It's a White Tomorrow, Team Rocket! (Original title: Shiroi Ashita da! Rocket-dan) is a Pokémon: The Series radio drama written by Takeshi Shudō. The title of the drama comes from Team Rocket's Japanese motto. It's a White Tomorrow, Team Rocket! was released only in Japan and was put on CD in 1998. The radio drama features Mondo, a popular Team Rocket character who only appears in this one drama.
The drama starts with Team Rocket having failed to capture Ash's Pikachu again. As they argue about whose fault their latest failure is, a Team Rocket member called "Mondo" appears. James tells his friends that Mondo is It turns out that he is a "Team Rocket Special Delivery Member Trainee" who provides other members with food and funding for their various activities.
Mondo is a huge fan of the trio. He gushes over them and is impressed by their stories. After both challenging and defeating Mondo in a battle, Jessie offers Meowth in exchange for Mondo's Ditto.
After Team Rocket leaves with their new partner, Mondo gives Meowth a massage and asks if he'll ever be as "great" as Jessie and James, to which Meowth tells him that he will because of his help, saying that Jessie and James were idiots who brought his abilities down. Elsewhere, Jessie and James plan on having Ditto turn into a Pikachu that they can give to Giovanni. Unfortunately, the Ditto has trouble listening to their commands. For example, it turns into a Hitodeman (Staryu) instead of Hitokage (Charmander).
A swarm of Beedrill attacks the gang while Ditto is too busy transforming into random Pokémon. James has Weezing send up a smoke signal, but Meowth refuses to go help because he doesn't want to bail the duo out anymore. Mondo goes to help without Meowth.
While running from the Beedrill, Jessie and James fall into a trap that they had dug earlier. Mondo appears and wards off the Beedrill with his Tauros, but he accidentally falls in the hole himself. Thankfully, Meowth appears to attacks the Beedrill. After Jessie and James send Arbok and Weezing to help him, the Beedrill fly away. Jessie, James, and Mondo are freed from the hole. Mondo realizes that he admires Jessie, James, and Meowth as a trio and trades Meowth back to Jessie and James. With that, the Team Rocket Trio continue on their adventures with a new Meowth balloon in tow.
It's a White Tomorrow, Team Rocket! provides examples of:
- Canon Discontinuity: The special is non-canon to the main anime.
- Bag of Holding: Mondo pulls a giant hot air balloon out of his "sending bag". The bag uses the same technology that keeps Pokémon in their Poké Balls.
- Remember the New Guy?: Mondo is a new character who never appears elsewhere. This is lampshaded when Jessie and Meowth question who Mondo is.
- Pun: At one point the Ditto that Jessie and James get is asked to turn into a Hitokage (Charmander). It instead turns into a Hitodeman (Staryu).
- Villain Episode: Ash and his friends don't appear once. The short focuses completely on Team Rocket.
