#Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma

[themattress]

Pokémemories: The Meteonite Incident

For the first few months of Pokémon: Best Wishes' broadcast, a plotline was building up on the sidelines of almost every episode, centering around Team Rocket engaging in a covert spy operation to obtain an ancient meteor called the Meteonite that can store and release energy at unnatural levels. On March 10, 2011, they finally found it in the Desert Resort.

Then this happened.

The ensuing two-part "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma!" was thus pulled from airing and then never released, today only existing in script form and as a short video compilation of footage:

Life imitating art is a scary thing.

[themattress]

Sadly, I highly doubt Game Freak keeps Pokeani episodes on their server.

Would love to be proven wrong, though!

Y'know, with the Pokeani leaks today, can we FINALLY get the .mp4 of this, pretty please? 🥺

The scripts that were leaked a while ago revealed we were gonna get Ghetsis, and that would have been so hype.

[pokepollsters]

Best Pokémon Villains Tournament- Individuals Bracket- Round 1: Match 12

We draw closer to the end of Round 1, with this prickly punch-out of P names!

Coming from the mobile game Pokémon Masters EX, Paulo is a classic case of villainous acts coming from someone with the best of intentions. A thoughtful and kind trainer, Paulo comes from the Pasio region, and becomes the temporary leader of the native evil team- Team Break. Though usually a team committed mostly to causing trouble for its own sake, under Paulo's guidance, they become the opposing force against all other teams! While the grunts think they're just clearing the way to the top as they take out the likes of Team Rocket, Team Plasma, and more, Paulo's real goal is to topple all the teams and then let Team Break fall at the end as well. It's no doubt his ideals are noble, but his actions cause problems for many, and he becomes a misguided antagonist in his own right. Can this compelling tale beat a main series villain?

The second in command of the iconic Team Skull, Plumeria is the big sister to all the grunts of the gang! She's a rough, Poison Type user with an attitude, but beyond her abrasive exterior is a girl who cares about her family. It's true that Team Skull are a bunch of troublemaking misfits, but they're a family all the same, and Plumeria is a big part of that if the grunts' affection for her is any indication. She also comes round on the player too, asking for their help when Guzma goes missing during the plot of the Alola games. And after all that? She even takes you on as a challenger as a title defense match in the post game! Not one of the most evil villains, but a memorable and fun one nonetheless, can she bully a vote out of you?

[princess-of-the-corner]

It's worth noting that, in Hoenn, Ash had been somewhat of a mentor to May, and a big brother-like figure to Dawn in Sinnoh.

Then in Unova, he loses to a guy who thought the Unova League would be in Johto, didn't realize you need 8 badges to challenge the League, and thinks that a full team is 5 Pokemon.

Ash's main rival loses in the 1v1 rounds of the tournament.

Also, they cut the Team Plasma subplot.

Basically, Team Plasma was meant to debut in a "Team Rocket vs Team Plasma" 2-parter, but then an Earthquake hit Japan RIGHT as the episode that would've seen Castelia City destroyed in the crossfire was due to air.

So, they cut the episode and, instead of tweaking later episodes to have Team Plasma debut later and/or trim down on the urban destruction, cut Team Plasma entirely until it was time to adapt Black 2 and White 2.

Ah yeah the first bits kinda sound like. Soft-reboot 'our MC needs to forget everything so we can establish things for the audience'.

Which. Doesn't. Make sense. As there's always a companion who is new to this and fills the role.

Also wait the FUCK do you mean there's no Team Plasma?????

[themattress]

In trying to find out the contents of this two-parter, well before obtaining the scripts, I had two sources: one ended up being a complete bullshit artist, but the other was someone who certifiably worked on Part 1 and the stray details they remembered and mentioned to me about both episodes ended up being accurate. But the bottom line was that we had a clearer image of Part 1 for a long time: Giovanni and Team Rocket's excavation of the Meteonite, Ash and friends separating from Professor Juniper and Officer Jenny who end up with Looker, the big mafioso "deal" presentation of the Meteonite's power to Unova's elite, the three Team Plasma agents lurking in the background wanting to take the Meteonite due to its effect on Pokemon, and Pikachu synchronizing with the Meteonite causing its electric energy flow to go out of whack. The only major things missing was the exact nature of Krokorok's role and Ash being taken captive by Team Rocket, since my accurate source didn't mention them among their list of recollected details and the lying source made up totally contradictory info.

