Pokémon has been around for a very long time. Pokémon is a media franchise that was created in 1995. Since then there have been Pokémon movies, a TV series, books, trading cards, video games, and much, much more. With such a large brand, there are a ton of different stories to tell about all of the main characters. There are some characters that have come and gone over the course of the series, but some have remained the same, for the most part, the entire time. Jessie and James, the loyal members of Team Rocket fall under the "remain the same" category. At one point over the years, there has been some discussion on Jessie's mother. She made her anime debut in "The Birth of Mewtwo".
Although she was talked about, this is not a major plot point or topic to the series as a whole, so only super fans probably know the details about her and what happened to her. If you love Pokémon but are not completely caught up on all of the small details, like Jessie's mom, then don't sweat it! We compiled a list of the top 25 things about Jessie's mom that you should know if you are into Pokémon. There are some things that you may not have known at all and others that you may have caught over the years.
Either way, it's always good to know a little more about the background of some of the major characters of the series!
25 Evidence Of Mew
Mew is a Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon that is first introduced in Generation I. Mew is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon, and until Jessie's mom came along there was not much evidence to support that Mew even existed. She was on a mission in the South American jungle at the time when she was able to capture a recording of Mew making some of its distinct noises. She had to work a bit to filter out the background audio, but once she was able to, she was left with the faint cry of Mew.
This evidence is what fueled the rest of her life and ignited the fire inside of her to find Mew and capture her for Team Rocket. Even though she knew she should leave Mew in the wild to be free, she needed the money that she would get if she caught him for her daughter Jessie and would stop at nothing to get it. She became obsessed with finding Mew from this point forward. Once she showed Madame Boss this evidence, she was able to convince her to send her on a mission to find the legendary Pokémon with a couple other Rocket agents.
24 Top Of The Class
Jessie has been a member of Team Rocket for as long as the series has been on television. She is not the greatest agent, as she is easily manipulated and often comes up with some of the craziest plans you could think of. Usually, Jessie and her partner James end up making more of a mess of a situation than anything else. She has even gone against what she is supposed to do and done what is right when she feels it is necessary. Nonetheless, being a Team Rocket agent is in her blood as her mother was one of the greatest agents of all time.
Jessie's mom was dedicated to Team Rocket and a very close friend of Madame Boss.
She was not so much as dedicated to their mission to basically take over the world and all of the Pokémon, but was mainly in it as a way to support her daughter and make money. Either way, she was good at her job and almost always completed her missions, apart from the last one. Even her last mission when she was buried in an avalanche, she has still sent reports as to what she is doing up until a little while ago. She is loyal, and once she puts her mind to things she doesn't give up!
23 What's In A Name?
There are not too many things about Jessie's mom that are known for sure, because she went missing and hasn't really been seen since. She is also not talked about too much in the anime or any other Pokémon platforms. However, one thing that is known for sure is her name, Miyamoto.
Miyamoto's name is of Japanese origin and has a couple of different meanings behind it. Even though Miyamoto is important to the story of Pokémon for a number of reasons, she has only been mentioned one time in the anime. She was not with Jessie a lot because she was constantly working to support her and make sure she had everything that she needed. Miyamoto tried her best to be a good mother but had a hard time balancing her two worlds, something that many people find is difficult. She felt that she had no choice but to leave Jessie when she was young so that she could make money to support them.
Miyamoto was good friends with Madame Boss and the two had been known to talk about their children together a lot. They shared a similar view about having to make money but of course, Miyamoto was not as fortunate as Madame Boss. Either way, Miyamoto thought that finding Mew would be her ticket to a better life for herself and more importantly her daughter, Jessie.
22 A Top Secret Mission
Miyamoto dedicated herself to Team Rocket in an attempt to make as much money as possible for her little girl Jessie. When she discovered that Mew actually did exist and she brought the evidence to Madame Boss, she was so excited because she knew how much money this would bring to Jessie if she could just capture Mew. Madame Boss was a bit hesitant to send her agents on what could become a wild goose chase but eventually, Jessie's mom was able to convince her.
