In Pokémon GO you currently have the opportunity to battle Jessie and James. We have looked at which Pokémon the two will use and which counters you should employ against them.
Who are Jessie and James? Jessie and James are two Rocket grunts who played a central role in the original series. For some time now, you can also occasionally encounter them in Pokémon GO and battle against them.
Due to the currently ongoing Jungle Event for the Netflix release of the new Pokémon movie “Secrets of the Jungle”, Jessie and James are of course also included. For this reason, you can find them until October 15, 2021, at 10:00 AM in their typical Meowth balloon.
The best counters against Jessie and James
These monsters will be used by them: To defeat Jessie and James, you should first know which Pokémon the two will be using. They currently have the following team:
| Jessie | James |
| Scyther | Pinsir |
| Ekans | Smogon |
| Damhirplex | Sleima |
In contrast to the Rocket bosses Sierra, Arlo, Cliff, and Giovanni, the teams of Jessie and James are relatively easy to defeat. It is best to exploit the weaknesses of the respective monsters. Alternatively, you should also defeat them with other strong attackers.
Below we have compiled a selection of suitable counters for each monster with the help of the overviews from Pokebattler and PvPoke (Pokebattler/PvPoke):
Use these counters against Jessie
Counters against Scyther: Jessie will start with the Bug and Flying type Pokémon Scyther. Rock hitters are particularly effective against it. But attacks from the types Flying, Fire, Electric, or Ice are also helpful in battle. It is best to use one of the following monsters:
- Melmetal with Thunder Shock and Stone Edge
- Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Ancient Power
- Raikou with Thunder Shock and Volt Switch
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Stone Edge
An alternative is to use strong counters like Mega Charizard Y, Stoutland, or Regirock.
Counters against Ekans: The poison Pokémon will be encountered in second position. Here, focus on attacks from the Psychic or Ground types. The following counters are the best against Shadow Ekans:
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Return
- Galarian Flunschlik with Mud Shot and Stone Edge
- Rhydon with Mud Shot and Rock Slide
- Metagross with Zen Headbutt and Meteor Mash
Alternatively, you can use strong Pokémon against Ekans like Melmetal, Jirachi, or Rhyperior.
Counters against Damhirplex: Finally, Jessie will use Damhirplex. The Normal type Pokémon has a particular weakness to Fighting type attacks. You should definitely take advantage of this and use one of the following monsters:
- Melmetal with Thunder Shock and Heavy Slam
- Gardevoir with Counter and Close Combat
- Registeel with Lock-On and Focus Blast
- Kobalion with Metal Claw and Sacred Sword
Strong monsters as counters are also very effective here, such as Mega Gyarados, Giratina, or Yveltal.
Use these counters against James
Counters against Pinsir: The Bug Pokémon Pinsir is the first monster James will use. It is weak against Rock, Flying, and Fire type attacks. Therefore, it is best to use one of the following monsters:
- Mega Charizard Y with Wing Attack and Dragon Claw
- Lugia with Dragon Tail and Aeroblast
- Zapdos with Thunder Shock and Drill Peck
- Togekiss with Air Slash and Ancient Power
- Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire and Brave Bird
Alternatively, you can also rely on strong Pokémon like Giratina or Mega Gengar, as with Jessie’s monsters.
Counters against Smogon: Like Ekans with Jessie, Smogon is also a Poison type. For this reason, you can rely on Psychic and Ground attackers again:
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Stone Edge
- Garchomp with Mud Shot and Sand Tomb
- Golgantes with Mud Shot and Return
- Groudon with Mud Shot and Fire Punch
Additionally, strong counters like Giratina, Mega Gengar, Melmetal, or any of the Mega Evolutions of Charizard are also suitable.
Counters against Sleima: James’s last Pokémon is also a Poison type. Therefore, here too, it is best to utilize Psychic and Ground Pokémon. These are the best counters against Sleima:
- Landorus (Therian Form) with Mud Shot and Stone Edge or Heavy Slam
- Groudon with Mud Shot and Fire Punch
- Garchomp with Mud Shot and Sand Tomb
- Excadrill with Mud Shot and Stone Edge
Other alternatives would be Lugia, Giratina, Yveltal, or Swampert.
How do the battles against Jessie and James go?
How can you find the two? Jessie and James, like the other Team GO Rocket grunts, are traveling in the balloon and can spawn up to 4 times a day. You can recognize them by their typical Meowth balloon.
Which balloon spawns remains random. It may be the case that you do not see a Meowth balloon every time, thus only having the chance to fight the regular grunts.
This is how the battle goes: If a Meowth balloon spawns for you, you need to click on it as usual. Afterwards, just like with the other grunts, you can choose your team and start the battle. Unlike other battles of this kind, you will face both grunts in the Meowth balloon.
First, you will fight Jessie’s team. If you defeat it, you will have the opportunity to catch the Shadow Pokémon. Then, you will directly see James’s communication, who also wants to battle you now.
You will again enter the team selection and can start the battle against James. If you win this as well, you will once again have the chance to catch a Shadow Pokémon. With a little luck, you might encounter a shiny Scyther or Pinsir in your Pokémon rewards.
Additionally, after the battle, you will receive two mysterious components for your Rocket Radar. However, no complete Rocket Radar should be in your item bag yet.
Have you fought against Jessie and James yet? Which team do you prefer to use against the two grunts? And have you already been lucky to catch a shiny Shadow Scyther or Shadow Pinsir? Share your thoughts and experiences with us here on MeinMMO in the comments.
Do you still have tasks in Pokémon GO that you want to solve with the help of Jessie and James? We show you, why you should pay attention to the balloon in your Rocket tasks.
