Team Aqua

If you were looking for the theme deck from EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, see Team Aqua (TCG).
Aqua redirects here. For the ferry service that runs between Johto and Kanto, see S.S. Aqua.
Team Aqua
アクア団 Aqua Gang
Aqua-logo.png
Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire Team Aqua Grunts.png
Artwork of Aqua Grunts from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Leader Archie
Region Hoenn
Admins Matt, Shelly, Amber*
Major targets Mt. Chimney, Oceanic Museum, Southern Island, Weather Institute, Mt. Pyre, Seafloor Cavern, Mossdeep Space Center
Base locations Lilycove CitySEAS
Anime debut Stairway to Devon
Adventures debut Lombre Larceny
TCG 55 cards

Team Aqua (Japanese: アクア Aqua-dan, literally Aqua Gang) is one of the two villainous teams with their organization based in the Hoenn region, alongside their rivals, Team Magma. In Generation III, Team Aqua's ultimate goal is to expand the amount of water in the world while in Generation VI, they are trying to return the world to a state for Pokémon by awakening Kyogre to wipe out human civilization and return the world to its beginnings, so that Pokémon can live untainted by humanity's progress.

In the core series games

Team Aqua appears only in the Hoenn-based games Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, as well as their remakes Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where they scheme to bring Kyogre out of its slumber.

Generally, Team Aqua Grunts have weaker Pokémon, with Zubat and Poochyena (and Grimer in Alpha Sapphire) plentiful among them, however, they also use Pokémon of other types; typically they are Water types such as Carvanha (and Wailmer in Emerald). The team is headed by Archie and his two immediate subordinates Matt and Shelly.

Pokémon Sapphire

Though they are first encountered early in the game, their first major plot is to use the Meteorite to cease the eruption of Mt. Chimney, which would cause rainwater to fill the cooled-down crater. When this is thwarted by the player, they set themselves up in Lilycove City's cove, planning their next moves. Their final action in the storyline is to steal a submarine from Slateport harbor, which they use to travel to the Seafloor Cavern with the Red Orb, where Kyogre awaits. Kyogre, however, is not able to be controlled, and leaves for the Cave of Origin in Sootopolis City where it must be captured by the player or defeated.

Pokémon Ruby

Team Aqua is relegated to a supporting role in Ruby, with Team Magma instead performing the same actions (with different reasoning) and awakening Groudon instead.

Pokémon Emerald

Team Aqua's deeds are partly the same in Pokémon Emerald as they are in Sapphire, with them stealing the sub to obtain Kyogre. After awakening Kyogre and seeing Kyogre and Groudon clash together, both Team Magma's Maxie and Team Aqua's Archie realize what they've done has caused a terrible disaster, and make peace with one another after Groudon and Kyogre have been taken care of by Rayquaza.

Pokémon Alpha Sapphire

In Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Team Aqua's role in the story remains largely the same but their motivation has been significantly altered. While in the original versions of Ruby and Sapphire Team Aqua saw a world with more seas as ideal for both Pokémon and humans, in Alpha Sapphire Team Aqua wishes to expand the sea to wipe out human civilization and return the world to its beginnings, so that Pokémon can live untainted by humanity's progress. This puts them in direct opposition to Team Magma, who in this version of the story believe that the land must be expanded to progress human living conditions.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

  This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Role in Pokémon Masters EX

In the anime

Main series

 
Team Aqua in the anime

Team Aqua was introduced in Stairway to Devon where a member of the team infiltrated the Devon Corporation and stole two capsules of "Creation Fluid". His plans were stopped by Team Rocket's Jessie and James, who intended to steal the same thing, with all parties involved not realizing that "Creation Fluid" was nothing more than water. In On a Wingull and a Prayer!, this same member took a boat of Mr. Briney's to escape from the police and headed for the open ocean, where a Team Aqua submarine rescued him. This particular grunt is voiced by Darren Dunstan in English.

Team Aqua later appeared in A Three Team Scheme and Unfair Weather Friends. Their final, and most prominent appearance was in Gaining Groudon and The Scuffle of Legends, when they and Team Magma began the battle between Kyogre and Groudon.