Jessie's mom and a couple of other agents were sent into the mountains to find Mew and hopefully capture it.
Sadly, she was never able to complete her mission and all of the agents got separated during a blizzard. Even though she was presumed gone, she still sent in reports for a while but the eventually stopped and now her location is unknown. Either way, she was the first person to get tangible evidence that Mew existed and therefore is important to the entire story of Pokémon. Who knows, she could possibly still be on that mission to this day searching for this legendary Pokémon so that she can bring it to Team Rocket and finally be able to provide for her daughter in the way that she has so desperately wanted to.
21 Keeping Those Important To Her Close At All Times
Even though Jessie's mother was one of the top agents of a team that worked to control everyone and basically do the complete opposite of good, she was actually not a bad person. She was a good mother who placed the happiness and wellness of her little girl above all else. She was often sent away on missions and she was not in a position to turn down any work, because she needed the money in order to ensure that Jessie was able to do whatever her little heart desired as well as had the basic essentials.
Despite knowing that she didn't have a choice but to leave Jessie behind when she went on missions Miyamoto still struggled with it and found it harder and harder each time to leave. She was afraid of missing out on Jessie's childhood and missed her so she always carried a picture of her whenever she left her. This picture was her saving grace and she even tried to persuade Mew to allow her to capture it by showing her this picture. The little girl in the picture, Jessie, was the reason that she was doing all of this and carrying out mission after mission.
20 The Mysterious Blizzard
Mew is a legendary Pokémon. This not only means that it has been around for a very, very long time but also that it is more powerful than most Pokémon and can definitely overpower a human. Although it looks cute and cuddly and may seem a bit naive, it has so much power stored up in its little body that it can even control the weather. When Jessie's mom was on her search for Mew, a blizzard broke out that separated her from the other Rocket agents she was with.
She was lost for a couple of days, but eventually, the storm disappeared and in its place was Mew. Even though Miyamoto had audio evidence that Mew existed, this was the first time that she actually laid eyes on the legendary Pokémon and she was in awe. She knew that she had to complete her mission in order to get paid, so she attempted to catch Mew. She tried a few different tactics and even tried to show the little Pokémon a picture of her little girl at home in order to convince Mew to allow her to be captured.
Nothing seemed to work and eventually the little Mew lost interest and left Miyamoto. This was the one and only time that Miyamoto physically saw Mew, but she has not stopped searching since, hoping to come across Mew once more.
19 Look At This Photograph
Jessie's mom was desperate to catch Mew. Unlike the other members of Team Rocket, she didn't really care about catching all of the Pokémon or having the most power in the world. Instead, she was more concerned with making money and being able to provide the best life for her little girl, Jessie. Capturing Mew would provide her with more money then she would know what to do with, and she knew this.
So when she finally came in contact with Mew after spending days in a blizzard, she tried everything she could to convince Mew to allow Miyamoto to capture him. She always carried a picture of Jessie whenever she left for a mission so that she could remember why she was doing this, and the reason that she was missing her daughter's childhood. When Mew seemed to have little interest in her pleas, she pulled out the picture and showed it to the little Pokémon. She hoped that this would evoke some sort of emotion in the legendary Pokémon and convince Mew that it would be worth it for him to be captured.
Unfortunately, Mew did not seem convinced and the little Pokémon soon left Miyamoto alone once again with no idea where she was or what she would do next.
18 Never Seen Again
Mew is more powerful than any human and most Pokémon. Mew is a legendary Pokémon that has been around for a very, very, very long time, and this tiny little Pokémon can even control the weather whenever it feels like it. Before Miyamoto ran into Mew, she was surrounded by a huge blizzard that made her lose her path and also the other agents that came with her on this mission. She was not only freezing but determined to catch this legendary Pokémon now more than ever.
