | | ==History of the RocketShipping Fandom== |
| [[File:RocketShipping.png|thumb|206px|An image from the epilogue to Electric Tale of Pikachu]] | | [[File:RocketShipping.png|thumb|206px|An image from the epilogue to Electric Tale of Pikachu]] |
| The RocketShipping fandom has undergone substantial change over the years, with peaks of popularity naturally coinciding with the occurrence of Shipping "hints" in the source material. | | The RocketShipping fandom has undergone substantial change over the years, with peaks of popularity naturally coinciding with the occurrence of Shipping "hints" in the source material. |
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| | The first major event in the RocketShipping fanbase occurred when a member of TRHQ came across an untranslated graphic novel in a bookstore, the [[Electric Tale of Pikachu volume 4|final volume]] of [[Toshihiro Ono]]'s [[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]] manga. [[ET20|The epilogue]] of the manga contained two important scenes: one was a panel showing James confessing his love to Jessie; the other was a full-page illustration in which Jessie and James were married and Jessie visibly pregnant. Most importantly of all for fans, this was official and approved by [[Nintendo]], some believed that it was only a matter of time before something similar happened in the anime series. |
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| | However, not long after this, the number and frequency of hints in the anime decreased, along with other changes in characterization. Around this time, a website named [[Pokemopolis]] was getting attention for rebutting the "evidence" found in the manga. Pokemopolis became a prominent anti-RocketShipping site in the fandom, as well as the main proponent of the theory that James is gay, and that Jessie and James are no more than friends. |
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| | RocketShipping had resurgences in popularity following the episode ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'', during the airing of ''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]]'' and again after ''[[XY063|A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!]]''. |
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| | ==Anime== |
| | ===Pre Series=== |
| | [[File:James Jessie HS12.png|220px|thumb|right|Jessie blushing after James accidentally falls on top of her in ''[[HS12|Training Daze!]]'']] |
| | In the side-story episode ''[[HS12|Training Daze!]]'', the history of the {{TRT}} formation was shown. Jessie was a loner who didn't work well in a team, with James being the first partner she was shown to trust. After having a heart-to-heart one night, they vow to be there for each other and make their team shine. After James is hurt during their mission, Jessie wants to give up but James doesn't let her, not wanting to let the team down despite his injuries. Jessie's dedication to James is shown again at the end of the episode where James prepares to sacrifice himself, but Jessie doesn't let that happen with a declaration of their friendship being more important than succeeding. |
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| | ====[[Original series]]==== |
| | Early on in the series Jessie and James were shown to be close teammates, frequently seen protecting and encouraging each other when faced with hardships, whether it be declarations of friendship, commitment or compliments in the face of death and danger as seen when trapped aboard the [[S.S. Anne]], during their encounters with {{p|Gastly}} during the events of ''[[EP020|The Ghost of Maiden's Peak]]'' or with [[Kaiser]] brandishing a gun at them during [[EP035]]. |
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| In the beginning, there was only one kind of RocketShipper—the one who thought that Jessie and James were attracted to each other. Some fans hoped they would eventually become a full-fledged couple. The term "RocketShipping" was the first time the suffix "[[Shipping]]" was applied to any couple outside of the ''{{wp|The X-Files|X-Files}}'' fandom where it originated. Maria Rocket and other fans on the message board of [[TRHQ]] used the term to describe a romantic relationship between Jessie and James, following which this naming convention was adopted by the rest of the Pokémon Shipping community.
| | The pair are occasionally mistaken as a couple, seen when [[DJ Mary]] casts them as a married king and queen during ''[[EP160|Air Time!]]''. This is something they are only too happy to play up during their schemes, even disguising themselves as married couples in ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''. Meowth also comments during ''[[M02|The Power of One]]' that "You two don't need the opposite sex because you got each other." |
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| The first major event in the RocketShipping fanbase occurred when a member of TRHQ came across an untranslated graphic novel in a bookstore, the [[Electric Tale of Pikachu volume 4|last volume]] of [[Toshihiro Ono]]'s [[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]] manga. [[ET20|The epilogue]] of the manga contained two important scenes: one was a panel showing James confessing his love to Jessie; the other was a full-page illustration in which Jessie and James were married and Jessie visibly pregnant. Most importantly of all for fans, this was official and approved by [[Nintendo]]. The RocketShipping fan community went crazy. It finally had officially sanctioned proof that Jessie and James were a romantic couple. Some believed that it was only a matter of time before something similar happened in the TV anime series.
| | James is shown to be jealous when other men show interest in Jessie, such as [[Dr. Proctor]] in ''[[EP047|A Chansey Operation]]''. He is also quick to comfort her when their poverty is at its peaks and helps and encourage her in her aspirations outside of Team Rocket, such as during ''[[EP052|Princess vs. Princess]]''. Jessie desires to win the competition and the prized {{wp|Hinamatsuri}} dolls. Despite her loss, James, Meowth, and their Pokémon dress up as the dolls, with James and Jessie dressed as the Emperor and Empress in their "doll" set. |
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| However, not long after this, the number and frequency of the Rocketshippy hints in the anime decreased, along with other changes in characterization. Also around this time, a website named [[Pokemopolis]] was getting attention for rebutting the "evidence" found in the manga. Pokemopolis became the most prominent anti-RocketShipping site in the Pokémon fandom, as well as the main proponent of the theory that James is gay. As a result, the RocketShipping fan community split into several sects, each with different takes on RocketShipping.
| | Jessie frequently compliments him for his positive traits that help them towards their plans, whether it be picking locks, having a good memory, or doing well in Pokémon battles. She is also shown to be impressed when he exhibits talents outside of their work, such as his mastery of haiku's in ''[[EP245|Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?]]''. |
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| RocketShipping had notable resurgences in popularity following the episode ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'', during the airing of ''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]]'' and again after ''[[XY063|A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!]]''. It continues to have a strong international fan following.
| | A recurring story throughout the anime with James is his history of being engaged to a girl named [[Jessebelle]]. A woman who bears a striking resemblance to Jessie that he fell in love with at first sight. First highlighted in ''[[EP048|Holy Matrimony!]]'', Jessie is crushed when she thinks James has abandoned her and Meowth to get his inheritance and marry Jessebelle. She is delighted when this is revealed that James decided to return to Team Rocket, swooping down in the [[Meowth Balloon]] to pick her up. When he tells her he wasn't able to get the inheritance, she brushes it off, saying they don't need it as long as they have their freedom. They shake hands to reaffirm their friendship. Their hands form a heart and the viewers are shown a prolonged scene of them gazing into each other's eyes as the music swells. They are so caught up in the moment that they forget to pick up Meowth. |
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| ==Sects of RocketShipping== | | ====''[[Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire]]''==== |
| These sects were in use to differentiate between various "types" of RocketShipper who each had a different perception of the ship. It should be noted that they have not actively been in use in the fandom since the {{series|Advanced Generation}} of the anime started airing in America.
| | Throughout the course of this series both Jessie and James are given the opportunity to depart from Team Rocket, James in the side story episode ''[[HS03|We're No Angels!]]'' (in the dub this was extended to Jessie as well) and Jessie during ''[[AG187|The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!]]''. Both express sadness at this possibility and are happy when the other decides to stay. |
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| '''RocketShippers'''<BR>
| | In the previous season where James was seen getting jealous, of [[Dr. Proctor]] in this series, he is shown to be wary of [[Harley]]'s intentions towards Jessie. Jessie is also shown to be jealous of women paying attention to James when he's dressed as [[Juan]] in ''[[AG111|Eight Ain't Enough]]''. |
| This is the general term for anyone who supports the idea of Jessie and James being a couple, whether past, present, or future. It was also a term for a sect consisting of people who believe that Jessie and James are currently not in love but believed that they eventually would be.
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| '''R*cketShippers'''<BR> | | In the Latin American Spanish dub of ''[[AG053|Game Winning Assist]]'', when {{TP|James|Cacnea}} affectionately attacks James he says, "¿Cacnea, por qué me quieres besar si sabes que ya tengo novia?"; or, "Cacnea, why do you want to kiss me if you know that I already have a girlfriend?". Although ''novia'' can mean both “girlfriend” and “fiancée”, James never uses novia when he is saying "fiancée." Instead, he uses ''prometida'', an unambiguous word for "fiancée”. He always refers to [[Jessebelle]] as his "prometida," and Jessebelle in turn calls him her "prometido." By the same token, during James's brief engagement to [[Temacu]], she, James, and Jessie all use the term "prometido". On top of that, James does not mention Jessebelle between catching Cacnea and ''Game Winning Assist'', so Cacnea would not understand any reference to Jessebelle. Therefore, "novia" would mean "girlfriend" and can only reasonably refer to Jessie. |
| This was a more extreme type of RocketShipper, who believed that Jessie and James are currently in love. They generally preferred the idea of Jessie and James in more stereotypical gender conforming roles.
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| '''QueerShippers'''<BR> | | During the events of ''[[AG072|The Bicker the Better]]'' [[Oscar and Andi]] assume Jessie and James are a couple in the English dub (in the original they simply suggest that the two have a good relationship). James looks confused at this and Jessie just ignores it. Since they don't get upset at it like {{Ash}} and {{an|May}} do, it could be interpreted that Jessie and James find the assumption acceptable. This comfort can also be seen in ''[[AG081|Take This House and Shuppet]]'' when James comments "They say that you always hurt the ones you love!" during a fight, and in ''[[AG085|Sky High Gym Battle!]]'' where Jessie and James imagine themselves dancing together at the Team Rocket nightclub with the R insignia covered in hearts |
| Self-proclaimed "in-character RocketShipping". Supporters generally believed that James plays the role of a woman and Jessie plays the role of a man, but that they would become a couple nevertheless.
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| '''WrongRocketShippers'''<BR> | | There were also other small events between the pair, such as when the pair view {{p|Illumise}} and {{p|Volbeat}} perform a "mating" dance in ''[[AG042|Love at First Flight]]'', that is said to bring good fortune to spectators who are in love. James sells his bottle caps in ''[[AG174|New Plot, Odd Lot!]]'' so that Jessie could buy a dress she wanted. Finally, James attempting to save Jessie from {{p|Regirock}} and {{p|Registeel}} by trying to carry her away in ''[[AG190|Pace - The Final Frontier!]]''. |
| Smaller sect which believed that Jessie and James are currently in a "friends with benefits" type relationship. They didn't necessarily believe that they are in love with each other, but did believe that they have some kind of secret physical relationship going on. They took a more relaxed and joking stance to the Ship.
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| '''AntiRocketShippers'''<BR> | | James history with [[Jessebelle]] surfaces again in ''[[AG147|Sweet Baby James]]'' when the {{TRT}} visits one of his families estates. The housekeepers mistake Jessie for Jessebelle, Jessie is unimpressed by James's reaction to the thought of being married to her and further upset when he introduces her as his secretary in an attempt to cover up his being in Team Rocket. She spends most of the rest of the episode going against James's request to keep the peace and only becomes supportive again after James has been honest about their identity. Throughout their stay, the housekeepers continue to ask about Jessie, even when she isn't around and even approving of her after finding out they are members of Team Rocket, saying that “it seems like his friends are also good people”. |
| Supporters denied any sort of romantic relationship between Jessie and James. They liked to see them as best friends, but nothing more. In many cases, they believed that James is gay, based on the more camp portrayal of James by [[Eric Stuart]] and James's cross-dressing. Opinions on Jessie's sexuality varied.
