Jessie and James had been friends since James joined the Trainer School Jessie attended in Jubilife City, the pair caused havoc in and out of school and later failed all of their subjects. When they finished Trainer School the pair joined a notorious bicycle gang centered in Jubilife City where the earned the nicknames 'Little Jim' and 'Trainer James' the pair split after that and went on separate adventures Jessie left for the Hoenn Region whilst James stayed in the Sinnoh Region to fulfill his dream of owning all the Sinnoh Grass/Poison type pokémon. As Jessie left for a new life James stood at the port to wave her off and waited until the cruise-ship was out of sight.
James began his journey with his first pokémon- a Bellsprout he had stolen from a pupil at the Trainer School and become very attached with it. He travelled back to the bicycle gang in Jubilife City where he was approached by a young woman in a police uniform. It was officer Jenny and she had heard of The crimes Jessie and James had committed with the bicycle gang and took James to the station. To get himself off the hook James turned in several other members of the gang and when he tried to return the gang attacked him with their pokémon, James sent out his Bellsprout and his second pokémon- a Servine which he had been gifted by Jessie before she left for Hoenn. As James fell to the ground he saw his pokémon running from battle, leaving him to his attackers when the gang had left James became full of hatred for his own and other people's pokémon and vowed to steal them all so that no pokémon could ever leave a trainer in battle. James realising that he would not be able to do this without his own pokémon began to track them down.
James discovered his pokémon lying in a bush unconscious and soon his love for Grass pokémon returned stronger than ever and his goal changed. He would steal all the pokémon and punish them for what had happened to his dear Bellsprout and Servine. James began to train his pokémon to make them stronger and evolve, but James found it difficult to win battles and decided he would find his old partner Jessie and together they would bring the Pokémon World to its knees.
As James started on his journey to the port he came across a small pokémon that could speak. The pokémon introduced itself as Meowth the Master of Thieves and the King of Conniving, he asked if he could go with James for part of his travels, James agreed believing that Meowth would a formidable ally in his quest. the pair travelled to Nuzlea Town to catch the cruise-ship James had seen off years ago. As they were about to board the ship a tall, thin woman stepped on to the platform as she removed her hat her long, deep violet her fell around her broad shoulders and Her emerald-green earrings shone like the real thing. James immediately recognized the face "Jessie!" the woman span on her heels to face the familiar voice "James? Is that you?" "Yes it is Jessie, what are you doing back here?" "I came to find you, I need your help" "As do I, Jessie" "What do you mean?" "Let's go somewhere more confidential" James said turning his head to the passengers now boarding the cruise.
They walked to a small restaurant at the far side of town where they sat at the table farthest from the door and the counter, James introduced Jessie to Meowth and Meowth to Jessie. As they discussed what they had done since they had split all those years ago and then conversation turned to why they had both been searching for the other. James began to tell Jessie about what had happened when he had returned to Jubilife City and how the only way he could get out of jail was to turn over other gang members and how the rest of the gang had attacked him and left his pokémon unconscious in the bushes. Jessie then told James of how her travelling in Hoenn didn't go as planned as all the pokémon were incredibly weak and easily defeated in battles so she had returned to start a criminal group with James dedicated to stealing stronger pokémon from trainers and defeating weak ones that got in their way. The pair then turned to Meowth to learn more about him and why he turned to crime. Meowth began to tell them about his shady past and how he had been abandoned by his mother as a cub, but he refused to talk about it and instead turned to the conversation to how they would go ahead with their plans.
The trio left the town and headed back to Jubilife City to get revenge on the bicycle gang for what they had done to James and his pokémon when they arrived the gang leader was patrolling the town exit to Route 15 and spotted Jessie and James coming up from the distance, he immediately turned and fled to his gang hideout to warn the others. As the three defeated the hideout guards the gang leader appeared from the roof of the old warehouse and shouted "You will never get up here even if you do mange to worm your way in!" As they walked in to the warehouse three gang brutes approached and before they could attack Jessie's Serviper burst out and used toxic to infect them with a deadly poison, leaving them paralyzed on the floor. James sent his Arbok up to the pipes in the ceiling where it shot poison sting at any members of the gang who tried to attack. when the gang had been defeated Jessie and James ran up the flight of stairs where they encountered an Electrode which tried to zap them with Thunderbolt which they dodged leaving the bolt to hit Meowth as he stood on the stairwell. As the bolt hit Meowth fell back down the stairs in a frazzled state leaving his companions to tackle the Electrode. Jessie's Serviper coiled around the wall of the staircase hissing fiercely at its opponent, the Electrode tried to hit Serviper with a Mach Punch but Serviper dodged and counter with Poison Fang. The Electrode staggered backwards then let out a rippling howl of anger and pain and attacked with Electro Ball which Serviper endured to fight back with a final blow of toxic. As the Electrode fell to the ground Serviper hissed in joy at his victory. Jessie, James and the now recovered Meowth climbed the last of the steps to a dull silver door. As the James turned the doorknob it fell from its hinges landing on top of him causing him to let out an insignificant groan.
The breeze drifted awkwardly over the warehouse roof and as they looked around for the gang leader they could see nothing for a thick mist had grown around them "Watch out!" James cried as he saw the silhouette of a Fearow coming from the skies towards them. They fell to the floor and the Fearow pulled up back into the mist. "Servine, Defog, now!" Servine popped out it's pokéball and used Defog the mist dissolved around them. Fearow landed a few meters from the trio and the gang leader jumped from it's back "Maybe I underestimated you three but this is where your foolishness ends!" "Ha! Clearly you have underestimated us, for we are Team Rocket" the three called out in a chorus. "To protect the world from devastation" James called. "To unite all people with in our nations" Jessie echoed. "To denounce the evil of truth and love" James cried. "To extend our reach to the stars above" Jessie called. "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket blast in at the speed of light" Jessie cried. "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James yelled "Meowth that's right!"
"Fearow Wing Attack!" yelled the gang leader. Fearow soared towards Jessie's Serviper and sliced at it with its wing, Serviper fell back in pain and on Jessie's command sunk its fangs into Fearow's flesh letting its venom seep through the bird's body. As Fearow fell to the ground unconscious a second pokémon submerged from a pokéball. The second pokémon was a Rapidash. Rapidash shot forward in a Flare Blitz which knocked Serviper back to the floor and left it unconscious. "Poliwhirl, I choose you!" James called sending a pokéball spinning through the air it opened up releasing Poliwhirl "Hydro Cannon!" A powerful blast of water concentrated at Rapidash circled from Poliwhirl mouth "Now Mach Punch!" and with one powerful blow Rapidash fell to the floor unconscious. The gang leader was slowly trying to step away from the trio "Not so fast!" James called. "P...P..Please don't hurt me!" the leader burst into tears and fell to his knees. "Huh!" Jessie shrugged "Arbok Poison Sting" James said and a second later the gang leader was lying on the floor struggling for breath.