So Yamask's presence at Relic Castle was probably the biggest shock in regards to Part 1 when the scripts came out, which was quite a contrast to Part 2 where damn near everything in it was shocking due to both the graphic detailing of the Meteonite as a nuke and how much of a different path forward for the show's Myth Arc it painted. Part 2 was a fucking trip, man.

(No, not that kind of Trip.)

Thinking back on the Pokemon: Best Wishes "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma" special event recently, and it legit haunts me (in a funny sort of way) how the 3/11/11 disaster just had to hit Japan the day after the lead-in episode, with direct setup at the end and a next episode preview, was broadcast (which barred the staff from having any way of pretending the events that were to follow didn't canonically occur), and the episode set to air the next week that got previewed but then pulled from airing was "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma Part 1." And based on what we learned two years ago, Part 1 is the episode in that set that they could've gotten away with airing on a later date as had been originally pallned, even with the later B2/W2 developments!

The only reason it was not ever aired is specifically because there's that pesky Part 2 attached to it, complete with lead-in and preview, that continues the story, and Part 2 is where all the real problems lay.

To clarify, this was the only objectionable thing seen in Part 1:

Shots with lines and cracks during earth tremors that would call to mind earthquakes like what devastated Japan. Very brief shots that could be easily removed without impacting the episode's run time. There's speculation that a similar thing occured with the Castelia City Fishing Contest episode, where we got this image:

It's very likely that this was originally fully animated, but due to the uncomfortable reminder of the tsunami that broke out on 3/11/11, it got changed into a still image so that it was safe for broadcast.

Otherwise, nothing in "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Part 1" was very objectionable. The Meteonite's true nature as a nuke allegory is only somewhat alluded to without the whole truth about it and what it did to the ancient Relic Castle civilization being revealed yet, Team Rocket does no damage with it, Krokorok does no major earth-based damage, Ash and Dr. Zager narrowly miss each other when the former is in the latter's helicopter, and Team Plasma is neither named nor seen in their actual uniforms. Nothing contradicts the canon of later episodes. But then Part 2 would've followed, and....yeah.

To count the ways in which this was not fit for broadcast:

Team Plasma makes their proper debut as a completely different, different looking, differently motivated organization than what we'd later see, speaking self-righteously about the bogus "Pokemon liberation" goal that Ghetsis raised N, Anthea, and Concordia on and that the team had canonically only been doing from the shadows in isolated incidents prior to Colress being brought in, and about N as "the Hero" as though he was currently still with them and being prepped to go out into Unova as Team Plasma's liberator king. And though we'd not see Ghetsis' face here, his two cameos would have him clearly dressed in his B/W attire rather than his B2/W2 attire.

Team Plasma were going to introduce themselves via a terrorist attack on the big resort building where Team Rocket and the political elite he was trying to persuade to join him were with the Meteonite. Already we know this underwent a change because the original script draft describes Team Plasma's aircraft bringing a big metallic claw through the ceiling to grab up the Meteonite, but the finalized version has a Liepard using Hyper Beam from a Team Plasma helicopter to blast the side of the building so that the three guys inside get their opening to take the Meteonite. So this was clearly too intense a thing to show at this time, but by early 2013 that was no longer the case.

The goddamn nuclear energy allegory and heat radiation from the Meteonite. It could not be more obvious what's meant to be invoked based on what the script describes about the imagery and the stakes of this conflict, and not only would it have the worst timing if it had been aired, but it was likely just the first of such hamfisted Cold War era nuclear power arms race allusions and commentary given the arc that this was setting up for Team Plasma and Team Rocket here. Reshiram would basically be the ultimate escalation of this threat.

