In the Pokémon anime, the Team Rocket trio is the type of villain team that poses no real threat but is constantly lingering around. They are in a majority of the episodes, often dressed up in some ridiculous disguise with the hopes of stealing Pikachu away from Ash. It became their goal even more than helping Giovanni.
There were moments where the two ended up working together, be it indirectly or directly. Ash was always somewhat wary of them, but in the end, he ended up helping them with one of their schemes— so long as it didn't involve stealing Pokémon.
10 He Helped Bring Justice To Rico's Poaching
In a rare moment of morality, Team Rocket stood in the way of a poacher named Rico, who'd been snatching up and abusing Ekans along with other Pokémon. It showed that despite their allegiance, the inept trio wasn't as evil as their boss was.
Ash ended up helping them in two ways. First, he directly stopped Rico from evading arrest. Then he helped them indirectly, as Meowth had grown resistant to electrical attacks thanks to how many times Pikachu had shocked him. It let him pick the locks of the poacher's electrified cages.
9 Pikachu & Ash Helped The Duo Realize Their Love For Meowth
Meowth is as much a part of the Team Rocket group as James and Jesse were. While they'd never thought about getting rid of their friend, the episode "Electric Shock Showdown" helped them realize just how much they loved their Pokémon companion.
The entire episode centered around if Ash should evolve Pikachu or not, leading to a great scene where Pikachu hit the Thunder Stone away, proclaiming he'd beat Raichu for Pikachu everywhere. It reduced Team Rocket to tears.
8 Ash Helps Them & Looker Taker Down Team Galactic
Team Galactic was your traditional bad guy organization in the Diamond and Pearl series, staying such into the waning parts of the series. They were formidable, forcing a variety of groups to come together to bring them down.
That included Ash and his friends, as well as Team Rocket, who was aiding Looker. Ash and friends did more of the heavy lifting after Team Rocket's plan to ambush Cyrus went awry due to him seeing through it.
7 Ash Helped Stop Butch & Cassidy From Stealing Hippowdon
Even bad guys have rivals in their organizations, and that's what Butch and Cassidy are to Jessie and James. They are a slightly more adept pair from Team Rocket who tried to swoop in aboard a robotic Rhyhorn to steal a Hippowdon from right under both Ash and the more prototypical Team Rocket's noses.
Ash didn't end up helping Jessie and James directly, but he did make sure the Pokémon was kept out of the hands of their rivals, helping them save face even as they went blasting off.
6 They Set Their Differences Aside To Help Orville Achieve His Dream
In the episode "Fly Me To The Moon," Team Rocket originally offered to help fly a Pidgey named Orville to the moon as a means of getting close to Pikachu so they could steal him. That plan went out the window as they got to know the Pidgey better, setting aside their plans to focus on getting the flying-type as close to his goal as they could.
Ash did the same, both sides putting their differences aside for the betterment of another Pokémon. It's a very underrated episode in the series as a result.
5 Ash's Use Of Pokemon Sent Customers To Brutella's Restaurant Rather Than Moe's
During the episode "Beauty and the Beach," both sides are pitted against each other yet again— this time on different sides of a restaurant rivalry.
Ash tries to help Moe around his restaurant with the use of his Pokémon, initially doing well until everything gets sabotaged, pushing all the customers to Brutella and Team Rocket's establishment instead. However, it's a wrong that gets righted by the end of the episode as Team Rocket are their usual inept selves.
4 Ash & Company Supported James In Not Marrying If He Didn't Want To
"Holy Matrimony" is an episode that delves into James's past, revealing that he comes from a rich family who he fled because he didn't want to be forced into a marriage. Unlike his teammates, who are only focused on getting James's inheritance, Ash and company support him in his desire to not get married, saying it should be his choice.
While they don't directly lead to his escape, Ash is there for the length of the episode and witnesses how manipulative James's family is.
3 Ash & Brock Help James Stop The Spaceship They Are On From Crashing
During the episode "Where No Togepi Has Gone Before," both sides have to work together to avoid crashing to their deaths. It starts with Team Rocket doing their usual thing but shifts when an evil Togepi boards the ship and causes all sorts of mischief.
By the end, James is forced to pilot the ship, along with the aid of Ash's Pikachu and Dawn's Buneary. Even that doesn't fully save them as Togepi has to settle the ship down herself after deciding she'd had enough fun for the day.
2 They Combine Their Strength To Bring Down Team Plasma
As with Team Galactic, Looker helps broker a truce of sorts between Ash and Team Rocket, allowing the rivals to work together to bring down a greater foe in Team Plasma.
Unlike Galactic, Team Rocket did have ulterior motives here but do manage to do right by their temporary allies, helping bring down yet another rival organization. In classic Team Rocket fashion, they revert to their old ways the very next episode, unable to ever turn a new leaf.
1 He Helps Foil Matori's Attempt To Upstage The Trio
If there is one thing that will get Ash and Team Rocket to work together it's another bad guy trying to upstage them. It's what led them to help bring down Galactic and their fellow Team Rocket members.
Matori's play for power is no different, the secretary's attempt for Giovanni's approval going up in smoke. Ash and Goh end up working with James and Jessie to free the Pokémon from their cages and ruin Matori's plan, something Jessie ends up quite proud of.
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