She was completely on her own when Mew appeared and the blizzard suddenly came to a screeching halt.
Miyamoto may have been exhausted and freezing, but she did not let that get in the way of her mission. She tried her best and pleaded with Mew to be captured but Mew was no impressed or interested in her reasons. Mew listened but once it grew bored it took off again to wherever it had come from. Once Mew left, Miyamoto was once again left in the same blizzard and on her own. Her current whereabouts are unknown but she is believed to still be alive and looking for Mew in the Andes Mountains.
17 One: Profit, Two: Economize, No Three Or Four, & Five: Pokémon!
Jessie's mom was a very smart woman. She knew the importance of money and how it makes the world go round even back then. Therefore she knew that in order to give her daughter the best life possible she would have to work her butt off and complete as many missions as possible. As a result, she was known for this life motto that she came up with. This motto basically says that you need to make money and economize this money in smart ways so that your money will last and grow for years to come. The best way to make money, according to Miyamoto, was Pokémon. Pokémon, especially rare ones, were worth a lot of money, not only to Team Rocket but to other trainers as well.
She wanted Jessie to have literally everything her heart desired which is why she went on the crazy mission to capture a legendary Pokémon, that is pretty much impossible to catch, in the first place. She knew that this job was close to impossible yet she never, and still hasn't, given up on the idea that she will be able to capture Mew and make a huge profit, all for her daughter, of course. Miyamoto was a smart woman to listen to because she was always thinking ahead and never got too comfortable with her current situation.
16 Still Out There Somewhere
Miyamoto literally tried everything to convince Mew that it was a good idea to allow her to capture her. Mew, on the other hand, was not convinced and left Miyamoto alone in the Andes Mountains. Once Mew left, the blizzard that had separated Miyamoto from her team started up again. Most people assumed that Miyamoto did not survive and eventually was destroyed by the storm, but Giovanni disagrees and says that she has made a number of reports since the storm started back up again. Her reports after the blizzard basically consist of her pleading with Mew to return and allow its capture.
Although she hasn't made any reports in the recent years and her current whereabouts are unknown, she is thought to still be alive by him.
She was so determined to catch Mew and come home to her daughter with tons of cash that it is not surprising that even years and years later she has not given up on her mission. She was one of the best agents that Team Rocket ever had and seems to still be one because even after she was buried in a snowstorm for years and years she has not forgotten why she was there to begin with and will not stop until Mew is finally caught.
15 Naming Conventions
Miyamoto Musashi was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, and writer. Musashi became renowned through stories of his excellent and unique double-bladed swordsmanship and his undefeated record in his 61 duels. He was one of the greats and has been studied by students for decades and decades. This is the man that the creators of Pokémon decided to name Jessie's mother after.
They probably chose this name because they are both fighters who continue to go after what they want even when it seems impossible. They have both overcome obstacles that were meant to hold them back and come out on the other side stronger. Miyamoto loved her daughter more than anything and did everything in her power to make sure that she was not only healthy but also happy. In this determination lies a strength similar to the Japanese Swordsman she is named after.
This namesake is a reference to her daughter, who Japanese name is Musashi. Also, Shigeru Miyamoto is one of the top game designers of Nintendo. He has worked on Pokémon quite a lot. So, giving Jessie's mom this name made sense in multiple different ways. Naming a character is important because it can set the stage for their characterization for the rest of their existence.
14 Giving It All Up
Jessie's mom knew that she would not be able to give Jessie the life that she deserved. Partly because she was always leaving to go on missions for Team Rocket but also because she didn't really have the money to provide her with everything that she would need as she got older. As a result, she put Jessie up for adoption so that she could be adopted by a family who could give her everything and more.
Although she put her up for adoption, she never forgot about her daughter or let her role as a mother cease.