As I just said, a plotline for a Team Rocket-Team Plasma arms race was set up here. Pierce is still in Giovanni's employ as a spy, and Giovanni tells him that they'll be keeping closer surveillance over Team Plasma's activites in Unova now that they know more information about them, which was to be the next phase of the "there's a secret evil organization in the Unova region that we need to draw out" thing that got set up in BW01. This did not play out in the later episodes. If there were ever any passing references to their ongoing fight to one-up Team Plasma and conquer Unova first made by Team Rocket in the scripts for later episodes, which I suspect there had to have been in the setup for the Milos Island mission at least, they got removed for the versions of the episodes that made it to airing on TV. Team Rocket proceeded to play the role of the sole main evil team subplot for Ash's entire Unova League quest without any ties to Team Plasma and their activities (which only flared up again after the Unova League), and Pierce never returned to Unova because his entire role was intrinsically tied to that axed subplot.

Looker and Team Plasma's interactions would directly contradict what Looker later says regarding how little he and the International Police knows about the team at the time he meets with Ash, Iris, and Cilan again. And Ash, Iris, and Cilan also hear Looker speak the name "Team Plasma" and hear the Plasma grunt leader talk about their great undertaking of Pokemon Liberation in Unova done in the name of "the Hero", which would be contradicted by them later learning what Team Plasma is and what they're called, and how their actions have nothing to do with the Hero and movement spoken of.

At the climax of the story, Pikachu taps into the extra power that Zekrom gave it in episode 1 (again tying back to what was built up there) to create a gigantic Electro Ball that blows up the Meteonite, creating a cosmic explosion unleashed upon the surrounding area in the Desert Resort, a literal wasteland. This is also imagrey that would be too much for the grieving populace of Japan after 3/11, and is too reminisicent of a later broadcast moment in the series canon where Pikachu uses extra energy it got from Thunderus to make a gigantic Electro Ball that gets hurled at Team Rocket and the Reveal Glass in order to rescue Meloetta. This literal lightning cannot strike twice.

So all of these factors in tandem rendered "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Part 2" as an episode, and along with it the original version of "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma!" as a story event within the larger BW narrative, completely unworkable. And that is why the episodes themselves were never broadcast even though the general skeleton of the event (as shown in the footage compilation short web vid) are still canonical to the narrative of BW as aired in East Asia. It's why the ending of BW22 ("A Venipede Stampede!") is edited for international broadcasts so that Ash and friends do not accompany Professor Juniper and Officer Jenny to investigate the Meteonite energy's effects in the Desert Resort, thereby removing the direct lead-in to "Team Rocket VS Team Plasma!". It's why Krokorok, after a lengthy disappearance from the show, did the thing of helping out the good guys in exchange for a rematch with Pikachu in the later episode "Battling The Bully!" rather than here. It's why Ash getting captured by Team Rocket and put in the back of Zager's helicopter, Meowth going a whole Part 1 without speaking a single line, the TRio going a whole two parter without a motto recital, and Pikachu's gigantic Electro Ball got moved to the Operation Tempest two-parter, and Team Plasma and their "drive Pokemon into frenzies to liberate them from foolish trainers" antics got moved to Episode N. And it's why Team Rocket's plot had to go on without the framing of cold war against Team Plasma and why Team Plasma's arc that emerged after the Unova League and featured B2/W2 Team Plasma and an already defected N, worked in some of the themes and concepts from B/W but not really dealt with with the amount of depth as initially planned and distinctly lacking the presence of Zekrom, even after the episode "Explorers Of The Hero's Ruin!" set up a way to bring it into play.

Because of this, the long-term plan for the entire ovearching, interlinking story arc of the Best Wishes series narrative had to be completely scrapped. In the short term, though, not much damage was done from the episodes getting pulled from airing and the most major story beats in them ended up boomeranging and repeating at later points in the story relating to Team Rocket and Team Plasma respectively. The one major short term loss that the series missed out on? To the total surprise of everyone, it was James' Yamask!

I don't think anyone was questioning where Yamask came from, but it just suddenly wandering into a warehouse in BW25 so that James could conveniently feed it and capture it never made much sense. The original context of Yamask having wandered from out of the Relic Castle ruins following the disturbance of the Meteonite incident gives it a set-up and makes it make a lot more sense in retrospect.