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| ==Evidence== | | ====''[[Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl]]''==== |
| ===General=== | | [[Image:DP133 Scale.png|250px|thumb|right|A motto sequence from ''[[DP133|Uncrushing Defeat!]]'']] |
| [[File:Jessie James fear hug.png|220px|thumb|Jessie and James's first fearhug in ''[[EP005|Showdown in Pewter City]]'']] | | Jessie's Contest arc in ''Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl'' is a major source of development for her relationship with James. The hesitancy he feels towards her participation, carried over from ''Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire'', eventually dissipates and he becomes increasingly involved, loaning her his Pokémon and on [[DP146|one occasion]] stepping in for her when she is sick. He repeatedly forgets to cheer her by her Jessilina alias and instead calls her Jessie before correcting himself, such as in ''[[DP171|Dawn of a Royal Day!]]''. In ''[[DP175|Opposites Interact!]]'' James tries to get Jessie to let him watch her performances instead of selling merchandise. In the Latin American Spanish dub, James frequently calls Jessie by nicknames including ''[[DP022|his marigold queen]] or [[DP175|Jessie-Jess]], which is Jessie's nickname from her days at [[Team Rocket Academy]]. |
| * James fell in love at first sight with his fiancée [[Jessebelle]], who is a [[doppelgänger]] of Jessie and also shares her voice actress in the original and majority of international dubs. They look so similar that in ''[[AG147|Sweet Baby James]]'' James's housekeepers [[Nanny and Pop-Pop]], as well as his butler and [[Jessebelle]]'s own security guards in ''[[DP153|The Treasure Is All Mine!]]'' mistake Jessie for Jessebelle.
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| :: From another angle, it is notable that James became Jessie's best friend despite their physical similarity, even though he would not have met her until after he ran away from home as a direct result of Jessebelle's torment.
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| * Jessie and James have more numerous examples of intimate physical contact than any other humans in the anime, including holding hands, linking arms, hugging and sleeping on one another. This occurred most frequently in the [[original series]] but has remained a staple throughout their appearances across the franchise, so much so that it is beyond the scope of this page to list every instance.
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| * Jessie and James are very comfortable with using each other's Pokémon. Neither they nor their Pokémon have had a problem with this on most occasions whereas borrowing others' Pokémon is usually a big deal to other [[Pokémon Trainer|Trainers]].
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| * They are the only known characters to share a [[Z-Power Ring]].
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| * James's Pokémon have occasionally affectionately attacked Jessie the same way they do James. Similarly, [[Jessie's Yanmega]] affectionately rests on James's head in ''[[DP080|The Thief That Keeps on Thieving!]]'' and [[Jessie's Mimikyu]] shields James as well as Jessie from seeing its true form (and consequent death) in ''[[SM038|Mimikyu Unmasked!]]'', a protection it does not extend to Meowth.
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| ===Anime===
| | In this series, there were few instances of implied imagery between Jessie and James, primarily in ''[[DP142|Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!]]'', where inside their base there is no bed in James's room, and a double bed in Jessie's. During ''[[DP073|Crossing Paths]]'', once Jessie releases {{TP|Jessie|Dustox}}, James is touched by Jessie's explanation about this being Dustox's chance of love. The narrator also suggests that Jessie will find happiness too as the shot pans down to show Jessie and James, the English dub narrator changes "finding happiness" to "finding love". |
| There is significant variation in the characterization of Jessie and James across languages, most notably between the original and the English dub (from which the majority of other international dubs are derived). This has generally had a negative impact for RocketShipping.
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| In addition to Eric Stuart's stereotypical gay interpretation of James (at odds with [[Shin'ichirō Miki]]'s original performance), the [[TPCi]] dub is infamous for adding discord to the [[Team Rocket trio]]'s relationship where there originally was none. For example, during [[Pokémon Contest|Contests]] James's original lines would often be fundamentally [http://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/comparisons/diamond_pearl/ep161.html altered] from expressions of support towards Jessie to ones of fear of retribution if she failed.
| | The events of ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'' features the {{TRT}} going their separate ways, with Meowth joining a noodle cart, Jessie wanting to focus on being a coordinator, and James remaining with Team Rocket. A depressed James decides to try and capture a {{shiny}} {{p|Metagross}}. When Jessie hears that James is in danger, she immediately drops the façade of pursuing her contest career and rushes to his aid, causing James to fall to his knees and cry, overjoyed she has returned. With the shiny MEtagross about to attack them, James apologizes for getting Jessie involved, which she brushes off saying they're friends. He goes on to say life wasn't wasted because he spent it with good friends, looking at her significantly. Closing their eyes for the final blow, Jessie says, “If there is another world after we die, let’s meet again there.” James agrees and smiles, no longer looking afraid. This is an addendum to James's implied promise in ''[[HS12|Training Daze]]'' to always be at Jessie's side. |
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| On the other hand, some viewers of the Latin American Spanish dub report that Jessie and James are hinted to already be in a canonical relationship in their localization. James frequently sings lines from love songs during the motto and calls Jessie “mamita” or “querida” (terms of endearment like “honey” or “sweetie”), “mi Jessie” (my Jessie) or by pet name “Jessita”.
| | During ''[[DP002|Two Degrees of Separation!]]'' while visiting one of James's families summer homes, Team Rocket decide to leave quickly before [[James's parents|his parents]] and [[Jessebelle]] arrive. Although disappointed, James expresses the desire to live in a cottage in the future with Jessie and Meowth. Later on, during the episode ''[[DP153|The Treasure Is All Mine!]]'', James refers to Jessebelle as his first love, implying that he'd fallen in love with someone else. To escape Jessebelle later in the episode he asks {{Ash}} to get Pikachu to use {{m|Thunderbolt}} on them to send them blasting off. |
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| Due to this wide regional variation, evidence listed in this section which was not present in the original will be specified by the dub from which it originates.
| | ====''[[Pokémon the Series: Black & White]]''==== |
| | ''Pokémon the Series: Black & White'' is noteworthy for attempting to put Jessie, James, and Meowth in more serious, antagonistic roles. Their normal personalities and relationships are so much suppressed during the series that it inspired the creation of the [[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]] radio show, in the introduction to which [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/User:Rocket_Girl/TR_Radio_show/Transcript James accuses Jessie of only speaking to him these days to confirm mission plans]. This change resulted in a complete absence of shipping evidence until the ''[[Decolora Adventure]]'' portion of the saga when they start to revert to their prior selves. An example of this is in ''[[BW124|Danger, Sweet as Honey!]]'', when Jessie freezes in terror at the prospect of being attacked by a swarm of {{p|Beedrill}}, James takes her by the shoulders to guide her out of harm's way. |
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| ====[[Original series]]==== | | ====''[[Pokémon the Series: XY]]''==== |
| * ''[[EP016|Pokémon Shipwreck]]''
| | In a progression of his involvement in Jessie's Contest arc in ''[[Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl]]'', James is a bedrock of support for Jessie during the [[Pokémon Showcase]] competition. As before, he often forgets to call her by her stage name and is now frequently shown to be the loudest supporter in the crowd, to the point that it becomes a nuisance for the audience members seated near him. During the Pokémon Showcase Master Class, despite worrying she'd be angry at her loss, Jessie thanks her friends for helping her get as far as she had. Everyone tackles and hugs her, with James saying he'd follow her anywhere. |
| : When the two are convinced they are going to die, they hold hands, promising never to forget each other. James says to Jessie "Whoever said that beautiful people are destined to have a sad fate must have meant us," implying that he thinks she is beautiful.
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| :: The English line is similar: "Jessica, whoever said beauty doesn't last, must have been thinking of us." Of note, this is the only time James calls Jessie "Jessica", emphasizing the seriousness of his feelings.
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| : When James is scared to cross {{AP|Bulbasaur}}'s vines and begs Jessie and Meowth to go on without him, Jessie refuses to leave him behind, insisting they'll cross together.
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| * ''[[EP020|The Ghost of Maiden's Peak]]''
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| ** James declares his love to the [[Ghost of Maiden's Peak]]'s statue in a precarious position on the edge of a cliff. Jessie is holding onto his pants to keep him from falling off until she gets distracted and he falls. She tries to grab him but ends up falling with him into the sea.
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| ** When {{p|Gastly|the ghost}} is dragging him away at the climax, James finally cries that he doesn't want to be separated from Jessie. Upon hearing this, she pulls out a bazooka and shoots the ghost. James smiles tearfully and says her name adoringly, to which she responds, "Don't get the wrong idea!" and attempts to hide the fact that she did it for his sake.
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| * ''[[EP032|The Ninja Poké-Showdown]]''
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| : Jessie gives James a rose, much to his astonishment. He pricks himself on a thorn as Jessie goes on to say that beautiful things can be painful.
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| * [[EP035]]
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| : After dodging bullets from [[Kaiser]], James stands in front of Jessie to block her from the line of fire. He tells her to relax and trust him, grabs her by the waist and jumps off the roof with a parachute. The parachute falls on top of them after they crash-land and they scramble underneath it, during which time Jessie says, "Where do you think you're touching?!" When they emerge, James is wearing an unnaturally wide grin.
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| * ''[[EP037|Ditto's Mysterious Mansion]]''
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| : Jessie shows the Ditto a photo of a childhood crush. James insists on seeing the picture and both blush ferociously through the exchange.
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| * ''[[EP046|Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon]]''
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| : Jessie and James are missing at the beginning of the episode. They finally pop out from behind a rock, looking smug, in response to Meowth's irritated calls. No explanation is offered for their absence. They find reasons to hold one another for most of the rest of the episode.
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| * ''[[EP047|A Chansey Operation]]''
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| : James expresses obvious unhappiness at the flirting between [[Dr. Proctor]] and Jessie. When Dr Proctor asks Jessie on a date, James cocks an eyebrow and looks unimpressed. Later Jessie puts her hand on Proctor's chest to which James responds by glaring angrily at Jessie and clenching his fists. When Dr Proctor asks Jessie to assist him and she agrees, James volunteers to assist as well.
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| * ''[[EP048|Holy Matrimony!]]''
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| : At the end of the episode, Jessie is crushed, conceding that James has decided to marry his fiancée [[Jessebelle]] and come into his inheritance. To her delighted surprise, James calls out with the motto, swooping down in the balloon to pick her up. When he tells her he wasn't able to get the inheritance, she brushes it off, saying they don't need it as long as they have their freedom. They shake hands to reaffirm their friendship. Their hands form a heart and the viewers are shown a prolonged scene of them gazing into each others' eyes as the music swells. They are so caught up in the moment that they forget to pick up Meowth.
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| * ''[[EP052|Princess vs. Princess]]
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| ** James is visibly awed at the way Jessie looks when she is dressed in traditional Japanese dress for the pageant part of the Festival.
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| ** After Jessie tells James and Meowth about her history with the holiday and starts crying, James tears up, holds her hands and looks into her eyes, promising to wholeheartedly support her. The background during this scene is a pink sky filled with rosebushes.
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| ** After Jessie loses to Misty, James dresses himself and their Pokémon as the {{wp|Hinamatsuri}} dolls that were the grand prize. Jessie is touched and cries, calling them idiots but reluctantly admitting that this has made her feel good. James and Jessie dress as the Emperor and Empress in their "doll" set.
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| * ''[[EP056|The Ultimate Test]]''
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| : After Jessie is expelled from the test, James says in a determined voice that he will do his best for her.
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| * ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]''
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| : James tells Meowth that he will recognize Jessie no matter how she is disguised, because she thinks like him. While he is recalling their costumes, one of the images is of Jessie and James in their [[EP028|Salon Roquet]] outfits. Jessie is on bended-knee with her hand slid underneath James's hand, as if asking him to marry her.
