The Team Rocket trio may be known more for their failures rather than their successes in the Pokémon anime, but they have still managed to accomplish a fair amount. The fact that they are still in a job is an accomplishment in itself.
Whether it be stealing a certain rare Pokémon, infiltrating a high-tech facility, or defeating an old and formidable foe in battle, Team Rocket has shown more than a few times that they are not completely inept. Their victories may be few and far between, but they do exist, placed sporadically between exploding mecha and trips into the sky.
10 Team Rocket Stole Togepi
In the 63rd episode of the anime, "Battle of the Badge," Team Rocket manages to steal Togepi. Although the baby Pokémon literally lands in James's lap after Ash accidentally sends it flying after Togepi surprised him, they still have work to do after it evades their initial attempts to capture it. After Team Rocket secure Togepi, they take it to Giovanni thinking he'll be pleased with their acquisition, but he is unimpressed, and when he asks what it does, the trio has no answer.
9 Team Rocket Know How To Assemble A Strong Team
Team Rocket has always had a strong team of Pokémon. In their countless battles with Ash, while some have ended just as soon as they started, there have been plenty of times when they've gone toe to toe with the wannabe Pokémon Master. With Pokémon like Weezing, Arbok, and Victreebell, and later on Mareanie, Mimikyu, Wobbuffet, and Bewear, they have shown themselves to be adept trainers, even if one of their Pokémon occasionally attempts to swallow them or carry them away against their will.
8 The Team Rocket Trio Helped Prevent The Destruction Of The Unova Region
In "Meloetta and the Undersea Temple," the 96th episode of the Black & White series, Team Rocket successfully captured Meloetta, having failed to do so in a previous episode.
Using Meloetta's Song, Team Rocket intended to carry out Operation Tempest, which would see them take over the entire Unova region. Ash and Pikachu managed to free Meloetta in the following episode, and Jessie, James, and Meowth talked Giovanni, who'd gone drunk with power, out of destroying the region.
7 Team Rocket Are Incredibly Adept Engineers
It's a testament to their resourcefulness that Team Rocket has been able to produce such remarkable mecha and other machines and devices, often at no more than a moment's notice. From giant Pinsir and Meowth mechas to their Magikarp submarine, the Team Rocket trio has shown that they are pretty handy—if not genius—engineers. Even though they're funded by Giovanni and James comes from a rich family, they've been known to have money troubles, which makes their crafting ability all the more impressive.
6 Team Rocket Infiltrated Aether Paradise
Aether Paradise is an artificial island where a jamming signal prevents the use of empty Poké Balls in order to protect the wild Pokémon being treated at the facility. It is a high-tech facility that's not an easy place to infiltrate, but Team Rocket manage to score jobs there wearing disguises. While there, they find secret documents about Type: Null and the Ultra Beasts, as well as acquire a Stuffull.
5 Team Rocket Saved A Group Of Vulnerable Pokémon
In what is probably their greatest show of altruism in the entire anime, Team Rocket saved a group of Pokémon that had been poached in "A Poached Ego." The poached Pokémon were able to escape thanks to Team Rocket, Meowth unlocking the cage they were trapped in while Jessie and James distracted Rico, the poacher. Rico's Tyranitar then defeated Team Rocket, but Ash and Officer Jenny stepped in, and after Pikachu defeated Rico's Fearow, Officer Jenny arrested the poacher.
4 Team Rocket Have Managed To Retain Their Jobs For A Long Time
For all their ineptitude, the Team Rocket trio has managed to stay in a job for a remarkably long time. Whether they're being rewarded for their efforts by Giovanni or he simply takes pity on them, it's nonetheless a big accomplishment to have never been kicked out of the organization, despite their many mishaps and failed schemes. Butch and Cassidy threatened to usurp them, but they held onto their positions, even if they don't get quite the same treatment from their boss.
3 Team Rocket Almost Entered A Portal To Prehistoric Unova
In "The Restoration Confrontation!" parts 1 and 2, Jessie, James, and Meowth, with the help of Team Rocket scientist Dr. Zager, attempt to travel back in time using the Fossil Pokémon Tirtouga, which evolves into Carracosta during a battle.
They manage to open the Time Gate and are about to enter the ancient world when Carracosta calls for reinforcements that arrive through the Time Gate and defeat Team Rocket. Despite their eventual failure, it's one of their most elaborate plots and they come very close to succeeding.
2 Team Rocket Has The Ability To Blend In Practically Anywhere
Despite their frequent blunders, Team Rocket is very good at adopting disguises, blending in almost anywhere, and fooling people with their acting skills. This chameleon-like ability has gotten them into many a promising situation, and if it wasn't for their penchant for throwing off their disguises to reveal who they really are and recite their motto, the trio most likely would have had a lot more success in their endeavors.
1 Team Rocket Defeated Ash In Battle
In "The Secret Lair," the 12th episode of the Sun & Moon series, after decades of trying, Team Rocket finally defeated Ash - perhaps their greatest accomplishment of all. A combination of Meowth, Wobuffet, Mimikyu, and Mareanie took down Rowlet and Pikachu. Ash was outnumbered but the majority of the fight was a 2-on-2 battle, with Meowth and Wobuffet being taken out early on by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Despite their many defeats to Ash, defeating a regular Pokémon League competitor was no small feat for the gang of Pokémon thieves.