[musashi]

In regards to your Jessie memories, do you recall the initial Team Plasma vs Team Rocket fight (the one that went unaired - BW023-BW024) or the one shown later in the B&W anime (starting in BW112)? Just crossed my mind as someone who's also Pokeanikin whose memories don't really line up with the later Team Rocket / Team Plasma encounter. In general, I'd be curious to know any memories you have from the Unova region in general as Jessie!!

i genuinely have nothing from BW lmao sorry. i have no idea if its non canon, less canon, or just so damn depressing that i remember none of it. but bw is like. none of that feels resonant to me in the slightest

[moonxpalace]

Ash and Iris sharing the same brain cell - a small collection

Exaggerated explaining, while adding sound effects

Risking their lives for Pokemon's sake, jumping off tall buildings

Playing while Cilan cooks (and ruin his food smh)

both having large appetites

.. and being in denial when the connoisseur pointed out how alike they are

Both being silly champions

Bonus:

Iris saving Pikachu from the cancelled Team rocket vs Team plasma episode. People really undervalue the kind and protective part of Iris which she shows when her friends really are in danger. Not only towards pokemon ...

... but towards her travelling companions as well! Just like Ash does

[izunias-meme-hole]

The Pokemon Black and White Anime should’ve just introduced Team Plasma right after Ash’s reunion with Jessie and James. We should’ve seen Plasma Grunts, an early hint at Ghetsis’s existence, an encounter with an N who preaches about Pokemon Liberation, a Team Rocket and Team Plasma cold war, a reveal of Ghetsis at his most “benevolent,” Colress in the OG Plasma aesthetic, N with Reshiram vs Ash with Zekrom, Ghetsis revealing his true colors in a similar way to how he did it in Pokemon Adventures, and Plasma going off the radar for a while.

THEN we get to see Giovanni and the rest of Team Rocket trying to take over Unova via Melloetta and the Forces of Nature, and Neo Plasma trying to conquer unova via Colress’s new mind control machine and Kyruem!

[themattress]

"And the climax is..."

2011 teaser from BW014

[ultraericthered]

Giovanni shots from his first visit to Unova.

[daily-pokemon-trivia]

Cw//tw: mention of nuclear disaster

Team Plasma holds the title of latest to debut, showing up in the 112th episode of the Black and White anime. This wasn't on purpose, they were actually supposed to debut during the original episode 23 and 24. Titled Rocket-dan VS Plasma-dan (Team Rocket VS Team Plasma)

These episodes were left unaired after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster that followed. The original plan was to release the episodes later, but this never happened. Since it was actually a pretty important episode it was written out of continuity.

Currently the episodes are lost media. But we do have the scripts for both episodes! In addition, small bits of footage were used in later episodes of the anime

[steel--fairy]

OC Headcanons #5

how and where each oc got their pokemon

violet

ivysaur-from prof oak, later traded to red for espeon

alolan vulpix-an old pet they brought over from alola. violet was going to leave him behind in pallet town since he technically belongs to her dad, but he let him go with her

kantonian vulpix-caught on route 8 at the same time red caught a growlithe

marowak-the cubone who lost his mother to team rocket, caught after they exorcised her spirit

espeon-traded from red. red got him from bill as thanks for un-pokemonifying him

daphne

feraligatr-given to help with a task from prof elm, given back, then broke free from containment bc he wanted to travel

metagross-given as an egg kris got from steven. hatched in violet city

ampharos-caught on route 32 while daphne procrastinated doing the gym

arcanine-caught on route 36 while daphne procrastinated doing the gym

heracross-caught at the bug catching contest in the national park

gyarados-the shiny from the lake of rage. does not actually remember catching it. caught as a gyarados

leafeon-given as an egg from professor elm. hatched in new bark town

ivy

blaziken-used to help chase away a poochyena attacking prof birch and he let her keep him

mightyena-the poochyena chasing prof birch. disliked living in the wild and followed ivy to route 102

kingdra-caught on a beach near rustboro after being swept away by harsh currents

flygon-caught in mirage desert after helping ivy not get eaten by cacturne

spiritomb-caught in sea mauville as a way for ivy to avoid getting killed by it

latias-forcefully joined on route 119 after ivy helped chase away team magma from southern island

salamence-decided to go with ivy after she did well in battle against her mother. from meteor falls