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| * ''[[EP086|Pikachu Re-Volts]]''
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| : When James scrambles over to [[Cassidy]] and grabs her arm, Jessie angrily drags him away from her. Later, they hug from fear when they are about to be attacked by their own Pokémon.
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| * ''[[EP094|Snack Attack]]''
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| : James blushes after Jessie flirtatiously nudges him and compliments him on having a good memory.
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| * ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''
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| ** James becomes concerned when Jessie recounts her trouble in finding love, trying to comfort her when she starts crying.
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| ** Later on, they dress as a married couple with Jessie as the groom and James as the bride. They hide their hot air balloon in a mock wedding cake, paint two hearts pierced by {{wp|Cupid|Cupid's}} arrows on their balloon basket, and tie honeymoon cans to the bottom of the balloon basket.
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| * ''[[EP109|The Wacky Watcher!]]''
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| : When they hear James screaming because a Magikarp is stuck on his head, Jessie and Meowth leap into action to rescue him. Afterwards Jessie and James hug, crying in relief.
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| * ''[[EP116|The Rivalry Revival]]''
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| : During the motto, there are two hearts pierced by Cupid's arrows in the background behind the duo. James is holding his signature red rose.
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| * ''[[EP123|Spinarak Attack]]''
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| : After James picks a lock with a paper clip, Jessie nudges James with her elbow and flirtatiously compliments his skills.
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| * ''[[EP141|Good 'Quil Hunting]]''
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| : Jessie, James, and Meowth cry at the thought of their poverty. Jessie cries a little harder than she can handle and has to sit down. She apologizes, so James takes her hands, looks into her eyes and tells her it's ok and that these are really tears of joy.
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| * ''[[EP145|A Farfetch'd Tale]]''
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| : Jessie blushes and looks at James adoringly when he is doing well in battle against {{Ash}} and company.
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| * ''[[EP160|Air Time!]]''
| |
| : For one of [[DJ Mary]]'s radio dramas, Jessie and James are cast as a married queen and king.
| |
| * ''[[EP200|Turning Over A New Bayleef]]''
| |
| : During the motto, James is holding a bouquet of flowers and is running after Jessie, as if trying to give them to her. He appears to have tossed some flower petals in her direction.
| |
| * ''[[EP241|Hocus Pokémon!]]''
| |
| : Close to falling off a cliff, Jessie and James hug. In the English dub, James says, "If I never see you guys again, just know that I love you."
| |
| * ''[[EP245|Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?]]''
| |
| ** Disguised as {{an|Professor Oak}} and [[DJ Mary]], Jessie puts her arms around James's neck, rocks him back and forth, and complements him on his confidence.
| |
| ** Later, before James presents a {{wp|haiku}} to compete with the real Professor Oak, Jessie in the English dub says, "You don't know a thing about poems." James responds, "That's where you're wrong, dear Jessie." James goes on to recite a haiku that those present prefer over the real Oak's haiku. Jessie is especially impressed.
| |
|
| |
|
| ===={{series|Advanced Generation}}====
| | ''Pokémon the Series: XY'' generally had smaller moments between Jessie and James peppered throughout the episodes, such as pushing each other out of the way of danger. One such moment is during ''[[XY124|A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness!]]'' when Jessie struggles to open a trick wall, James whacks a hand against it, briefly trapping Jessie between his body and the wall until it opens. Annoyed, she tells him, "That was misleading." The frames are presented like a classic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabedon Kabedon] scene, a trope often used in anime and manga for love confessions. In ''[[M17|Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction]]'' when the trio believe they are about to get rich from {{an|Diancie}}’s diamonds, James's first suggestion is they could build a house with the money and Jessie follows this up by saying they might get a holiday home too. |
| * ''[[HS03|We're No Angels!]]''
| |
| : James seriously considers staying with {{OBP|Kate|HS03}}, a village girl who has developed a crush on him. He broaches this with his teammates and just as he is suggesting that he and Kate could develop a new Team Rocket base together, he casts an uncomfortable glance at Jessie and seemingly unconsciously presses the launch button to their mecha, thereby ending any possibility of him staying. Stuck in a tree, James laments that he's lost his chance at happiness and Jessie tells him to give it up, referencing their team quest for a "white tomorrow". Ash and friends walk past and Jessie and James hold each other's gaze for a moment before he agrees. The incident is never again brought up. | |
| :: In the English dub, when Jessie sees James and Kate talking at the end, she lets out a dismayed/concerned "Oh no!" Later, when James is talking about them staying in the village, he mentions to Jessie that she might like it too.
| |
| [[File:James Jessie HS12.png|220px|thumb|right|Jessie blushing after James accidentally falls on top of her in ''[[HS12|Training Daze!]]'']]
| |
| * ''[[HS12|Training Daze!]]''
| |
| ** In a flashback to the team's formation, Jessie is set up as a loner who does not tolerate or trust her partners. When Meowth has eaten both his and James's loaves of bread, Jessie insists on sharing hers with them. This marks the first time Jessie puts her partners' needs before her own.
| |
| ** When Meowth is sleeping, James admits to Jessie that he has been putting on a front and that he's actually been running away his whole life. She then opens up about having been alone her whole life. Having shared their greatest vulnerabilities with each other, they vow to be there for each other and to make their team shine.
| |
| ** When James is hurt during the mission, Jessie almost gives up, stating that loneliness is all there is to her life. James appears, not wanting to let the team down despite his injuries, and recites a variation of what will become the first line of the Japanese motto, "If you ask us 'is that all there is', the answer will be the world's compassion".
| |
| ** Towards the end of the episode, James and Meowth fall in a deep pit and again find themselves being held up by Jessie. James, not wanting to jeopardise the mission, decides to let go but Jessie refuses to leave him behind, declaring that she can't go on alone and that their friendship is more important than succeeding. She pulls him up and he lands on top of her. The camera pans to a shot of them panting heavily and staring into each other's eyes in this suggestive position, with Jessie visibly blushing.
| |
| * ''[[AG042|Love at First Flight]]''
| |
| ** When {{p|Illumise}} and {{p|Volbeat}} perform a "mating" dance, they are said to bring good fortune to spectators who are in love. Jessie wonders if it could work for her since she's in love with the idea of being married and living happily ever after. She pictures a prince from a fairy tale, since she's not talking about anyone in particular. James is disappointed by her explanation.
| |
| ** During the motto, Jessie dresses as an Illumise and James dresses as a Volbeat. In costume, James walks behind Jessie, with his hands on her hips, then they wiggle their behinds to show off the light fixture on the back of James's costume. The back of Jessie's costume has a heart on it, which is not a natural marking found on Illumise.
| |
| * ''[[AG053|Game Winning Assist]]''
| |
| : In the Latin American Spanish dub, when {{TP|James|Cacnea}} affectionately attacks James he says, "¿Cacnea, por qué me quieres besar si sabes que ya tengo novia?"; or, "Cacnea, why do you want to kiss me if you know that I already have a girlfriend?"
| |
| :: Although ''novia'' can mean both “girlfriend” and “fiancée”, James never uses novia when he is saying "fiancée." Instead he uses ''prometida'', an unambiguous word for "fiancée”. He always refers to [[Jessebelle]] as his "prometida," and Jessebelle in turn calls him her "prometido." By the same token, during James’s brief engagement to [[Temacu]], she, James and Jessie all use the term "prometido". On top of that, James does not mention Jessebelle between catching Cacnea and ''Game Winning Assist'', so Cacnea would not understand any reference to Jessebelle. Therefore, "novia" would mean "girlfriend" and can only reasonably refer to Jessie.
| |
| * ''[[AG057|Going for a Spinda]]''
| |
| : During the motto, there are hearts in the background, and in the foreground is James carrying Jessie on a giant heart.
| |
| * ''[[AG068|A Double Dilemma]]''
| |
| : Jessie and James dress up as [[Gym Leader]] [[Norman]] and his wife [[Caroline]]. Meowth and {{TP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}} clash on the disguises, so in the English dub James, playing the role of a married man, says to Jessie, "Everything was going as planned and then your kids had to mess it all up."
| |
| * ''[[AG072|The Bicker the Better]]''
| |
| ** [[Oscar and Andi]] assume Jessie and James are a couple in the English dub (in the original they simply suggest that the two have a good relationship). James looks confused at this and Jessie just ignores it. Since they don't get upset at it like {{Ash}} and {{an|May}} do, it could be interpreted that Jessie and James find the assumption acceptable.
| |
| ** Jessie and James’s quarrel after their failed [[Multi Battle|Tag Battle]] is strongly reminiscent of a lovers' tiff, their insults more personal and the manner of delivery and receipt more flirtatious than Ash and May’s. It also gets physical: Jessie instinctively uses James as a body shield from [[May's Skitty]], puts him in a headlock and somehow ends up piggybacking him.
| |
| ** They are still locked together when Meowth signs to them that this is an opportunity to get Pikachu. They immediately break apart, link arms and without apology or explanation the fight is over, and they are back in sync with their Pokémon attacks and a motto variation:
| |
| :: '''Jessie:''' Even if we sometimes quarrel,
| |
| :: '''James:''' Even if we sometimes battle,
| |
| :: '''Jessie:''' To stand by the evils of love and truth,
| |
| :: '''James:''' We are the villains with an unshakeable bond!
| |
| : Jessie says her name after this with a wink at James, who is smiling back.
| |
| * ''[[AG081|Take This House and Shuppet]]''
| |
| : In the English dub, James tries to rationalise some bickering with, "They say that you always hurt the ones you love!"
| |
| * ''[[AG082|A Shroomish Skirmish]]''
| |
| : A group of {{p|Breloom}} are pursuing Jessie and James, so they hug out of fear. They end up having to choose between Breloom attacks or jumping off a cliff. Indecisive, they hug again and Jessie cries in James's arms.
| |
| * ''[[AG084|Who's Flying Now?]]''
| |
| : In the English dub, James starts to describe a memory and Jessie interrupts, saying that if it has to do with his past love life, she would rather jump off a cliff than hear it.
| |
| * ''[[AG085|Sky High Gym Battle!]]''
| |
| : When Jessie and James imagine themselves dancing together at the Team Rocket nightclub, they do not include Meowth or any of their Pokémon in the fantasy. The 'R' on the wall of the club has hearts all over it.
| |
| * ''[[AG089|A Scare to Remember!]]''
| |
| : After Team Rocket crashes into a tree, Jessie in the English dub says, "You know James, I never felt this close to you before." Equally dramatically, James comments, "I feel the same about you..." his tone becomes markedly displeased as he adds, "and {{TP|Jessie|Wobbuffet}}."
| |
| * ''[[AG111|Eight Ain't Enough]]''
| |
| ** Jessie gets irritated when James, disguised as [[Juan]], flirts with his female fans.
| |
| ** In the Latin American Spanish dub, during the blast-off, Meowth says, "Perdimos todo el dinero"; or, "We lost all of the money." James adds, "Sí, y yo ya perdía todas mi chiquitas"; or, "Yes, and I lost all of my babes." Jessie fires back with, "¡Si no te callas, perderás tu perfil Griego!"; or, "If you don't shut up, you're going to lose that flawless face of yours!"
| |
| * ''[[AG139|On Cloud Arcanine]]''
| |
| : The wedding cake Jessie and James make is decorated with candy versions of their Pokemon.
| |
| * ''[[AG141|Hail to the Chef]]''
| |
| : A slow pan is shown of Jessie and James asleep in the same bed, nestled together, with Jessie half on top of James. Perhaps due to coloring error, the front of Jessie’s shirt appears to be open.
