We cannot ignore the episode where Jessie and James give up Arbok and Weezing.
A poacher…..keep this in mind that Team Rocket is an organization built around stealing pokemon and occasionally mutilating them (Slowpoke Tails) to use as soldiers and for profit….a POACHER is hunting down a herd of Ekans and Koffing.
We will ignore how convenient that is….
This Poacher has a high level Fearow and a fucking TYRANTITAR that spams Hyper Beams. And what does Team Rocket do, despite Arbok, Weezing, and even WOBBUFFET getting torn apart by this guy?
To rescue the Ekans and Weezing trapped in these electrified cages, Meowth uses his claws to pick the lock, getting electrocuted CONSTANTLY in the process, stating that he can take it due to his constant encounters with Pikachu.
Then, realizing that there’s no way for Arbok and Weezing to win against this Tyrantitar, Jessie and James plead for them to lead their respective herds to safety. They have to beg, as well, as Arbok and Weezing have been with them since the beginning. With tears in their eyes, they flee, leading the others to safety.
The poacher orders the Tyranitar to Hyper Beam the herd, and MEOWTH leaps in the way, slashing it in the eyes, but takes a full on Hyper Beam regardless. Arbok and Weezing turn around, wanting to help, over and over. And Team Rocket, using only THEIR BARE HANDS, leap onto this Tyranitar, taking hyper beam after hyper beam to shield their pokemon, and in the end while they lose. Beaten, broken, they still muster the strength to hold on to the Poacher’s legs to keep him from walking.
These are the perfect characters. The most human of the entire cast in all of Pokemon. They starve with one another (sharing a single bean), they fight for one another, they always support one another. James even gave up his prized bottle cap collection to save Meowth’s life, hurling them to fake a Payday attack, a move Meowth unfortunately could never learn (making him useless in Giovanni’s eyes).
The best characters.