James, a member of Team Rocket, participates in the organization's abduction of the Mythical Pokémon Diancie within "Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction," targeting her diamond-creating abilities. He operates alongside Jessie and Meowth as their trio confines Diancie within a clock tower, coercing her to generate diamonds. The resulting overflow halts the clock mechanism. These diamonds, created under duress, prove temporary and vanish, leaving Team Rocket disappointed.

Team Rocket's pursuit of Diancie occurs concurrently with other factions seeking her power: jewel thieves Merilyn Flame and Ninja Riot, and the father-daughter duo Argus and Millis Steel. These multiple antagonistic groups collectively target Diancie, intensifying the film's conflict.

The interference by Team Rocket, including James, alongside the other antagonists, inadvertently disturbs Yveltal's cocoon in the Allearth Forest. This disruption awakens the Legendary Destruction Pokémon, triggering a chain of events that threatens the region. No additional background story, character development, or expanded role for James beyond these specific movie events is detailed.