chryssa

buneary-given to her by her mom. they hate each other and chryssa does not consider her her starter

empoleon-used at lake verity to chase off a flock of starly and formally given to chryssa later

starly (shiny)-caught on route 202, just minding her business

hisuian lilligant and drapion-caught together in the grand underground. they were friends who demanded to be caught together or not at all

hisuian growlithe-also caught in the grand underground because it was a rare hisuian form

altaria-caught just outside eterna forest. it was the fiestiest swablu and kept swooping chryssa for food

rampardos-found as a fossil by chryssa in the grand underground, revived in oreburgh city

lucario-given as an egg by riley in canalave. hatched on mt coronet

darkrai-originally caught by chryssa's dad. followed her around secretly for a while before presenting himself and letting himself be caught

ieva

milotic-bought as a feebas from a breeder in hoenn

audino-caught on route 3 while helping a little girl get her pokemon back from team plasma

hydreigon-was part of an illegal poaching/breeding ring caught in nacrene city. ieva lied and said she had experience with dragon types in order to have her

reuniclus-caught in nimbasa city during a trip to the amusement park. the solosis lived there

serperior-caught in white forest. was the ruler of a colony until she was deposed and ieva and crew got caught in the middle of the fight. caught as a serperior

emolga-caught in opelucid city after she stole something from ieva

reshiram-emerged and caught during the battle vs n/ghetsis

bryony

galvantula-was bothering the local pokemon centers electricity as a joltik. taken in by bryony bc it was so gosh darn cute

leavanny-caught while playing in the areas around aspertia city

scolipede-caught on the way to virbank

volcarona-caught in relic castle. caught as a volcarona

shuckle-caught while visiting undella town

genesect-liberated from team plasma. only stays in her care for a while before given to burgh and the pokemon league

carmella

delphox and sylveon-both starters from prof sycamore

gogoat-caught off route while going between santalune and camphrier

aegislash-caught while visiting parfum palace

amaura-revived at the fossil revival place after saving fossils from team flare

diancie-caught after falling down a tunnel in reflection cave after being chased by a gigalith

kiana

primarina-given by hala when she decides to do the island challenge

whimsicott-caught in melemele meadow after the first trial

talonflame-catch in heahea city soon after arriving on akala

mudsdale-caught at paniola ranch.

bruxish-caught while visiting mohn on bean island for the first time

alolan ninetales-met while struggling up mount hokulani. caught when leaving the trial there.

mimikyu-caught in the abandoned thrifty megamart after the ghost trial

alolan exeggutor-caught on exeggutor island

solgaleo-partial ownership with hau while lillie's in kanto

lili

shedinja-obtained as a little kid after being spit out of the slumbering weald

froslass-caught in the rolling hills section of wild area during an early spring snow

claydol-caught around the watchtower ruins in the wild area

sirfetchd-caught on r5 where it was challenging trainers at the bridge

sableye-caught in the dusty bowl

sensu oricorio-caught/gifted in stow on side. used to hover around allister.

polteageist-caught in ballonlea when she almost drinks from the wrong teacup

zacian-caught after the whole eternatus thing

jess

typhlosion-caught on prelude beach for laventon and later added to party

staraptor-one of the pokemon caught during her trial from cyllene

kricketune-the alpha mai has her fight in deertrack heights

gastrodon-caught for study in sandgem flats and kept

goodra-that one holm of trials alpha sliggoo. caught in order to traverse the area without being attacked

snorlax-caught in jubilife after it tried to storm the towns food supply in winter

deciueye samurott

walrein-friendly spheal from gingko landing

jolteon-caught in a space time distortion in the coronet highlands

zoroark-caught in the icelands after it was exiled for helping her out

alyssa

meowscarada-given by clavell at home in cabo poco

koraidon-joins up after saving her from a houndoom in south province 1

salazzle-caught in west province 1 while training for first gym

tinkaton-caught in south province 3 while looking for the titan klawf

annihilape-caught while in kitakami at paradise barrens

baxcalibur-caught on glaseado mountain

ogerpon-caught while in kitakami

terapagos-caught in the low levels of area zero

[bright-hope-spot-19]

I literally love all of these! All of them look stunning (especially the girls. Like, damn Sabrina, you hot 🔥) and the fashion chosen suits them very well. Also, I adore how the headers are not only giving tips about the most significant spots in each of their towns and personal lives but also calling them out for their incompetence dealing with Team Rocket. Like, Misty, Erika, and Sabrina doing nothing bout the rocket grunts on Nugget Bridge, the casino, and Silp Co, respectively. Also, so in character for Giovanni to love his Persian more than his own son. Silver really didn't deserve this.

