To protect the world from devastation, to unite all peoples within our nation, to denounce the evil of truth and love, to extend our reach to the stars above! Jessie! James! Team Rocket might be clones! ... Wait, is that not how the song goes?
This theory, hot off the presses, has raised eyebrows in the Pokémon fan base because it suggests why Jessie and James' capabilities, as super serious villains in the anime series, suddenly spiral downwards after the first 12 episodes. Indeed, you'll remember Team Rocket for their ridiculous, impossible schemes that fail at the first hurdle and the trio's equally comical disguises while they try to capture Pikachu from Ash.
Classic looks include James' baroque-style ballroom gown and Jessie's military jacket, and when they pretended to be Professor Oak and DJ Mary. But, of course, we couldn't miss out that now iconic moment where they dressed as newly-weds in the episode "Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?".
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We love them though, regardless of their nefarious intentions, but this theory acts as a bridge between the fearsome Jessie and James and the floundering Jessie and James. Posted to the FanTheories subreddit, it claims that the difference between the episodes is due to Team Rocket being cloned using the technology developed by Giovanni. As the boss of the organisation, Giovanni used it to clone Mew, making Mewtwo, and the theory notes that the machine will work with even a hair of the original individual. Resultantly, the Jessie and James seen in the episode "Pokémon Emergency" are the original Jessie and James, and after they are blasted off into space, Giovanni churns out a set of clones to send out into the world.
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It explains why Team Rocket manages to survive impossible situations, and their mission to capture Pikachu is because Pikachu's electric energy powers the cloning machine. Each Jessie and James has the memory of their past misadventures, but they'll always make the same mistakes, so they'll always fail in their endeavour (and how it makes us laugh). Before you like, comment and subscribe to the fan theory, there are some bumps in the road.
Firstly, clones don't retain memories of the original individual. Secondly, the technology Giovanni uses was hardly fully functional, and creating Mewtwo was a one in a million chance. Then, Mewtwo telekinetically destroys the laboratory where he was born in Pokémon: The First Movie, so cloning is off the cards for Giovanni.
Thirdly, Jessie and James aren't terrible at absolutely everything. In Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, Jessie won the Solaceon Contest without cheating, which is a big thing for her. And, in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, their performance in the Manolo Conference was very impressive: Jessie ranked in the top 16 and James ranked in the top 8 out of the 151 strongest trainers in Alola. Give them some credit, eh?