She continued to work as much as she could so that she could give Jessie whatever she wanted. She went on the mission to find Mew because she thought that she had finally found her ticket to being able to literally give Jessie the world and then some! Miyamoto always carried a picture of her little girl with her whenever she went on a mission because she felt terrible leaving her behind and she needed a reminder as to why she was doing what she was doing.
Miyamoto may have given up her daughter so that she could have a better life, but in her mind, she was still Jessie's mother and acted as such. This shows just what kind of person Miyamoto actually was and how much she really did love her little girl even if she was unable to be with her right now.
13 The Evidence Of Mew
Like we said earlier, Miyamoto was the first person to ever have tangible evidence that Mew even existed at all. All other "evidence" was hearsay, but Miyamoto had actual evidence that this little legendary Pokémon was more than just a myth. While she was on a mission in the jungle she had recorded Mew making its noises. Mew's noises are very distinct, as they are high pitched and almost childlike in sound. Miyamoto had to do a bit of work to drown out the background noises but after she isolated the sounds she brought it to Madame Boss.
Madame Boss was a bit skeptical at first of taking time away from other missions to send some agents on what could end up being a wild goose chase.
However, Miyamoto and Madame Boss were friends, and Jessie's mom was able to convince her boss that this was the right idea and it could change Team Rocket forever. Finally, Madame Boss gave in and Miyamoto was on her way. While on the mission, she did come in contact with Mew but was unable to capture it. She never gave up and is still working on bringing Mew to Team Rocket even years later. It has seemed to become a bit more personal to her nowadays since she has wasted so many years lost and alone on this mission.
12 A Mother's Bond
Madame Boss is the former Team Rocket Boss. Once her son, Giovanni, came of age, she turned over the reigns to him and allowed him to take control. However, during her time in power she became very close to Jessie's mom, Miyamoto. The two were able to relate about a couple of different things including their children and their struggles with having to be away from them so much.
They had a couple of differences, and it is said that Miyamoto used to get on her when Madame Boss would complain how hard it was to make money because Jessie's mom was the one who knew how true this statement really was. Nonetheless, they confided in one another and really were friends which is why Madame Boss was probably hesitant to send Miyamoto on this mission to find Mew.
She knew how hard it would be and how it was next to impossible to convince a legendary Pokémon to be captured. But her friend needed the money and eventually, she gave in and allowed her to take a couple of agents with her to help her in her mission. This was the last time that the two friends saw each other.
11 Cold, Hard Cash
Team Rocket is not the easiest group to be a part of. They are generally hated among most of the citizens because they take great pleasure in making others miserable. The members of Team Rocket are always trying to gain power in any way they can whether that be by stealing Pokémon from trainers or trying to capture as many Pokémon as they can. Either way, there is not a lot of love for Team Rocket amongst the general population.
The members and agents of Team Rocket don't seem to mind too much as they love what they do and that includes causing general terror amongst crowds. However, Miyamoto was not like the other members of Team Rocket and didn't really enjoy causing pain or fear to others. Instead, she saw it as an easy way to make money for her little girl which was the main reason that she got involved in Team Rocket, to begin with.
Once she started, she was soon sucked into mission after mission and she felt that it was the only way she would be able to support her little girl and provide her with what she needed. This may be why Jessie often ends up helping Ash and his friends when they really need it.
10 The Ideal Image Of Team Rocket
Even though Miyamoto was never really into being a member of Team Rocket, she was one of the best, according to Madame Boss. She looked at her position on Team Rocket as more of a job than a lifestyle, which helped her remain focus and not get sidetracked. This is what Madame Boss like about her.
When she was sent on a mission to do something she got it done with no questions asked. Apart from her last mission, there is no known mission on record that she was unable to complete so Madame Boss loved to use her. She wanted all of the members and agents of Team Rocket to be as dedicated and sufficient as her but obviously, that didn't happen.
