Thread: Team Rocket doesn't blast off in this episode

I see that trivia about Team Rocket not blasting off in certain episodes is being added back, when really, they aren't trivial at all. I believe that it isn't trivia for two rather major reasons

1) Over 60 episodes of Best Wishes have aired where they do not blast off or perform their motto, already accounting for under 10% of all episodes. While this may be remedied by "..., prior to the Best Wishes series", it still doesn't make it trivia. Why?

2) The plot of the episode makes the fact front and center, nowhere near trivial. Think about the Gym Battles (which there are plenty of) where Team Rocket either watches or doesn't get involved in interfering with. Then we have League Conferences or the Tag Battle tournament, where they work at the concession stand enjoying the job, with no plotting or intention to blow their cover, and they don't. And most of all, we have the Contests, which Jessie participates in not as a ploy, but for the fun of it. She had to stay in-character as to not blow her secret. No Contest had a Team Rocket plot.

Considering the number of episodes that are about Gym Battles, Contests League Conferences, and miscellaneous other tournaments, this should be more than enough to make any "Team Rocket doesn't blast off or recite their motto in this episode" trivia unnotable. Any thoughts?

Team Rocket Blasting off/saying their motto was always a staple in the anime. I think it is interesting to note when it doesn't happen. I don't have a problem with them being noted. It seems the problem is having them noted in trivia. Not being "trivial" doesn't mean it isn't notable. It probably fits better within a category

I see where you're going with it, and really, the synopsis of each each episode states they don't blast off basically by not saying it, as the event doesn't happen. What would the category be named? I think it should be two categories: "Episodes where Team Rocket doesn't blast off" and "Episodes where Team Rocket doesn't recite their motto"

I think there are probably a large enough number of non-BW episodes where they don't to mean that such trivia is unnecessary. If anyone wants to make a full list of all the episodes that are affected by this, please do.

Going through Serebii.net's episode pictures combined with our summaries, Team Rocket did not blast off until their 5th appearance, which is EP006,

EP: 001-005, 007-009, 010-011, 013-017, 019-020, 023-025, 030-031*, 035-036, 038, Snow Way Out!, 041-046, 048, 050, 053-055, 057, 059-060, 062-063, 070, 072, 075, 077-079, 082-083, 095-097, 102, 121-122, 125, 144, 158, 167, 176, 182, 197, 206, 209, 216, 220, 223, 225, 235, 237-238, 246, 252, 255, 263, 265, 268-271

M01-M05

Notes
EP002 - Debut
EP007 - seems they were closer to the ground and shot forward by the water pipes, not skyward
EP009 - trying to outrun Poké Ball peltings
EP011 - They're running, there's no blast. Synopsis must be rephrased to reflect that
EP016 - they are not thwarted, and while they are sent far away by Dragon Rage, it's not blasting off because there's also no catchphrase,
EP015 through EP017 - They were teamed up with the gang, and thus the plot presented itself in a way that blasting off would be inconvenient and unnecessary and thus didn't happen.
EP024 - Has motto
EP031 - Termed a "bust-up" in the variation of "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again", the Diglett and Dugtrio ram them into the dam. May count, but is debatable.
EP054 - First instance of such "trivia" being noted
EP072 - Has it noted; calls it "very few"
EP086 - Butch and Cassidy only
EP134 - Done with full intention to blast off
EP197 - Noted, must be converted into category
EP216 - Noted, must be converted into category
EP268-271 - Noted, must be converted into category
EP269 - Also noted that they don't blast off during tournaments

Final Original Series count: 81 episodes, 5 movies

AG: 009, 025, 035

Originally Posted by SnorlaxMonster

I think there are probably a large enough number of non-BW episodes where they don't to mean that such trivia is unnecessary.

The problem is that there are too many people going around saying "all Team Rocket did was blast off in every single episode." They don't seem to realize that, no, there's actually quite a few episodes where they don't. They blast off in a little less than half the episodes that make up the DP Sinnoh League Victors season, for example.

In contrast to what the OP's stated, I think Bulbapedia should have an article title something like "Episodes where Team Rocket doesn't blast off" that the specific episode articles could then link back to.

Originally Posted by Dogasu

Originally Posted by SnorlaxMonster

I think there are probably a large enough number of non-BW episodes where they don't to mean that such trivia is unnecessary.

The problem is that there are too many people going around saying "all Team Rocket did was blast off in every single episode." They don't seem to realize that, no, there's actually quite a few episodes where they don't. They blast off in a little less than half the episodes that make up the DP Sinnoh League Victors season, for example.

In contrast to what the OP's stated, I think Bulbapedia should have an article title something like "Episodes where Team Rocket doesn't blast off" that the specific episode articles could then link back to.

We're going to make an entire category. I made my case that blastoffs could not happen in contests or else Jessie would blow her cover. You will see that I am compiling a listTeam Rocket doesn't blast off in this episode of every episode that Team Rocket doesn't blast off. I am even counting Snow Way Out and Holiday Hi-Jynx, and am up to EP233/235. I am also using Serebii's pictures and Pokemon.com's available episodes to help ensure the status of blastoffs in the episodes

I agree with Nate and say just to make a Category page and add the category to the appropriate episodes. That way they can still be noted without it having to be in the trivia section.

Originally Posted by Pokemaster97

I agree with Nate and say just to make a Category page and add the category to the appropriate episodes. That way they can still be noted without it having to be in the trivia section.

I agree with him too. I'm up to EP244 in compiling the list. Could someone just tell DJWolfy to refrain from adding it as trivia?

I like the idea of a category too. I misread Nate's original post though and didn't see that suggestion. The only issue is if there are episodes that are borderline (which I'm sure there are, but I can't think of any off the top of my head). Also, if we're going to make a category for episodes in which Team Rocket doesn't blast off, how about episodes in which they don't even appear?

Originally Posted by SnorlaxMonster

I like the idea of a category too. I misread Nate's original post though and didn't see that suggestion. The only issue is if there are episodes that are borderline (which I'm sure there are, but I can't think of any off the top of my head). Also, if we're going to make a category for episodes in which Team Rocket doesn't blast off, how about episodes in which they don't even appear?

I think EP007 and EP031 are your earliest borderline examples. As for the non-appearances category for Jessie James and Meowth don't appear, I see two major hurdles 1) The name of the category ("Team Rocket"/"Team Rocket Trio" is too general, "Jessie, James, and Meowth" is too long; 2) They will be the only main characters with that category.

"Team Rocket trio" isn't too broad a term. Unless there's an episode where only one or two of the trio appear, there's no issue here. As for no other characters having one, Team Rocket are permanent, almost-every-episode characters, whereas Ash and Pikachu have never missed an episode (Pikachu shorts, side story, etc. are irrelevant and would not be included in either anyway). So they are the only characters that you could justify giving such a category to.

Originally Posted by SnorlaxMonster

"Team Rocket trio" isn't too broad a term. Unless there's an episode where only one or two of the trio appear, there's no issue here

There's one episode where Butch, Cassidy and Raticate are blasted off and Jessie, James and Meowth aren't...

I was saying in regards to Team Rocket appearing in an episode, not blasting off.

And I would include that situation as blasting off.

Why do you make such a big deal about it ? The trivia is specifically made for things that are unique, interesting facts or things which interrupt the normal setting of the story. Therefore a non-blast off interrupts the normal setting making it trivial, since TR are making an habit out of this. As such, as long as there are no blast-offs (until BW) I will add them to trivia section, untill higher ranks decide no to be added anymore.