| |
| * ''[[AG143|The Saffron Con]]''
| |
| : James and Meowth try to steal Pokémon in an attempt to cheer Jessie up after she has to get her hair cut. Although they fail in the theft, they succeed in cheering her up.
| |
| * ''[[AG147|Sweet Baby James]]''
| |
| ** James's housekeepers mistake Jessie for [[Jessebelle]] and congratulate him on his marriage. James shouts "No!", imagining a married life in which he is doing chores while Jessie bosses him around. Although he appears to find this vision repulsive, in reality he is quite happy to do domestic tasks for Jessie at other times, for example ironing her contest outfit in ''[[DP060|Journey to the Unown!]]''
| |
| ** The Latin American Spanish dub translates James's reaction differently: ‘¿Qué? ¡Yo y Jessie no se azoten!" or, "What? Jessie and I don't torture each other!’ His notion that marriage consists of two people torturing each other is a clear reference to his experience with Jessebelle, which he clearly considers very different from his relationship with Jessie.
| |
| ** Jessie is unimpressed by James’s reaction to the thought of being married to her and further upset when he introduces her as his secretary in an attempt to cover up his being in Team Rocket. She spends most of the rest of the episode wilfully going against James’s request to keep the peace and only becomes supportive again after James has been honest about their identity.
| |
| ** Throughout Team Rocket's stay, the housekeepers continue to ask about Jessie when she is not around and don’t seem to notice her bad behaviour. They even approve of her after finding out they are in Team Rocket, saying that “it seems like his friends are also good people”.
| |
| * ''[[AG162|Spontaneous Combusken!]]''
| |
| ** This episode marks the beginning of Jessie’s close relationship with [[James' Mime Jr.|James's Mime Jr.]] The interest and care Jessie takes builds over time and is later reflected in James’s increased investment in her contest career in the subsequent [[Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl|Diamond & Pearl series]].
| |
| ** Having earlier heard that [[May (anime)|May]] may have a crush on [[Drew]], Jessie gazes into the ocean and ponders the concept of first loves alongside Mime Jr., as James and Meowth watch from a distance. In the Latin American Spanish dub, Meowth remarks, "Yo olvidé el amor de verano"; or, "I don't even remember who my summer love was." James muses, "Tal vez no reconocemos la verdad cuando la vemos"; or, "Perhaps we don't know the truth when we see it."
| |
| * ''[[AG165|King and Queen for a Day!]]''
| |
| : At the beginning of the episode, James does not allow his Mime Jr. to battle for fear of it getting hurt. However, when {{an|Brock|Brock's}} Bonsly relentlessly attacks Jessie, James angrily sends it into battle.
| |
| * ''[[AG174|New Plot, Odd Lot!]]''
| |
| ** James says that he sold his bottle caps so Jessie could buy the dress she wanted.
| |
| ** James is annoyed when [[Harley]] insults both Team Rocket and Jessie then holds her hands and tells her that he is nevertheless a fan of her Contests. Jessie giggles and James looks at her with disappointment. He looks equally put out when they hold hands a second time.
| |
| * ''[[AG176|The Ole' Berate and Switch]]''
| |
| ** After Jessie, James, and Meowth decide to go their separate ways, Cassidy convinces James to join her. Upon seeing Cassidy manhandle James and then drag him away, Jessie kicks a fire extinguisher in anger.
| |
| ** Later, Jessie and James try to steal [[Poké Ball]]s to impress each other, and apologize for having argued.
| |
| * ''[[AG187|The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!]]''
| |
| : Harley asks Jessie to travel with him to [[Johto]] to be his training partner which she politely declines, saying that her work with Team Rocket is more important, something that pleases James.
| |
| * ''[[AG190|Pace - The Final Frontier!]]''
| |
| : When {{p|Regirock}} and {{p|Registeel}} use {{m|Lock-On}} on Team Rocket, James tries to carry Jessie away to save her. When they inevitably do get blasted off, he is still holding onto her. Of note, [[M08|the last time]] (chronologically) the two met these Pokémon, Jessie appeared to die in front of James.
| |
|
| |
|
| ===={{series|Diamond & Pearl}}====
| | Jessie again dabbled with the idea of parting with Team Rocket during ''[[XY063|A Fork in The Road! A Parting of The Ways!]]''. After being separated during a blast-off, James and Meowth find Jessie telling {{Ash}} and company she is quitting Team Rocket to stay with [[Dr. White]], who she has fallen in love with. Meowth is about to stop Jessie, but James tells him they shouldn't get in the way of her happiness. James then runs away crying as he reminisces about the life he has shared with his partner. After Jessie and James Pokémon are stolen by a [[Pokémon hunter (XY063)|hunter]] James pleads Ash and his friends for help. In the original Japanese, {{an|Serena}} begins to ask an ambiguous question of James about Jessie which he cuts off with an affirmative grunt before she can express the verb. Given the context, it is hinted that she may have been about to ask if he likes her as more than a friend. Jessie, having overheard the conversation Jessie chooses to return to Team Rocket and help rescue their Pokémon. When Meowth begs her to live for love, not evil, to which she replies that she is carrying out the evils of love and truth, quoting their [[Team Rocket mottos|motto]]. |
| Jessie's Contest arc in the ''Diamond & Pearl'' series is a major source of development for her relationship with James. The hesitancy he feels towards her participation, carried over from the Advanced Generation, eventually dissipates and he becomes increasingly involved, loaning her his Pokémon and on [[DP146|one occasion]] stepping in for her when she is sick. He repeatedly forgets to cheer her by her Jessilina alias and instead calls her Jessie before correcting himself, such as in ''[[DP171|Dawn of a Royal Day!]]''. In ''[[DP175|Opposites Interact!]]'' James tries to get Jessie to let him watch her performances instead of selling merchandise. | |
| * ''[[DP002|Two Degrees of Separation!]]''
| |
| ** When it is announced that [[James's parents|his parents]] and [[Jessebelle]] are on their way to James's summer home, where the trio is staying, James insists on leaving. Although disappointed, Jessie and Meowth drop what they are doing and leave with him, with Jessie saying "it can’t be helped".
| |
| ** James suggests that maybe someday he, Jessie and Meowth can afford to live in a cottage together.
| |
| * ''[[DP022|Borrowing on Bad Faith!]]''
| |
| : Right before Jessie performs in the First Round of a practice Contest, James shouts encouragement from the audience. In the Latin American Spanish dub, he says, "¡Órale, mi reina de cempasúchil!"; or, "Spot on, my marigold queen!" When Jessie completes the round, James says, "¡Ay, esa mi Jessie se la hizo!"; or, "Gosh, my Jessie did that!"
| |
| * ''[[DP044|Mass Hip-Po-Sis!]]''
| |
| : While Jessie is asleep, in the English dub she says, "How sweet to be swept away by the special someone that I hold dear." She wakes up to find that she is literally being swept off her feet because James's battle sent them blasting off. James reminds her to be careful what she wishes for.
| |
| * ''[[DP055|Throwing the Track Switch]]''
| |
| ** James remains depressed over losing Cacnea, so Jessie and Meowth try to cheer him up with food. When this doesn’t work, they attempt to lift his spirits by stealing {{AP|Buizel}} and {{TP|Dawn|Aipom}}. When James accidentally foils their plans, Jessie jumps on him and pins him down to hush him and then explains what they were doing. James is touched, hugs them and joins their effort. Even though they end up stealing the wrong Pokémon, James is moved to tears and he and Jessie hold hands.
| |
| ** James immediately recognizes Jessie in spite of her disguise.
| |
| * ''[[DP073|Crossing Paths]]''
| |
| ** James is concerned Jessie might come to regret releasing Dustox, reminding her that she has lovingly raised it from a Wurmple. When she explains that this is Dustox’s chance at love, he is touched and assures her that he will help restore the lake.
| |
| ** The narrator at the episode's close suggests that Jessie might one day find happiness too, as the frame pans down to Jessie and James watching the Dustox migration side-by-side (the shot fading as Meowth comes into frame). The English dub changes the narration from finding happiness to finding love.
| |
| * [[DP075|Our Cup Runneth Over!]]
| |
| : Jessie, under the alias Jessalina, tries seducing [[Wallace]] in hopes that he will go a bit easy on her at the [[Wallace Cup]]. When she strokes his chest, James becomes furious and he and Meowth drag her away.
| |
| * ''[[DP078|Pruning a Passel of Pals!]]''
| |
| : Jessie is upset about losing in the [[Wallace Cup|Sinnoh Wallace Cup]], so James and Meowth go grab a TV camera, suggesting that Jessie cheer up by interviewing [[Pokémon Coordinator|Coordinators]] and snubbing Ash and company. Jessie is touched and tears up.
| |
| * ''[[DP091|One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!]]''
| |
| : James and Meowth are so proud of Jessie's accomplishments in the [[Pokémon Summer Academy]], that they completely forget about stealing Pokémon. James also accidentally calls her Jessie, instead of her alias Ms. Jessalinda.
| |
| * ''[[DP103|Jumping Rocket Ship!]]''
| |
| : In the English dub, when Meowth says he wants to quit Team Rocket, Jessie says, "Are you pulling my leg?" and James adds, "Jessie's ticklish!" How he knows this is left to the viewers' imagination.
| |
| * ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]''
| |
| ** James is upset by Meowth leaving the team, but heartbroken when Jessie leaves. He reminds her that they’ve been working towards the same dreams and she retaliates by reminding him that his family is rich and he has a fiancée, implying that she thinks he'd be happier back at home than he would be with her. He shouts at her retreating figure, “Was our bond really that fragile?”
| |
| ** Once Jessie learns about James being in danger, she immediately drops the façade of pursuing her contest career and rushes to his aid. Upon saving him, the two feign aloofness for a few seconds before James throws himself on his knees and cries with joy that Jessie has returned.
| |
| ** When the {{shiny}} {{p|Metagross}} is about to kill them, James apologizes for getting Jessie involved, which she brushes off saying they're friends. He goes on to say life wasn't wasted because he spent it with good friends, looking at her significantly. Closing their eyes for the final blow, Jessie says, “If there is another world after we die, let’s meet again there.” James agrees and smiles, no longer looking afraid. This is an addendum to James's promise in ''[[HS12|Training Daze]]'' to always be at Jessie's side.
| |
| * ''[[DP123|Old Rivals, New Tricks]]''
| |
| : James tells {{TP|James|Mime Jr.}} that he is counting on it to get Jessie her third [[Ribbon]].
| |
| [[Image:DP133 Scale.png|250px|thumb|right|A motto sequence from ''[[DP133|Uncrushing Defeat!]]'']]
| |
| * ''[[DP133|Uncrushing Defeat!]]''
| |
| : During the motto, Jessie and James are on a set of scales with a pink heart on it, swinging slightly but seemingly in perfect balance.
| |
| * ''[[DP135|Beating the Bustle and Hustle!]]''
| |
| : When [[Azure]] and [[Crimson]] tell Jessie and James that they prefer being thieves to joining a criminal organization, Jessie retorts that they are “romantics”. Azure and Crimson respond, laughing, that romance is an old-fashioned idea. Jessie and James's blush furiously at this.
| |
| * ''[[DP142|Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!]]''
| |
| ** In the Sinnoh Team Rocket base, there is no bed in James's room. However, there is a cat-sized pet bed in Meowth's room and a double bed in Jessie's room. The implication therefore is that James shares Jessie's bed.