Over 6 months in the making (mostly bc procrastination) but I finally compiled my Kanto Gym Leader Magazine series. I love the idea of an in-universe style fashion publication where they all do interviews about their hobbies and stuff

Want something like this for your own OC? My commissions are open!!

[pokepollsters]

Best Pokémon Villains Tournament- Individuals Bracket- Round 1: Match 9

We start off our second week of Round 1 polls with a match clad in white!

He's working to bring out the power of Pokémon, it's Colress! Perhaps less outright evil and more just willing to do whatever it takes, he sides with Team Plasma in their second bid to take over the Unova region in order to see if the power of Pokémon can be unleashed in the conflict. After seeing the player's strong, however, he leaves to travel the world and discover new ways of bringing out a Pokémon's strength- including travelling to Alola, where he meets another important trainer on a journey! Colress' style and Steel Types make him a memorable character, despite his debut being in the worst selling main series game, not including third versions or rereleases. Can he count on the power of your vote?

On the flip side, Sierra debuted in possibly the most popular side game of the all! One of the leaders of Team GO Rocket, Sierra is a major villain in Pokémon GO. Said to have grown up under difficult circumstances, this mysterious martial arts master is one of Giovanni's most trusted confidants, and acts as a sort of rival to the Team Instinct leader, Spark. With her Shadow Houndoom by her side, Sierra cuts a mysterious and intimidating figure, and stands out amongst a crowd of Team Rocket villains, but is that enough to get your vote?

[adminspinel]

[I really want to try to find more info on the Team Plasma vs Team Rocket arc that was supposed to happen in the Black & White anime because I feel like we were robbed of something really awesome.]

[I know there's a translated script somewhere online, just gotta find it.]

[ridragon]

i just feel like dissecting the evil Pokemon teams because im super autistic and hyperfocused for no reason rn. feel free to add anything

Team Rocket: literally just assholes who steal Pokemon and want profit. a bit plain but classic for a reason. Not the biggest stakes compared to others, but it also feels more personal this way. I also like the Giovanni change of heart against the rest of the team desperately trying to keep it going without him. Chaotic Evil.

Team Magma/Aqua: Low score Too much water vs Not enough water. Not exactly horrible people just extremely selfish. Don't care about anything else but their goal, even ignoring obvious logical flaws in their ideas. don't particularly want to hurt anyone but will if you get in their way. Lawful Evil.

Team Galactic: NOW we are talking. Goal is to literally remake the world because their leader thinks the world is rotten. (i think it's been a while.) Much higher stakes than TR. Chaotic Evil.

Team Plasma: Fantasy PETA pisses me off but that also means theyre pretty good villains if you legitimately hate them for what they stand for. feels very personal. extremely good characters too. Chaotic Evil.

Team Flare: Their leader has different goals depending on version. im less familiar with x. anyway in y he literally just wants to kill you himself and everyone in the building. Chaotic evil (y) lawful evil (x)

Team Skull: I love team skull theyre such assholes. i always love chaotic neutral characters. literally just trying to survive. i wish we got to see a softer side of guzma more.often tho. chaotic neutral

The aether foundation: Debatably an evil team??

Team Rainbow Rocket: i didnt know this existed until now, one of my only pokemon knowledge gaps because when ultra sm came out i never got around to playing them, and I keep putting it off despite loving the series. ): ionno why.

Team Yell: its kinda cute when you find out its literally just marnie's overzealous extended family that are a bit too protective of her, but i dont really like them much. true neutral i think.

Team Star: these are just nerds. Chaotic good perhaps?

Chairman rose's corporation(????): does this count as an evil team. chaotic ceo