Pokemon Fans Mourn Team Rocket

Since Ash Ketchum first started his Pokemon journey, Team Rocket has been a hindrance when it comes to him achieving his dream of becoming a Pokemon master. With Jesse, James, and Meowth becoming the most recognizable villains in the series, fans were dismayed when the latest episode gave us an unexpected moment in the anime that might very well be their last. Pokemon: Aim To Be A Pokemon Master is bidding a fond farewell to both Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as the anime's leads, but will the nefarious trio return or are they leaving as well?

Team Rocket might not appear in video games such as Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, but they did make an appearance in Pokemon Go, showing that their popularity is able to transcend the anime adaptation and see the criminal organization jump to the games to this day. At present, the new Pokemon season has yet to reveal if there will be any villains to challenge Liko and Roy at the start of their journey, but we would imagine there will be some force to throw them curveballs. It may very well be possible that we see Team Rocket return but without the three we've come to know, as their final moments saw the trio parting ways.

Team Rocket Blasting Off Again

Team Rocket was a part of the original Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue video games. While the first entries featured Jesse, James, and Meowth's boss, Giovanni, the trio wasn't a part of these first entries. With Ash's rise, Team Rocket has also gained a firm footing in the minds of Pokemon fans.

After 25 years of annoying yet funny, wholesome, heartwarming and entertaining moments, Team Rocket’s Trio – Jessie, James and Meowth leave the Pokémon anime. These characters were some of the most charming and they for sure made the anime special. I will miss them ❤️ #Anipoke pic.twitter.com/fbjxLmMLeA

— Rafi (@ThePokeRaf) March 10, 2023

Despite introducing several new characters that will populate the next season, Pokemon still has more than a few questions when it comes to Liko and Roy's grand debut. While Ash Ketchum might no longer be the star of the series, producers behind the scenes have stated in the past that he might return to television at some point in the future. With or without Ketchum, the future seems bright for the franchise. 

Do you think we'll see Team Rocket return in the next season of Pokemon? Which villains from the game series do you think could take their place in Pokemon? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Pokemon.