After reading yet another bad Team Rocket fic, this time with Butch and Cassidy, it occurred to me just how much, and how badly, Butch and Cassidy were portrayed out of character.

    That's not possible, you say, They don't have any personality for them to be out of character!

    Wrong.

    There is indeed characterization of Butch and Cassidy, and even more so in the Japanese version. (That's one of the reasons why I prefer the Japanese Rocket-Dan. It's a lot darker than the dub counterpart. But I digress.) The key is to look for the characterization. It's in there, but you just have to look for it.

    First tip, and the one I stress most of all:

    If you don't like Butch and Cassidy, please, don't put them in your fics. The vast majority of times, the author will turn a character they don't like into a really crappy character. This is especially true in the case of Butch and Cassidy. As they are not thoroughly defined, the author gives them nothing but bad traits. I find this a real pain to read, as the author clearly did not spend any time developing these characters. They slap on bad traits and personalities, without providing any real development for the characters. (If I read another fic where Cassidy is a slut, I'm going to first scream, then go after the author with many implements of torture.) So let me repeat myself: If you are not willing to fully develop Butch and Cassidy, don't put them in your fics.

    Second, Butch and Cassidy are not on the same level as Jessie and James. This is mentioned in the dub, and is exceedingly obvious in the Japanese version. Butch and Cassidy are better Rocket members than Jessie and James. In the Japanese version, Yamato and Kosaburou are some of the best members on the team. Accept the fact, and write accordingly.
    Corollary: If you can give me a good, reasonable, well thought out reason that Butch and Cassidy are no longer competent criminals, go for it. But please, just don't start off your fics saying that Butch and Cassidy are subpar Rocket members. That won't work.

    Third, Cassidy and Jessie don't like each other. In the Japanese version, they are bitter rivals, much like Shigeru and Satoshi. If you are going to make them become best friends, give me a good reason to believe it. No, a single line saying 'They buried the hatchet a while ago, so now they're friends.' won't cut it. (Pun not intended) Give me a believable, reasonable explanation these archenemies are all of a sudden best buds.

    Fourth, and this only applies to the Japanese version, the correct spelling of names.
    Cassidy is Yamato.
    Butch is Kosaburou. Kosaburou has the silent 'u' at the end of his name, yet few people recognize this. How would you like it if people kept misspelling your name?

    Fifth, Butch isn't a chain smoker. A chain smoker always has a cigarette in their mouths. Butch never has a cigarette in his mouth. For that matter, Butch probably has never touched a cigarette in his life. And throw out that stuff about a frog in his throat, too, while you're at it. I personally am getting really tired of it.

    Now, I'm not going to go into specifics of the characterization of Butch and Cassidy. That part is never really defined, and hey, your ideas are just as good as mine are. Just remember to thoroughly develop Butch and Cassidy; give good, believable reasons for their actions. It'll make your fics much more enjoyable to read.