Even now, after years and years of being lost, she is still talked about and what new agents are supposed to be mirroring. Maybe if all agents needed the money as bad as Miyamoto did then they would be as good at completing the missions and eager for more just like she was. Or maybe she was such a good agent because she wanted to be a role model for her little girl. Either way, she was one of Madame Boss' favorite agents of all time and best friends.
9 One Sole Mention
It is impossible to deny that Jessie's mom is very important to the Pokémon story as a whole. She is the mother of one of the main characters, Jessie, and she was also a big part of one of the main enemies of the trainers in the franchise. Not to mention, she was the first person to ever prove that Mew even existed. Mew is one of the main things that the first Pokémon movie revolves around.
Despite all of this, she was only mentioned in the anime once.
She made her anime debut in "The Birth Of Mewtwo" that tells the story of how Mewtwo came to be. This was the first and last time that Miyamoto was seen or talked about in the anime. However, in "Snow Way Out!" a character was referred to as Jessie's mother appeared. Only her torso was shown, though. She did not resemble Miyamoto at all. This woman was only referred to as Jessie's mom in the dub and the Japanese closed captions, never in the dialogue of the Japanese version. Who knows, maybe the creators and writers behind Pokémon have something up their sleeve and are planning to explore her character in the future!
8 Before The First Movie, There Was Her
Pokémon: The First Movie focused on Mewtwo and how he escaped from the scientists who created him. As a result of his creation to be like Mew, he felt that he needed to assert his dominance as well as seek revenge on humans for what they did to him. He created a whole fake competition to attract some of the strongest trainers and their Pokémon just so that he could create clones of them, just like the scientists tried to do with Mew when they created him.
Eventually, Mew shows up and shocks everyone. A fight between the two Pokémon ensues and eventually, Mew is able to get Mewtwo to see that there is no need for fighting and they can actually be friends. Mewtwo gives in and leaves with all of his Pokémon in order to explore the world with Mew. This was the first time that most people saw Mew, but it was 20 years after Miyamoto was able to capture the audio of him talking and prove that he, in fact, existed. Not many people know that there is evidence of Mew's existence before this movie, but Miyamoto's evidence is probably what sparked the scientists' interest to create Mewtwo in the first place.
7 Protecting Her Daughter Even From Afar
Jessie is not the greatest member of Team Rocket. She doesn't take after her mother in that sense because she is clumsy and often gets sidetracked. Jessie also has a tendency to go against what Team Rocket would want her to in order to help the trainers in need. She tries her hardest but never seems to accomplish much of what she sets out to do. Nevertheless her and her partner, James, never give up on their mission to capture Pikachu and bring her back to their boss. Over the course of the series, they have messed up pretty much every single mission that they have been on.
Despite this, Jessie has never once been kicked off Team Rocket no matter how many mistakes that she made.
This is thanks to her mother who made Madame Boss and her son, Giovanni, promise to never give up on Jessie and to allow her to always have a home and job with Team Rocket. This was just another security measure that Miyamoto put into place so that she wouldn't have to worry about Jessie's well being in the future. Jessie's mother was always thinking ahead and making sure her daughter was well taken care of.
6 Leading To Obsession
Although Jessie's mom gave her up for adoption, she never stopped providing her with money and everything else that she would need. Miyamoto became a bit obsessed with making sure that Jessie had enough money for everything, and then some.
When Miyamoto finally was able to capture evidence that Mew existed, she knew that this was big. She was aware that if she was able to find and capture Mew she would be able to make enough money so that Jessie would never have to worry about anything for the rest of her life. Her boss, Madame Boss, was not as convinced as her by the recording and gave her a bit of a hard time when Jessie's mom proposed the idea of a mission to find Mew.
However, Miyamoto was able to convince Madame Boss that this would be a smart idea for Team Rocket and she left for her mission to find Mew and bring him back to Team Rocket. Even when she found Mew and failed to capture it she has still not given up, more than 20 years later. If being stuck in a blizzard for twenty plus years can't curb this obsession, then not much else will!