| |
| ** Jessie and James once again emphasise that their involvement with Team Rocket is linked to their notion of being romantics.
| |
| * ''[[DP146|Dressed for Jess Success!]]''
| |
| ** James tries to help Jessie back to bed as she is sick. When she overexcites herself and collapses, James catches her, and supports her weight, all with an air of affectionate exasperation.
| |
| ** Later, James disguises himself as Jessalina and enters his first Contest. After winning, Jessie hugs him and Meowth and nuzzles the [[Ribbon]] he won her, declaring "I love you, my darling Ribbon!" James and Meowth watch her happily as she does this, saying that her happiness was worth it.
| |
| * ''[[DP153|The Treasure Is All Mine!]]''
| |
| : James’s flashback to meeting Jessebelle shows him falling in love at first sight. Earlier in the episode, James concocts a plan to have Jessie dress as Jessebelle exactly because they look so similar.
| |
| : James refers to Jessebelle as his first love, implying that he'd fallen in love with someone else subsequently; otherwise, one would expect him to say she was his 'one love,' his 'only love' or his 'true love.' Yet, there are no other known love interests in his past, and he did not even have any friends until he met Jessie.
| |
| : Before intentionally getting hit by a {{m|Thunderbolt}} to escape Jessebelle, Jessie and James grasp each other's hands.
| |
| * ''[[DP171|Dawn of a Royal Day!]]''
| |
| : After Jessie loses, James worries about her uncharacteristic depression and tries to comfort her. When Jessie is about to throw away the “pity” ribbon Salvia gave her, he shouts at her to stop and reminds her that its her place in the Grand Festival that is at stake.
| |
| * ''[[DP172|With the Easiest of Grace!]]''
| |
| : During the motto, Jessie and James are seductively posed and looking at each other from the corner of their eyes. In the Latin American Spanish dub, Jessie, in a tender tone, says, "Una rosa con otro nombre es igual de dulce"; or, "A rose by any other name is just as sweet." In the same tone, James responds, "Y tus babosadas hacen que mi córazon pulse"; or, "And your daffiness makes my heart race."
| |
| * ''[[DP175|Opposites Interact!]]''
| |
| ** James is seen selling a huge variety and volume of Jessalina-themed products.
| |
| ** James cheers when Jessie advances to the Top 16. In the Latin American Spanish dub, James shouts, "¡''Wow'', eso es mi Jessie-Jess!"; or, "Wow, that's my Jessie-Jess!" Jessie-Jess is Jessie's nickname from her days at [[Team Rocket Academy]].
| |
| * ''[[DP188|Battling a Thaw in Relations!]]''
| |
| : Jessie, James, and Meowth pile their hands after a long day's work and say, "Great form!" Though Meowth simply puts an open paw on top of James's hand, James actually cups his hand around Jessie's.
| |
|
| |
|
| ===={{series|Best Wishes}}==== | | ====''[[Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon]]''==== |
| The ''Best Wishes'' series is noteworthy for attempting to put Jessie, James and Meowth in more serious, antagonistic roles. Their normal personalities and relationships are so much suppressed during the series that it inspired the creation of the [[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]] radio show, in the introduction to which [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/User:Rocket_Girl/TR_Radio_show/Transcript James accuses Jessie of only speaking to him these days to confirm mission plans]. This change resulted in a complete absence of shipping evidence until the ''[[Decolora Adventure]]'' portion of the saga when they start to revert to their prior selves.
| | Throughout this series, there were multiple subtle signs indicating how much Jessie and James care for each other, whether it be through their desire to protect one another from danger or support each other during competitions. |
| * ''[[BW124|Danger, Sweet as Honey!]]''
| |
| : When Jessie freezes in terror at the prospect of being attacked by a swarm of {{p|Beedrill}}, James takes her by the shoulders to guide her out of harm's way.
| |
| * ''[[BW141|Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!]]''
| |
| : As soon as Team Rocket's {{p|Basculin}} submarine spirals out of control, Jessie wraps her arm around James's neck out of fear and to keep James from crashing into the walls of the vehicle.
| |
|
| |
|
| ===={{series|XY}}====
| | Key moments include in ''[[SM058|Fighting Back the Tears!]]'' when James gets {{status|poison}}ed by a wild {{p|Toxapex}} multiple times during the episode, with Jessie getting increasingly concerned. She determines that Jame's health is more important than getting a rare and powerful Pokémon. James is equally concerned when he protects Jessie from an {{alo|Raticate}}'s {{m|Bite}} attack in ''[[SM025|A Team-on-Team Tussle!]]'' or when he has to attack Jessie to free her from a {{p|Gengar}}'s control in ''[[SM073|Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?]]'', even requesting {{TP|James|Mareanie}} to do it gently so as not to injure her. |
| In a progression of his involvement in Jessie's Contest arc in the {{series|Diamond & Pearl}}, James is a bedrock of support for Jessie during the [[Pokémon Showcase]] competition. As before, he often forgets to call her by her stage name and is now frequently shown to be the loudest supporter in the crowd, to the point that it becomes a nuisance for the audience members seated near him.
| |
| * ''[[XY014|Seeking Shelter From the Storm!]]''
| |
| : Jessie and James hug onscreen for the first time since the Diamond and Pearl series.
| |
| * ''[[XY046|The Clumsy Crier Quiets the Chaos!]]''
| |
| : Jessie is briefly shown pushing James out of the way of a rampaging [[Salamence|Salamence’s]] [[Dragon Breath (move)|Dragon Breath]].
| |
| * ''[[XY051|When Light and Dark Collide!]]''
| |
| : Although James is exasperated by Jessie's compulsive need to perform, he spontaneously joins her on stage and spins and dips her during a short dance sequence.
| |
| * ''[[XY063|A Fork in The Road! A Parting of The Ways!]]''
| |
| ** After being separated during a blast-off, James and Meowth find Jessie telling {{Ash}} and company she is quitting Team Rocket to stay with [[Dr. White]], who she has fallen in love with. Meowth is about to stop Jessie, but James tells him they shouldn't get in the way of her happiness. James then runs away crying as he reminisces about the life he has shared with his partner.
| |
| ** When their Pokémon are stolen, James, in a state of obvious emotional distress, seeks the help of Ash and friends to get them back without relying on Jessie. In the original Japanese, [[Serena (anime)|Serena]] begins to ask an ambiguous question of James about Jessie which he cuts off with an affirmative grunt before she can express the verb. Given the context it is hinted that she may have been about to ask if he likes her as more than a friend.
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| ** Having heard the above exchange, Jessie tries to explain to Dr. White that the group are in danger from [[Pokémon hunter (XY063)|the Pokémon hunter]]. When White runs to [[Beatrice]] instead, Jessie chooses to rescue them herself. Meowth begs her to live for love, not evil, to which she replies that she is carrying out the evils of love and truth, quoting their [[Team Rocket mottos|motto]].
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| * ''[[XY075|Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!]]''
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| ** Jessie becomes infatuated with [[Steven Stone]] and gets increasingly carried away with dreams of marrying into his wealthy family. James finally snaps during a wedding fantasy, literally tearing it down.
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| ** Ironically, the thing Jessie is most attracted to is Steven's position as an heir to an enormous fortune, a fact she mentions at least three times. That he shares this trait with James seems to be lost on her.
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| *''[[XY085|Mending a Broken Spirit!]]''
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| ** James spends the episode in disguise helping [[Serena's Braixen]], at total odds with Jessie. During the motto Jessie throws James a pleading look to join her so he does so, thinking, "It can't be helped!"
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| ** Jessie quite casually puts a hand in James's back pocket to take something out. He is flustered by this.
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| * ''[[XY105|Party Dancecapades!]]''
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| : Jessie takes James as her plus-one to a dance party.
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| * ''[[XY113|Performing a Pathway to the Future!]]''
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| : Although the team fears Jessie sulking due to not winning, she actually thanks everyone for helping her get this far. James and Jessie are both blushing when everyone tackles Jessie to the floor. As the camera pans upwards we can hear James saying he'll follow her anywhere.
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| * ''[[XY124|A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness!]]''
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| : When Jessie struggles to open a trick wall, James whacks a hand against it, briefly trapping Jessie between his body and the wall until it opens. Annoyed, she tells him, "That was misleading." The frames are presented like a classic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabedon Kabedon] scene, a trope often used in anime and manga for love confessions.
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| ===={{series|Sun & Moon}}====
| | Whilst there are no competitions in the same vein as contests or showcases this series, some episodes feature Jessie wanting to pursue an acting career, which James supports and assists with, even admitting she looks beautiful before her audition in ''[[SM113|This Magik Moment!]]''. At the conclusion of the series in the [[Manalo Conference]] both characters make it through the [[Battle Royal]] and into the {{pkmn|battle}} portion of the competition. When Jessie loses in the first round she demands James win, giving him their shared Z-Ring. She also gives the announcers a biography for James calling him a "ferocious warrior who has traveled the world and conquered [[Gyms]]s". Meowth pointing out that she's getting overexcited in cheering him on, much like James used to during her contests and showcases. After his loss, she struggles to tell him that she is proud regardless, offering a can of iced {{DL|Pokémon Center Café|Drinks|Komala Coffee}} and reminding him that Team Rocket always moves forward. James recognizes the offering for what it is from her and appears to be very touched by her action. |
| * ''[[SM016|They Might Not Be Giants!]]''
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| : In the episode preview, Jessie requests a "precious-like" bed for their secret base which James and Meowth deny on the basis that it will be too costly, but James agrees to make her one himself instead. The canonicity of the episode previews is dubious and we never see a bed in [[Bewear (anime)|Bewear's]] Den, however there is an upstairs floor which is never shown so it is possible that he actually did this.
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| * ''[[SM025|A Team-on-Team Tussle!]]''
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| : When {{pkmn2|Totem}} {{p|Raticate}} attacks Team Rocket with {{m|Bite}}, James jumps in front of Jessie to protect her.
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| * ''[[SM038|Mimikyu Unmasked!]]''
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| : James gets visibly worried when Jessie goes missing. Later when Meowth scolds him for making a bad joke, James pointedly tells him "Jessie would have laughed!"
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| * ''[[SM058|Fighting Back the Tears!]]''
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| : Jessie becomes frantic with worry when {{p|Toxapex}} poisons James and is shown hunched over his body whilst they care for him at their base. She is no less concerned the second time it happens in the episode, and in the post credits scene reassures Meowth that it is better they don't capture Toxapex as James's health is more important than getting a rare and powerful Pokémon.
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| * ''[[SM073|Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?]]''
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| ** James is noticeably more concerned about Jessie being possessed by {{p|Gengar}} than he was when the same happened to Meowth. He realises {{TP|James|Mareanie}} has to attack Jessie to release her from Gengar and asks Mareanie to do so gently to avoid hurting her.
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| ** This episode introduces the [[Z-Power Ring]] Jessie and James share, the only two trainers across the franchise to do so.
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| * ''[[SM093|Lillier and the Staff!]]''
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| ** When Jessie monologues about honey filling a hole in her heart, James appears with a tray of honey doughnuts saying, “Okay, here’s your sweet honey.”
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| ** Although James doesn't understand Jessie's need to perform and is partly exasperated by it, he nevertheless fully supports her and at the climax proudly calls her "the best!"
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| * ''[[SM112|Got Meltan?]]''
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| : James gets cranky when trying to fix their van. Jessie surreptitiously feeds him to replenish his energy. His mood immediately improves.
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| * ''[[SM113|This Magik Moment!]]''
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| : James tells Jessie she looks beautiful before an audition.
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| * ''[[SM132|Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Strategy!]]''
