The Rocket trio's lack of screentime in Sun & Moon is honestly kind of appalling

[Twilight-Kun]

Would the addition of Team Rocket help propel the events of the episode?

Do they have any stake in what's happening?

The only thing I'm disappointed in is that the TRio isn't using their downtime to catch Alolan pokemon to send back to base, because as long as they stay away from Ash, they're amazingly successful at their (villainous and legitimate) jobs

 

[Nicolas721]

In one hand, their appareance rate is lower than it should be, and there are many missed opportunities for them to appear without interrupting the natural flow on the episode. But on the other, their characterization has been much better this series and their importance has improved over time, with them getting loads and loads of subplots which in my opinion makes up for the lost time.

Compare them to Kukui and Rotom, who are closer to the heroes. The former has 2 subplots (a wife and Masked Royal), but both introduced in the last six months, and hasn't had an episode solely about a problem of himself, and the later is just comic relief and just has had 2 episodes of focus in total.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

You know, what would be interesting? What if the trio was forced into always wearing their disguises? They would be sent by Sakaki to spy on Lusamine and her family, and they would join Pokemon School to watch out her daughter and also try to get Pikachu, so it's a "kill two birds with one stone" situation for them. They would stay true to their characters most of time (and most of the episodes), till there is a perfect opportunity to get rare pokemon or Pikachu, and they change back and forth between their TR-selves and school-worker disguises. Of course, no one notices that they're same persons, they still work in the school. This way they wouldn't left off of most of the episodes, and also could interact with Satoshi and his school-mates without any prejudice.

 

[sc190191]

You know, what would be interesting? What if the trio was forced into always wearing their disguises? They would be sent by Sakaki to spy on Lusamine and her family, and they would join Pokemon School to watch out her daughter and also try to get Pikachu, so it's a "kill two birds with one stone" situation for them. They would stay true to their characters most of time (and most of the episodes), till there is a perfect opportunity to get rare pokemon or Pikachu, and they change back and forth between their TR-selves and school-worker disguises. Of course, no one notices that they're same persons, they still work in the school. This way they wouldn't left off of most of the episodes, and also could interact with Satoshi and his school-mates without any prejudice.

Like this

Spoiler

Or this

Spoiler

They certainly have the experience necessary to work at a school. I like the idea, they were entertaining at both summer camps, but I think its too late now unfortunately.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Yep, I was also thinking of summer camp arc from DP, except it would be longer.

 

[Muur]

Technically they used different disguises and names for each, so they can't really use references.

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

Technically they used different disguises and names for each, so they can't really use references.

I'm sorry, what?

 

[Muur]

People said they could get a job at the Pokemon school due to having experience working elsewhere but if they were to apply and the school were to call the references... they didn't work under te same name and appearance in all of them, so in reality TR have no experience to call back on to actually get the job

 

[EscLucy]

I’m so confused by this mini-conversation. If I understood this right, I wouldn’t want Team Rocket to stop annoying Ash and work in a school lol

 

[MarshiyanMisutaa]

People said they could get a job at the Pokemon school due to having experience working elsewhere but if they were to apply and the school were to call the references... they didn't work under te same name and appearance in all of them, so in reality TR have no experience to call back on to actually get the job

Lack of the references never was a problem for them before. Even then, they could just give HQ's numbers for some references.

 

[kantoskies]

I also don't think anyone literally meant "they can get job references from those past jobs", and it was more of "they've done it before and they can do it again".

 

[ii kanji]

You know, what would be interesting? What if the trio was forced into always wearing their disguises? They would be sent by Sakaki to spy on Lusamine and her family, and they would join Pokemon School to watch out her daughter and also try to get Pikachu, so it's a "kill two birds with one stone" situation for them. They would stay true to their characters most of time (and most of the episodes), till there is a perfect opportunity to get rare pokemon or Pikachu, and they change back and forth between their TR-selves and school-worker disguises. Of course, no one notices that they're same persons, they still work in the school. This way they wouldn't left off of most of the episodes, and also could interact with Satoshi and his school-mates without any prejudice.

I honestly expected this to happen at the beginning of the saga when the school premise was set up...

 

[KenzeyEevee]

I honestly expected this to happen at the beginning of the saga when the school premise was set up...

Lol we can make a better story for TR then the writers

 

[Shadowlarvitar]

It's just utterly disappointing how little they appear.
When they first announced that Ash would be partaking in a Pokemon School, I thought they'd end up taking up jobs like Janitors or Chefs in order to keep an eye on them. Samson even appeared to be friendly towards them.... but nope! They never got a job at the school.

Then Ash captured Litten, finally another feline Pokemon on the cast after over 10 years. Think of the story potential, Litten and Meowth could have a rivalry or even get in a fight over an Alolan Meowth! Didn't happen.

Team Skull's trio and our beloved TRio appear to have a rivalry forming in the TR vs TS episode..... Team Skull drops off the face of the earth, and Team Rocket never meets them again when they do come back.

I'm not asking for them to be in every episode.... just every three episodes. Ridiculous how they're missing in half the SM episodes! They're main characters for crying out loud! Even the classmates get in episodes when they're not doing anything in it, we've only gone like what, three episodes without a classmate appearing at all? The TRio got cut out of quite a few episodes they'd have worked well in too..... like the least experienced classmate watching Pikachu? That'd be so easy for the TRio to steal him!

The Ula'Ula arc was nice compensation for their neglect but it should NOT have taken them a year to get a z-ring for that crystal, Lana stupidly got hers the very episode before her crystal and you can bet Lillie will get hers within 10 episodes.

Team Skull needs to appear more as well, the conflict doesn't always have to be related to the TRio. Let the TRio be background characters selling food or being announcers like in the recent Battle Royale. Not every episode they appear in needs them to be plotting something. Doing that would make fans like me feel better about the TRio not doing anything, just having them around and showing up is enough.

 

[SinnohEevee]

You would think less TRio = more TS, but nope.
And I still want Cassidy and Butch to show up.

 

[Dogasu]

As of the Fukuthrow episode scheduled to air this week the Rocket trio will have been absent from 38 (39 for Musashi and Nyarth) out of 97 episodes. That's about 40% of the series.

The show's actually been pretty consistent about keeping their appearance rate hovering at around 60% so it seems like there's some weird quota that the show's producers aren't going over, for whatever reason.

 

[Gligarman]

Since the show started all those years ago I've always felt that they didn't need to be in every episode. There were so many times when they were clearly shoe-horned in as a mandate and it some cases it even ruined a few episodes. I love the trio but I prefer the smaller doses.

 

[Dogasu]

And, again, I don't have a problem with "smaller doses." But missing nearly half the series is way too far in the other direction.


Anyway, the trio's missing from next week's episode as well. With the release of Let's Go! Pikachu / Let's Go! Eevee you'd think the trio would appear more, with them showing up in the game and all that, but I guess that would make too much sense and so they're currently taking a break...?

 

[SinnohEevee]

And, again, I don't have a problem with "smaller doses." But missing nearly half the series is way too far in the other direction.


Anyway, the trio's missing from next week's episode as well. With the release of Let's Go! Pikachu / Let's Go! Eevee you'd think the trio would appear more, with them showing up in the game and all that, but I guess that would make too much sense and so they're currently taking a break...?

You would also think Team Skull would appear more in SM, but no. We don't even know when/if Guzma will appear.

 

[SonansuMan]

Everyone is complaining about how little Team Rocket have been appearing meanwhile I'm just upset about the lack of screentime Mimikyu/Mareanie have gotten lately