Why did Jessie and James join Team Rocket?
They seem to actually be generally good people, but with some major terminology confusion*. Is it ever explained why they want to "denounce the evils of truth and love", or what drove them to join Team Rocket?
Do they even have an in-story justification, or are they just incompetent* for the sake of humor, without an actual backstory?
I read a fanfiction story that describe James being raised by an abusive family that kept insisting he "be good", until he rebelled and ran away - leaving him with a mental association between "being good" and (what we would call) "horrible cruelty". I don't know if that's canon though?
* Warning: TvTropes link
Best Answer
The backstory in that fanfic is not canon. James comes from a rich family, but in order to receive his inheritance, he would have to marry his parents' choice of bride, a woman named Jessebelle. James hates Jessebelle, and for good reason: she is extremely obsessive and controlling towards him, to the point of abuse. James ran away from home and joined Team Rocket, where he is free to do as he pleases.1
Jessie's backstory is more convoluted. She was the daughter of a high-ranking Team Rocket member who disappeared when she was five2. After a lonely, impoverished upbringing, Jessie at first attempted to become a Pokémon Nurse, but failed to graduate3. After that, she turned to crime and eventually joined Team Rocket, where she enjoys the company of her teammates and the extravagance of their missions:
Life before Team Rocket wasn't much fun. She didn't have any toys to play with as a little girl. Not even a tiny Pokémon doll. And to make things worse, she had no friends.
Then she met James, and she wasn't lonely any more. When they met Meowth, their life of evil really began. Being a high-profile Pokémon poacher was full of glamour and excitement. It was a lot more fun than longing for stupid Pokémon dolls.4
1Revealed in Episode 48, "Holy Matrimony!"
2Revealed in "The Birth of Mewtwo", an audio CD released in Japan along with the first movie
3Revealed in Episode 129, "Ignorance is Blissey"
4Taken from the Scholastic book "Team Rocket Blasts Off!", which recounts Team Rocket's backstories, among other scenes from the anime
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Why is James part of Team Rocket?
James was born into wealth but grew up stifled and miserable, as he was expected to inherit and continue his family's legacy. Both joined Pok\xe9mon's Team Rocket in an attempt to prove themselves, and they constantly battle for the approval of Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni.Why did Jessie leave Rocket?
Realizing that White was never in love with her, Jessie leaves Wobbuffet behind with his new friends and goes to rescue James and the others from the Pok\xe9mon hunter. Rejoining Team Rocket, she begins to help fight the Pok\xe9mon hunter, when Wobbuffet appears to battle the hunter's Rhyperior.Why does Giovanni keep Jessie and James?
Giovanni, Team Rocket's leader, has devious new plans in the Unova region. His secretary, Matori, convinces him it would be best to get Jessie, James, and Meowth to help him with these plans. Giovanni agrees, so the trio gets promoted and is given snazzy new black outfits to mark this momentous occasion.Team Rocket Jessie's TRAGIC Backstory
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