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| ** After James beat Jessie to a quarterfinal spot in the [[Manalo Conference]] in ''[[SM131|The Battlefield of Truth and Love!]]'', Jessie furiously demands James win his match against [[Gladion]] and gives him the Z-Ring to help him do so.
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| ** To make up for forgetting to send his résumé before their match, Jessie sends in an exaggerated bio describing James as a "ferocious warrior who has travelled the world and conquered [[Gym|Gyms]]". Meowth points out that she is a little overexcited in her cheering for him.
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| ** After he loses, Jessie, unable to tell James that she's proud, yet again shows she cares through food - by giving him a can of iced {{DL|Pokémon Center Café|Drinks|Komala Coffee}} and reminding him that Team Rocket always moves forward. James appears suitably touched.
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| * ''[[SM140|Z-Move Showdown!]]''
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| : In the post-credits sequence, Jessie and James are positioned shoulder-to-shoulder in the hot spring, both implied to be naked.
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| * ''[[SM146]]''
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| : In Mareanie's fantasy of the group flying on a plane, the entire team is positioned at the very front except for Jessie who is right at the back. Given Mareanie's canon crush on James, this is likely to represent her feeling threatened by Jessie for James's love.
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| ====[[New series]]==== | | <!--====''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]''==== |
| * [[SS003]] | | * [[JN003|Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower!]] |
| : The duo perform a ballroom dance sequence in the new stock motto animation. They dance holding hands and James dips Jessie. | | : The duo performs a ballroom dance sequence in the new stock motto animation. They dance holding hands and James dips Jessie.--> |
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| ===={{pkmn|movie|Movies}}==== | | ==Other media== |
| * ''[[M01|Mewtwo Strikes Back]]''
| | ===''[[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]]''=== |
| ** Jessie and James spend a significant proportion of their time onscreen hugging.
| | Throughout the manga, there is suggestive physical contact between Jessie and James and they also revealed to share a bed. In [[ET20|the epilogue]], there is a panel in which we see a flashback to James confessing his love to Jessie and at the end of the manga, Jessie and James are shown to be married with a child on the way. |
| ** While the Pokémon are befriending their clones, Jessie and James apologize to each other for past arguments. Then they hug and cry.
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| * ''[[M02|The Power of One]]''
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| : In the English dub, Meowth tells the duo, "You two don't need the opposite sex because you got each other." The original line is "In any case the idea of a 'love life' is foreign to you two."
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| * ''[[M04|Pokémon 4Ever - Celebi: Voice of the Forest]]''
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| ** When Jessie is kidnapped by [[Iron-Masked Marauder]], James worries about her and feels bad that he is not able to rescue her.
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| ** Once [[Celebi (M04)|Celebi]] recovers from its control, James and Meowth both see Jessie falling into the ocean and watch with dismay.
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| *** In the English dub, when James reaches Jessie, he says, "Oh, Jessie, thank goodness you're safe."
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| * ''[[M05|Pokémon Heroes]]''
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| : In the Japanese version, the scene where Team Rocket is pedalling their {{p|Magikarp}} submarine is accompanied by the part of "[[You're Not Alone]]" that says one should never forget their loving and sharing heart.
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| * ''[[M06|Jirachi: Wish Maker]]''
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| : Jessie and James are seen holding one another at the climax of the film. They, along with Meowth, express gratitude for still being alive and say that they don’t need wishes when living in the moment can make them happy. Jessie and James look into each other's eyes and James takes hold of her hands before they put their palms and cheeks together.
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| * ''[[M08|Lucario and the Mystery of Mew]]''
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| ** Jessie dances with James at the ball, and when James mentions stealing Pokémon, Jessie responds that she just wants to dance all night. Another dancer cuts in, and Jessie is very flattered, but she was not intending to seek out a second dance partner. She meets back up with James later in the ball, because they are seen holding hands when {{mov|Lucario|Lucario|8}} starts to emerge from [[Sir Aaron|Sir Aaron's]] staff.
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| ** When Jessie almost falls out of the car due to the rocky road, James grabs her. As a result, he almost falls out with her.
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| ** In the Latin American Spanish dub, it is implied that Jessie interprets James's incoherence after chasing her as him trying to tell her something important. Jessie asks, "¿Ay, cómo puedes hacer tan lejos?" or, "¿Oh, how can you be so distant?", where distance can be interpreted literally or emotionally. James says, "¿Ay, Jessie, no te haces más lina? Jessie, no me dejes. Mamita. Ay, Jessita, no me dejes"; or, "Oh, Jessie, can't you be sweeter? Jessie, don't leave me. Honey. Oh, Jessie dear, don't leave me." When James tries to warn her about the leukocyte, she says, "Me quieres mucho, ay. James, juego de 'huir' de persecución"; or, "You love me so much, aww. James, I'm playful so as to 'avoid' the chase." In other words, she is saying that she tries to be relatively upfront and wants him to do the same, instead of playing a game of cat and mouse. The joke is that the leukocytes then 'catch' Jessie.
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| ** After the leukocyte traps Jessie, James uses his {{TP|James|Cacnea}} to try and rescue her. In an uncommon show of seriousness, he dodges Cacnea when it tries to hug him. After James fails to rescue Jessie, she and James cry out to each other as she is dragged down. James stands there speechless, visibly heartbroken. He quickly releases his {{TP|James|Chimecho}} and lets himself get engulfed as well.
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| ** When they have been restored to normal physical form, Jessie and James are seen in the same chamber holding hands and later hugging tight.
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| * ''[[M13|Zoroark: Master of Illusions]]''
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| : A {{p|Skiploom}} knocks Jessie out of Team Rocket's aircraft, so James grabs her, falling out himself.
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| * ''[[M16|Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened]]''
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| : When Jessie starts to fall into a manhole, James grabs her and falls with her, rather than letting go once he starts to lose his footing.
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| * ''[[M17|Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction]]''
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| ** When the trio believe they are about to get rich from [[Diancie (anime)|Diancie’s]] diamonds, James's first suggestion is they could build a house with the money and Jessie follows this up by saying they might get a holiday home too. In their excitement the two link arms and dance around the room.
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| ** Jessie and James instinctively hug before they are turned to stone by [[Yveltal (M17)|Yveltal]]. The scenes of them being frozen and unfrozen in each other’s arms are shown in parallel with those of [[Merilyn]] and [[Riot]] who become a {{wp|Canon (fiction)|canon}} couple at the end of the film.
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| * ''[[M19|Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel]]''
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| ** When in Alva's airship, Jessie and James are holding each other's arms. They're in a similar position towards the end of the movie, after the fortress falls.
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| ** The pair is stuck in a tree after being thrown out of a plane. James shoots a grappling hook onto the protagonists’ passing aircraft and with his other arm pulls Jessie. They ascend with Jessie’s arms wrapped tightly around James’ waist, her head buried in his chest.
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| * ''[[M22|Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution]]''
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| : During their new song, Jessie and James hold hands, then he takes her hands as they look into each other's eyes and finally she jumps onto his lap.
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| ===Manga=== | | ===''[[Pokémon Puzzle League]]''=== |
| *''[[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]]''
| | [[Image:EP100 Team Rocket Disguises.png|250px|thumb|left|Jessie and James dressed as newlyweds in ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?!]]'']] |
| ** Throughout the manga, there is suggestive physical contact between Jessie and James. They also share a bed.
| | During Round Four in Spa Service, they are wearing their bride and groom clothing from the episode ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''. Unlike the episode, Meowth is dressed as a flower girl and the background music is "{{wp|Bridal Chorus|Treulich Geführt}}" by {{wp|Richard Wagner}}, known in English as the "Bridal Chorus". |
| ** In [[ET20|the epilogue]], there is a panel in which we see a flashback to James confessing his love to Jessie.
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| ** At the end of the manga, Jessie and James are shown to be married with a child on the way.
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| ===Radio=== | | ===Radio=== |
| * ''[[It's a White Tomorrow, Team Rocket!]]
| | ====''[[It's a White Tomorrow, Team Rocket!]]''==== |
| ** When Jessie says the only thing she can rely on is her partner, James asks hopefully whether she means him. He becomes irritated when he realises she was referring to [[Jessie's Arbok|Arbok]].
| | During the radio drama, Jessie says the only thing she can rely on is her partner, James asks hopefully whether she means him, however, she reveals she meant her [[Jessie's Arbok|Arbok]], which upsets James. Later on when trapped and anticipating a fatal attack from an angry hoard of {{p|Beedrill}}, Jessie and James recite the lines of a famous {{wp|Kabuki}} scene from a show called ''Kuruwa Bunsho'' (translated as ''Love Letters from the Licensed Quarter''), where two lovers commit a double suicide. |
| ** Trapped and anticipating a fatal attack from an angry hoard of {{p|Beedrill}}, Jessie and James recite the lines of a famous {{wp|Kabuki}} scene when two lovers commit a double suicide.
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| * ''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]]''
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| ** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibalmK9taEc "Space People No. 1"], the opening drama of Episode 7, explores the aftermath of a rocketship accident. "James" is frantically searching for "Jessie" and is distraught to find her injured and trapped under rubble. He is unable to free her despite his best efforts, so holds her as she dies. She tells him how happy she is that he is with her at the end and encourages him to save himself, as she believes their relationship is destined by fate and they will be reunited in another life.
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| *** The characters played by Musashi (Jessie) and Kojirō (James) are named "Jessie" and "James" as an homage to their dub names.
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| *** When asked in the final episode, Jessie cites this as her favourite opening skit of the series and James agrees.
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| ===Game=== | | ====''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]]''==== |
| * ''[[Pokémon Puzzle League]]''
| | A radio drama that aired in the latter half of 2012, ''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]]'' featured a lot of interaction between the three members of Team Rocket, the show was presented over several segmented stories where they portrayed different characters within them. The {{OBP|Team Rocket's Secret Empire|Twitter}} Twitter account featured several in-character tweets that indicated how close Jessie and James are, including an interaction during one of James's occasional Q&A sessions on Twitter, a follower asked him, "Jessie is cute! Since you are together all the time, haven't you fallen in love with her?" James answered, "So (she's my) eternal partner, right!" (「永遠のパートナーだからな！」). |
| : During Round Four in Spa Service, they are wearing their bride and groom clothing from the episode ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''. Unlike the episode, Meowth is dressed as a flower girl and the background music is "{{wp|Bridal Chorus|Treulich Geführt}}" by {{wp|Richard Wagner}}, known in English as the "Bridal Chorus".
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| ===Other=== | | In the chapter [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBoUED_EnQ8 "Space People No. 1"], the opening drama of Episode 7, the aftermath of a rocket ship accident is explored. The character of James is frantically searching for Jessie's character and is distraught to find her injured and trapped under rubble. He is unable to free her despite his best efforts, so holds her as she dies. She tells him how happy she is that he is with her at the end and encourages him to save himself, as she believes their relationship is destined by fate and they will be reunited in another life. When asked in the final episode, Jessie cites this as her favorite opening skit of the series and James agrees. |
| * ''[[Team Rocket's Secret Empire (Twitter)]]''
| |
| : During one of James's occasional Q&A sessions on Twitter, a follower asked him, "Jessie is cute! Since you are together all the time, haven't you fallen in love with her?" James answered, "So (she's my) eternal partner, right!" (「永遠のパートナーだからな！」)
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| ==Similarities==
| | In the final episode, the trio is asked to say what they like about each other. James is initially rendered incoherent and only able to describe Jessie as "good", before eventually saying they are a good balance. Jessie cites James always being there, saying that whenever she thinks she's alone she looks behind her and James is there. Although framed as a joke implying that James is creepily ever-present, there is also an underlying reference to the promise he makes in ''[[HS12|Training Daze!]]'' to stick with her. |
| [[Image:EP100 Team Rocket Disguises.png|250px|thumb|left|Jessie and James dressed as newlyweds in ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?!]]'']]
