Why does Team Rocket's boss want to steal Pokemon?

They actually spell it out pretty clearly in their motto. You know, that silly thing they recite every time they appear in the TV show? Yeah, when we were little children, we always thought it was nonsense, right? read more

“Steal Pokemon for profit. Exploit Pokemon for profit. All Pokemon exist for the glory of Team Rocket.” Ultimately, Giovanni simply wants to make money via Team Rocket’s various criminal activities. For example, Team Rocket runs a casino in Celadon City and uses the profits from that casino to fund its operations. read more

At first, Team Rocket has no interest whatsoever in Ash's Pikachu, and are only really interested in taking all of the infirmed pokemon, disregarding his one ordinary Pikachu completely. However, when Pikachu recovers, and with the help of several other Pikachu at the Pokémon Center, Pikachu manages to defeat Team Rocket in a single attack. read more