Let's face it -- Team Rocket aren't the most intimidating of villains. However, their amusing and (frankly puzzling) quest to catch Ash's Pikachu has made them an essential and beloved part of the Pokemon anime. What they don't realize, though, is that they've captured plenty of Pokemon that, if trained properly, would have far exceeded Pikachu in strength -- and one of them is Wobbuffet.
Wobuffet, in many ways, isn't the most useful Pokemon. In the anime, Jessie ends up getting a Wobbuffet through an accidental trade during the "Johto Arc." Ever since, the weird psychic Pokemon has pretty much been the fourth memorable member of the team, often being used as comic relief and seen "blasting off again" with the trio.
However, like all members of his species, Wobbuffet hides his tail. Although Wobbuffets would normally never attack first, if their tails are attacked they become uncharacteristically aggressive and fight back with all of their might. There are a lot of theories as to why Wobbuffets are so sensitive about their tails, with some speculating they may be sentient, much like the ones possessed by Girafarigs. Considering Wobbuffet tails have two eyeballs and are actually capable of blinking and observing their surroundings, that theory doesn't sound too far off. Wobbuffet's Pokedex entry in Black and White 2 also claims the Pokemon might be so keen on hiding its tail because of some sort of secret.
As morbid as it sounds, one of Wobbuffet's Pokedex entries even claims that if any harm come to its tail, the Pokemon is likely to use the move Destiny Bond -- which results in it "taking down the other Pokemon with it." Of course in the game, this means "making the other Pokemon faint" but since both the anime and the games hint at Pokemon occasionally dying, it's possible that some Wobbuffets go further than just making a foe faint. What if, when it knows that there's no way for it to escape its fate, Wobbuffet chooses to permanently take whatever is attacking down with it?
The few times Jessie has used Wobbuffet in battle, the results have generally been pretty positive, but she's never really utilized this particular move. Because of this, it's a wonder why Team Rocket didn't just learn to use Wobbuffet more strategically in battle -- for instance, by prompting Ash and friends to attack its tail and encourage him in becoming aggressive. Sadly, the fact that Team Rocket aren't the most competent of trainers probably led to them dismissing Wobbuffet and its true potential.
The few times Jessie has used Wobbuffet in battle, the results have generally been pretty positive, but she's never utilized Destiny Bond. However, the powerful move could have gone a long way to helping Team Rocket take down Ash and his friends. Sadly, the fact that Team Rocket aren't the most competent of trainers probably led to them dismissing Wobbuffet and its true potential. Wobbuffet could be a solid, albeit dark, asset to Team Rocket if they knew how to properly exploit its strengths. Good thing for Ash and his friends that'll probably never happen.