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| * Jessie and James have both owned multiple {{type|Poison}} Pokémon.
| |
| * Jessie's earrings are the same shade of green as James's eyes, Jessie's eyes are the same shade of blue as James's hair and Jessie's hair (prior to the [[EP261|transition to digital coloring]]) is the same shade of red as James's signature rose in the [[Original Series]].
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| * Jessie and James have a similar style of dress and normally coordinate their outfits.
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| ** They have also donned various disguises pretending to be a couple, most notably as [[Gym Leader]] [[Norman]] and his wife [[Caroline]] in ''[[AG068|A Double Dilemma]]''; newlyweds in ''[[EP100|Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''; and, in ''[[EP028|Pokémon Fashion Flash]]'', ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]'', ''[[EP088|In the Pink]]'', and ''[[AG047|I Feel Skitty!]]'', wearing outfits similar to the ones [[Oscar and Andi]] wear. The latter is most likely a reference to the the manga ''{{wp|The Rose of Versailles}}''.
| |
| ** Jessie is incapable of fooling James with disguises, as is evident in ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]'', ''[[DP055|Throwing the Track Switch]]'' and ''[[XY063|A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!]]''. This is saying something, as even their close friend {{OBP|Christopher|DP117}} fails to recognize Jessie's disguise in ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]''
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| * Jessie and James both have experience studying weather patterns, which helps them man hot air balloons, hang gliders, helicopters, and other means of travel by flight. In ''[[EP234|Xatu the Future]]'', it is revealed that Jessie used to be a meteorologist, though she was not very good at it. In ''[[AG080|That's Just Swellow]]'', is revealed that James had a private [[PokéRinger]] tutor. Similarly, James is a skilled navigator, since he wins an [[Pokémon Orienteering|Orienteering]] competition in ''[[AG159|Off the Unbeaten Path]]''.
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| * Jessie and James both play guitar and drums. They play {{wp|taiko|taiko drums}} in ''[[EP020|The Ghost of Maiden's Peak]]''; and they play {{wp|electric guitar}} in a flashback in ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]'' as well as the Japanese and English music video for "[[Meowth's Party]]." James plays the drums and Jessie the electric guitar in "Team Rocket's Live", the opening drama to Episode 18 of [[Team Rocket's Secret Empire]].
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| ==Trivia== | | ==Trivia== |
| * Scriptwriter [[Junki Takegami]] is responsible for writing what are generally considered to be the 3 most important Rocketshipping episodes: ''[[EP048|Holy Matrimony!]]'', ''[[HS12|Training Daze]]'' and ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]''. Interestingly, he also received joint writing credit with Shōji Yonemura for ''[[XY063|A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!]]'' in promotional material, although his name did not appear in the episode's end credits. | | * Scriptwriter [[Junki Takegami]] is responsible for writing what are generally considered to be the 3 most important Rocketshipping episodes: ''[[EP048|Holy Matrimony!]]'', ''[[HS12|Training Daze]]'' and ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]''. Interestingly, he also received joint writing credit with Shōji Yonemura for ''[[XY063|A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!]]'' in promotional material, although his name did not appear in the episode's end credits. |
| * In the episode ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'', Jessie and James have a {{wp|ramen}} shop named after them. | | * [[Toshihiro Ono]] who created [[The Electric Tale of Pikachu]] manga, in which Jessie and James are shown married and expecting a child, continues to express his support for the pairing on [https://twitter.com/kamirenjack3 his Twitter account]. |
| | ** He is also infamous for producing an unofficial hentai doujinshi which fills in the details of how they conceived their child. |
| | <!--* In the episode ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'', Jessie and James have a {{wp|ramen}} shop named after them.--> |
| * In addition to numerous appearances with Meowth and their other Pokémon, Jessie and James have featured together by themselves in 3 TCG cards: | | * In addition to numerous appearances with Meowth and their other Pokémon, Jessie and James have featured together by themselves in 3 TCG cards: |
| ** [[Here Comes Team Rocket! (Team Rocket 15)|Here Comes Team Rocket!]] ([[EX Team Rocket Returns (TCG)|EX Team Rocket Returns]] print) | | ** [[Here Comes Team Rocket! (Team Rocket 15)|Here Comes Team Rocket!]] ([[EX Team Rocket Returns (TCG)|EX Team Rocket Returns]] print) |
| ** [[Team Rocket's Harassment (Ash vs Team Rocket Deck 26)|Team Rocket's Harrassment]] | | ** [[Team Rocket's Harassment (Ash vs Team Rocket Deck 26)|Team Rocket's Harassment]] |
| ** [[Jessie & James (Hidden Fates 58)|Jessie & James]] (Regular print) | | ** [[Jessie & James (Hidden Fates 58)|Jessie & James]] (Regular print) |
| * It was mistakenly thought for a time that the [[Iron-Masked Marauder]] was the future son of Jessie and James due to a mistranslation before the release of ''[[M04|Celebi: Voice of the Forest]]'', describing him as their "descendent". | | <!--* It was mistakenly thought for a time that the [[Iron-Masked Marauder]] was the future son of Jessie and James due to a mistranslation before the release of ''[[M04|Celebi: Voice of the Forest]]'', describing him as their "descendant".--> |
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| ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| Line 376: |
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| {{Project Shipping notice}} | | {{Project Shipping notice}} |
| [[Category:Shipping|{{PAGENAME}}]] | | [[Category:Shipping|{{PAGENAME}}]] |
| [[Category:Anime ships|{{PAGENAME}}]]
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| [[Category:Manga ships|{{PAGENAME}}]]
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| [[Category:Electric Tale of Pikachu ships|{{PAGENAME}}]]
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| [[Category:Ships with James]]
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| [[Category:Ships with Jessie]]
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RocketShipping (Japanese: コジムサ KojiMusa), alongside PokéShipping is one of the most common pairings within the Pokémon fandom. It is also one of the few officially recognized by The Pokémon Company, with evidence found across multiple adaptations.
Jessie and James first appeared in Pokemon Emergency, alongside Meowth as members of the villainous group Team Rocket. Here they have served as the show's primary antagonists over its history, frequently performing schemes to try and steal the Pokémon of other Trainers, and primarily Ash's Pikachu. Frequently throughout the series that Jessie and James are shown to have a lot more physical contact than that between other characters, including hugging, hand-holding and even sleeping on each other. They are shown to frequently share Pokémon who frequently show affection to the pair in similar ways, as well as equipment, such as their Z-Power Ring.
There is a wide amount of variation between how the character's relationship is presented depending on the language being translated. Notably, this includes James and Meowth fearing retribution when Jessie doesn't win Contests or Showcases in English, compared to being supportive and wishful for her success in the original Japanese versions. In the Latin American Spanish dub, James frequently calls Jessie “mamita” or “querida” (terms of endearment like “honey” or “sweetie”), “mi Jessie” (my Jessie) or by pet name “Jessita”.
History of the RocketShipping Fandom
An image from the epilogue to Electric Tale of Pikachu
The RocketShipping fandom has undergone substantial change over the years, with peaks of popularity naturally coinciding with the occurrence of Shipping "hints" in the source material.
The first major event in the RocketShipping fanbase occurred when a member of TRHQ came across an untranslated graphic novel in a bookstore, the final volume of Toshihiro Ono's The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. The epilogue of the manga contained two important scenes: one was a panel showing James confessing his love to Jessie; the other was a full-page illustration in which Jessie and James were married and Jessie visibly pregnant. Most importantly of all for fans, this was official and approved by Nintendo, some believed that it was only a matter of time before something similar happened in the anime series.
However, not long after this, the number and frequency of hints in the anime decreased, along with other changes in characterization. Around this time, a website named Pokemopolis was getting attention for rebutting the "evidence" found in the manga. Pokemopolis became a prominent anti-RocketShipping site in the fandom, as well as the main proponent of the theory that James is gay, and that Jessie and James are no more than friends.
RocketShipping had resurgences in popularity following the episode Noodles! Roamin' Off!, during the airing of Team Rocket's Secret Empire and again after A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!.
Anime
Pre Series
Jessie blushing after James accidentally falls on top of her in
Training Daze!In the side-story episode Training Daze!, the history of the Team Rocket formation was shown. Jessie was a loner who didn't work well in a team, with James being the first partner she was shown to trust. After having a heart-to-heart one night, they vow to be there for each other and make their team shine. After James is hurt during their mission, Jessie wants to give up but James doesn't let her, not wanting to let the team down despite his injuries. Jessie's dedication to James is shown again at the end of the episode where James prepares to sacrifice himself, but Jessie doesn't let that happen with a declaration of their friendship being more important than succeeding.
Early on in the series Jessie and James were shown to be close teammates, frequently seen protecting and encouraging each other when faced with hardships, whether it be declarations of friendship, commitment or compliments in the face of death and danger as seen when trapped aboard the S.S. Anne, during their encounters with Gastly during the events of The Ghost of Maiden's Peak or with Kaiser brandishing a gun at them during EP035.
The pair are occasionally mistaken as a couple, seen when DJ Mary casts them as a married king and queen during Air Time!. This is something they are only too happy to play up during their schemes, even disguising themselves as married couples in Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?. Meowth also comments during The Power of One' that "You two don't need the opposite sex because you got each other."
James is shown to be jealous when other men show interest in Jessie, such as Dr. Proctor in A Chansey Operation. He is also quick to comfort her when their poverty is at its peaks and helps and encourage her in her aspirations outside of Team Rocket, such as during Princess vs. Princess. Jessie desires to win the competition and the prized Hinamatsuri dolls. Despite her loss, James, Meowth, and their Pokémon dress up as the dolls, with James and Jessie dressed as the Emperor and Empress in their "doll" set.
Jessie frequently compliments him for his positive traits that help them towards their plans, whether it be picking locks, having a good memory, or doing well in Pokémon battles. She is also shown to be impressed when he exhibits talents outside of their work, such as his mastery of haiku's in Will the Real Oak Please Stand Up?.
A recurring story throughout the anime with James is his history of being engaged to a girl named Jessebelle. A woman who bears a striking resemblance to Jessie that he fell in love with at first sight. First highlighted in Holy Matrimony!, Jessie is crushed when she thinks James has abandoned her and Meowth to get his inheritance and marry Jessebelle. She is delighted when this is revealed that James decided to return to Team Rocket, swooping down in the Meowth Balloon to pick her up. When he tells her he wasn't able to get the inheritance, she brushes it off, saying they don't need it as long as they have their freedom. They shake hands to reaffirm their friendship. Their hands form a heart and the viewers are shown a prolonged scene of them gazing into each other's eyes as the music swells. They are so caught up in the moment that they forget to pick up Meowth.
Throughout the course of this series both Jessie and James are given the opportunity to depart from Team Rocket, James in the side story episode We're No Angels! (in the dub this was extended to Jessie as well) and Jessie during The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!. Both express sadness at this possibility and are happy when the other decides to stay.
In the previous season where James was seen getting jealous, of Dr. Proctor in this series, he is shown to be wary of Harley's intentions towards Jessie. Jessie is also shown to be jealous of women paying attention to James when he's dressed as Juan in Eight Ain't Enough.
