Question about the Pokemon anime series

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In the original Pokemon anime whenever Ash and his friends fought against Team Rocket he would always issue the same command in order to finish them off and send them into the sky...Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack

But what is the purpose of shocking Team Rocket?

Doesn't that seem a little bit cruel?

Is the Thunderbolt attack supposed to immobilize them?

HOW can getting shocked launch you into the sky?!?

What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance!! !

...I think I have figured it out!! !

How Team Rocket gets launched in the sky:

First, Ash uses Pikachu's "Thunderbolt" attack

This immobilizes Team Rocket and stops them from running away

Then a bomb or jet-propulsion mechanism is activated which is actually what launches Jessie, James & Meowth into the sky!

What do you guys think?

Is my hypothesis correct?

I think you're digging too deep into a visual gag.

Team Rocket getting shocked and blasting off again is an easy way to dismiss them from the scene.

It's a cartoon that sometimes makes use of gag humour, there doesn't need to be a more logical explanation. It's like asking if Nokotan needs to remember to wear different antlers when she wants to store bananas instead of the exploding antlers.

Heh yeah...I might be overthinking it a little bit!! !

Lol it's just an anime!

Children’s entertainment is formulaic to a fault due to the rotating viewership and industry workload.
It’s easier on the writing staff to go with standards and practices during the final moments of an episode especially if they have to write for multiple series as is industry custom. Instead of coming up with a creative resolution to each episode, settle on one thing and commit.
Pikachu is also a brand and his signature move is on par with Goku’s Kamehameha. Some people tune in and out for certain weeks and you don’t have to watch every episode. It’s important on brand to keep reminding viewers Pikachu has electric powers - Team Rocket exists merely as a conduit.

Continued from previous post...


However, I think Pokemon has changed and stopped being formulaic with the new Netflix series by retiring Ash Ketchum (no offense to him!! ! ) but I cannot confirm that yet

Because it's an episodic Western cartoon, SpongeBob will NEVER change or evolve!

Also what do you mean when you said that Team Rocket primarily exists as a conduit?

Are you saying their only real purpose is for the anime to have an excuse for Pikachu to show off his signature move?

When I was young I watched a bunch of old Casper cartoons on video, and they all basically had the same formula:

Casper doesn't fit in with the other ghosts because he doesn't like to scare people.

Casper goes off looking for a friend, but everyone he meets flees in terror because he's a ghost.

Just when Casper thinks he'll be miserable and alone forever, he finally makes a friend. Usually it's a cute little animal.

Then in the next cartoon it's as if the last one never happened.

But back when the cartoon shorts were made they were shown in theaters so it probably didn't seem as repetitive as watching them all together in a video.