In the Latin American Spanish dub of Game Winning Assist, when Cacnea affectionately attacks James he says, "¿Cacnea, por qué me quieres besar si sabes que ya tengo novia?"; or, "Cacnea, why do you want to kiss me if you know that I already have a girlfriend?". Although novia can mean both “girlfriend” and “fiancée”, James never uses novia when he is saying "fiancée." Instead, he uses prometida, an unambiguous word for "fiancée”. He always refers to Jessebelle as his "prometida," and Jessebelle in turn calls him her "prometido." By the same token, during James's brief engagement to Temacu, she, James, and Jessie all use the term "prometido". On top of that, James does not mention Jessebelle between catching Cacnea and Game Winning Assist, so Cacnea would not understand any reference to Jessebelle. Therefore, "novia" would mean "girlfriend" and can only reasonably refer to Jessie.
During the events of The Bicker the Better Oscar and Andi assume Jessie and James are a couple in the English dub (in the original they simply suggest that the two have a good relationship). James looks confused at this and Jessie just ignores it. Since they don't get upset at it like Ash and May do, it could be interpreted that Jessie and James find the assumption acceptable. This comfort can also be seen in Take This House and Shuppet when James comments "They say that you always hurt the ones you love!" during a fight, and in Sky High Gym Battle! where Jessie and James imagine themselves dancing together at the Team Rocket nightclub with the R insignia covered in hearts
There were also other small events between the pair, such as when the pair view Illumise and Volbeat perform a "mating" dance in Love at First Flight, that is said to bring good fortune to spectators who are in love. James sells his bottle caps in New Plot, Odd Lot! so that Jessie could buy a dress she wanted. Finally, James attempting to save Jessie from Regirock and Registeel by trying to carry her away in Pace - The Final Frontier!.
James history with Jessebelle surfaces again in Sweet Baby James when the Team Rocket visits one of his families estates. The housekeepers mistake Jessie for Jessebelle, Jessie is unimpressed by James's reaction to the thought of being married to her and further upset when he introduces her as his secretary in an attempt to cover up his being in Team Rocket. She spends most of the rest of the episode going against James's request to keep the peace and only becomes supportive again after James has been honest about their identity. Throughout their stay, the housekeepers continue to ask about Jessie, even when she isn't around and even approving of her after finding out they are members of Team Rocket, saying that “it seems like his friends are also good people”.
Jessie's Contest arc in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl is a major source of development for her relationship with James. The hesitancy he feels towards her participation, carried over from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, eventually dissipates and he becomes increasingly involved, loaning her his Pokémon and on one occasion stepping in for her when she is sick. He repeatedly forgets to cheer her by her Jessilina alias and instead calls her Jessie before correcting himself, such as in Dawn of a Royal Day!. In Opposites Interact! James tries to get Jessie to let him watch her performances instead of selling merchandise. In the Latin American Spanish dub, James frequently calls Jessie by nicknames including his marigold queen or Jessie-Jess, which is Jessie's nickname from her days at Team Rocket Academy.
In this series, there were few instances of implied imagery between Jessie and James, primarily in Where No Togepi Has Gone Before!, where inside their base there is no bed in James's room, and a double bed in Jessie's. During Crossing Paths, once Jessie releases Dustox, James is touched by Jessie's explanation about this being Dustox's chance of love. The narrator also suggests that Jessie will find happiness too as the shot pans down to show Jessie and James, the English dub narrator changes "finding happiness" to "finding love".
The events of Noodles! Roamin' Off! features the Team Rocket going their separate ways, with Meowth joining a noodle cart, Jessie wanting to focus on being a coordinator, and James remaining with Team Rocket. A depressed James decides to try and capture a Shiny Metagross. When Jessie hears that James is in danger, she immediately drops the façade of pursuing her contest career and rushes to his aid, causing James to fall to his knees and cry, overjoyed she has returned. With the shiny MEtagross about to attack them, James apologizes for getting Jessie involved, which she brushes off saying they're friends. He goes on to say life wasn't wasted because he spent it with good friends, looking at her significantly. Closing their eyes for the final blow, Jessie says, “If there is another world after we die, let’s meet again there.” James agrees and smiles, no longer looking afraid. This is an addendum to James's implied promise in Training Daze to always be at Jessie's side.
During Two Degrees of Separation! while visiting one of James's families summer homes, Team Rocket decide to leave quickly before his parents and Jessebelle arrive. Although disappointed, James expresses the desire to live in a cottage in the future with Jessie and Meowth. Later on, during the episode The Treasure Is All Mine!, James refers to Jessebelle as his first love, implying that he'd fallen in love with someone else. To escape Jessebelle later in the episode he asks Ash to get Pikachu to use Thunderbolt on them to send them blasting off.
Pokémon the Series: Black & White is noteworthy for attempting to put Jessie, James, and Meowth in more serious, antagonistic roles. Their normal personalities and relationships are so much suppressed during the series that it inspired the creation of the Team Rocket's Secret Empire radio show, in the introduction to which James accuses Jessie of only speaking to him these days to confirm mission plans. This change resulted in a complete absence of shipping evidence until the Decolora Adventure portion of the saga when they start to revert to their prior selves. An example of this is in Danger, Sweet as Honey!, when Jessie freezes in terror at the prospect of being attacked by a swarm of Beedrill, James takes her by the shoulders to guide her out of harm's way.
In a progression of his involvement in Jessie's Contest arc in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, James is a bedrock of support for Jessie during the Pokémon Showcase competition. As before, he often forgets to call her by her stage name and is now frequently shown to be the loudest supporter in the crowd, to the point that it becomes a nuisance for the audience members seated near him. During the Pokémon Showcase Master Class, despite worrying she'd be angry at her loss, Jessie thanks her friends for helping her get as far as she had. Everyone tackles and hugs her, with James saying he'd follow her anywhere.
Pokémon the Series: XY generally had smaller moments between Jessie and James peppered throughout the episodes, such as pushing each other out of the way of danger. One such moment is during A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness! when Jessie struggles to open a trick wall, James whacks a hand against it, briefly trapping Jessie between his body and the wall until it opens. Annoyed, she tells him, "That was misleading." The frames are presented like a classic Kabedon scene, a trope often used in anime and manga for love confessions. In Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction when the trio believe they are about to get rich from Diancie’s diamonds, James's first suggestion is they could build a house with the money and Jessie follows this up by saying they might get a holiday home too.
Jessie again dabbled with the idea of parting with Team Rocket during A Fork in The Road! A Parting of The Ways!. After being separated during a blast-off, James and Meowth find Jessie telling Ash and company she is quitting Team Rocket to stay with Dr. White, who she has fallen in love with. Meowth is about to stop Jessie, but James tells him they shouldn't get in the way of her happiness. James then runs away crying as he reminisces about the life he has shared with his partner. After Jessie and James Pokémon are stolen by a hunter James pleads Ash and his friends for help. In the original Japanese, Serena begins to ask an ambiguous question of James about Jessie which he cuts off with an affirmative grunt before she can express the verb. Given the context, it is hinted that she may have been about to ask if he likes her as more than a friend. Jessie, having overheard the conversation Jessie chooses to return to Team Rocket and help rescue their Pokémon. When Meowth begs her to live for love, not evil, to which she replies that she is carrying out the evils of love and truth, quoting their motto.
Throughout this series, there were multiple subtle signs indicating how much Jessie and James care for each other, whether it be through their desire to protect one another from danger or support each other during competitions.
Key moments include in Fighting Back the Tears! when James gets poisoned by a wild Toxapex multiple times during the episode, with Jessie getting increasingly concerned. She determines that Jame's health is more important than getting a rare and powerful Pokémon. James is equally concerned when he protects Jessie from an Alolan Raticate's Bite attack in A Team-on-Team Tussle! or when he has to attack Jessie to free her from a Gengar's control in Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, even requesting Mareanie to do it gently so as not to injure her.
Whilst there are no competitions in the same vein as contests or showcases this series, some episodes feature Jessie wanting to pursue an acting career, which James supports and assists with, even admitting she looks beautiful before her audition in This Magik Moment!. At the conclusion of the series in the Manalo Conference both characters make it through the Battle Royal and into the battle portion of the competition. When Jessie loses in the first round she demands James win, giving him their shared Z-Ring. She also gives the announcers a biography for James calling him a "ferocious warrior who has traveled the world and conquered Gymss". Meowth pointing out that she's getting overexcited in cheering him on, much like James used to during her contests and showcases. After his loss, she struggles to tell him that she is proud regardless, offering a can of iced Komala Coffee and reminding him that Team Rocket always moves forward. James recognizes the offering for what it is from her and appears to be very touched by her action.
Other media
Throughout the manga, there is suggestive physical contact between Jessie and James and they also revealed to share a bed. In the epilogue, there is a panel in which we see a flashback to James confessing his love to Jessie and at the end of the manga, Jessie and James are shown to be married with a child on the way.
During Round Four in Spa Service, they are wearing their bride and groom clothing from the episode Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?. Unlike the episode, Meowth is dressed as a flower girl and the background music is "Treulich Geführt" by Richard Wagner, known in English as the "Bridal Chorus".
Radio
During the radio drama, Jessie says the only thing she can rely on is her partner, James asks hopefully whether she means him, however, she reveals she meant her Arbok, which upsets James. Later on when trapped and anticipating a fatal attack from an angry hoard of Beedrill, Jessie and James recite the lines of a famous Kabuki scene from a show called Kuruwa Bunsho (translated as Love Letters from the Licensed Quarter), where two lovers commit a double suicide.
A radio drama that aired in the latter half of 2012, Team Rocket's Secret Empire featured a lot of interaction between the three members of Team Rocket, the show was presented over several segmented stories where they portrayed different characters within them. The Team Rocket's Secret Empire Twitter account featured several in-character tweets that indicated how close Jessie and James are, including an interaction during one of James's occasional Q&A sessions on Twitter, a follower asked him, "Jessie is cute! Since you are together all the time, haven't you fallen in love with her?" James answered, "So (she's my) eternal partner, right!" (「永遠のパートナーだからな！」).
In the chapter "Space People No. 1", the opening drama of Episode 7, the aftermath of a rocket ship accident is explored. The character of James is frantically searching for Jessie's character and is distraught to find her injured and trapped under rubble. He is unable to free her despite his best efforts, so holds her as she dies. She tells him how happy she is that he is with her at the end and encourages him to save himself, as she believes their relationship is destined by fate and they will be reunited in another life. When asked in the final episode, Jessie cites this as her favorite opening skit of the series and James agrees.
In the final episode, the trio is asked to say what they like about each other. James is initially rendered incoherent and only able to describe Jessie as "good", before eventually saying they are a good balance. Jessie cites James always being there, saying that whenever she thinks she's alone she looks behind her and James is there. Although framed as a joke implying that James is creepily ever-present, there is also an underlying reference to the promise he makes in Training Daze! to stick with her.
Trivia
- Scriptwriter Junki Takegami is responsible for writing what are generally considered to be the 3 most important Rocketshipping episodes: Holy Matrimony!, Training Daze and Noodles! Roamin' Off!. Interestingly, he also received joint writing credit with Shōji Yonemura for A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways! in promotional material, although his name did not appear in the episode's end credits.
- Toshihiro Ono who created The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, in which Jessie and James are shown married and expecting a child, continues to express his support for the pairing on his Twitter account.
- He is also infamous for producing an unofficial hentai doujinshi which fills in the details of how they conceived their child.
- In addition to numerous appearances with Meowth and their other Pokémon, Jessie and James have featured together by themselves in 3 TCG cards:
External links