Pokémon Generations

Team Aqua appeared in The Cavern, where Archie and three Grunts explored the Seafloor Cavern in search of Kyogre. Upon finding Kyogre, the Aqua Leader used the Blue Orb to awaken Kyogre's Primal form, despite Shelly's protests. Their scheme didn't go as planned, however, and the team was forced to watch as Kyogre devastated the Hoenn region. Aboard the Submarine Explorer 1, Archie and Shelly were last seen getting attacked by Primal Kyogre.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Ruby & Sapphire arc

Team Aqua were portrayed as more influential than their counterparts Team Magma. Their leader Archie, as the director of Hoenn TV, was able to orchestrate a cover-up of Team Aqua schemes and the identity of the team itself, while reporting Team Magma schemes and airing anti-Team Magma propaganda whenever they could. This was how Gabby and Ty seemed to be unable to tell the full story of what happened to Mr. Stone on Route 104, or the ending of volcanic activity on Mt. Chimney, a successful scheme led by the Aqua Admins. In addition, Team Aqua's headquarters in Lilycove City was able to house countless aquariums of Water-type Pokémon.

Team Aqua's influence on the media eventually became too much for one man - Magma Leader Maxie, who went to Lilycove to confront Archie. Archie eventually settled on a truce with Maxie which involved the two teams combining forces to reach the same destination together, as while Team Magma held the submarine built by Captain Stern, Team Aqua had control of the Devon Parts they stole from Mr. Stone, which enabled the submarine to reach its destination.

The ending of volcanic activity was expected to bring the conditions necessary for Kyogre to quickly gain areas of influence once it awakened. However, this was not the case, and Archie sent Amber over to investigate. Once Archie obtained the Blue Orb, he trapped Amber in the submarine they took to get to the Seafloor Cavern, as well as the Blue Orb's previous holder Tabitha. Moreover, Archie took out the Devon Parts from the submarine and put it on auto-pilot so that it would burst. Despite surviving this event, Amber swore his allegiance to Team Aqua and joined forces with his fellow Admins to confront the Hoenn Gym Leaders who were also impeding Kyogre's advance.

Emerald arc

Archie disbanded Team Aqua shortly after assuming his new guise.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

Archie returned at the same time that Neo Team Aqua (Japanese: 新生アクア団 Neo Aqua Gang) were formed by new incarnations of Matt and Shelly, to cooperate with Zinnia.

In the TCG

Team Aqua is featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua and Double Crisis expansions. Their ambitions and specialties here reflect the other media they appear in. Unlike Team Rocket, which initially featured Dark Pokémon as an emphasis for their status as a villainous team, evolved Pokémon belonging to Team Aqua are dual Darkness-type. This mechanic would also be used on subsequent Team Rocket-related Pokémon in the EX Team Rocket Returns expansion.

Team Aqua's Pokémon
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a silver background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Team Aqua's Cacturne    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   1/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   012/080
Team Aqua's Crawdaunt    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   2/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   036/080
Team Aqua's Kyogre    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   3/95 Aqua Deck Kit   013/033
Team Aqua's Manectric    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   4/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   039/080
Team Aqua's Sharpedo    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   5/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   035/080
Team Aqua's Walrein          Aqua Deck Kit   011/033
EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   6/95 Aqua Deck Kit   012/033
Team Aqua's Crawdaunt   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   14/95 Aqua Deck Kit   006/033
Team Aqua's Sharpedo   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   18/95 Aqua Deck Kit   003/033
Team Aqua's Mightyena   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   15/95 Aqua Deck Kit   022/033
Team Aqua's Sealeo   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   16/95 Aqua Deck Kit   009/033
Team Aqua's Seviper   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   17/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   010/080
Team Aqua's Sharpedo   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   18/95 Aqua Deck Kit   003/033
Team Aqua's Cacnea    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   24/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   011/080
Team Aqua's Carvanha   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   25/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   033/080
Team Aqua's Corphish   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   26/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   034/080
Team Aqua's Electrike   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   27/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   038/080
Team Aqua's Lanturn   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   28/95 Aqua Deck Kit   016/033
Team Aqua's Manectric   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   29/95 Aqua Deck Kit   019/033
Team Aqua's Mightyena   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   30/95 Aqua Deck Kit   023/033
Team Aqua's Sealeo   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   31/95 Aqua Deck Kit   010/033
Team Aqua's Carvanha   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   47/95 Aqua Deck Kit   001/033
Team Aqua's Carvanha   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   48/95 Aqua Deck Kit   002/033
Team Aqua's Chinchou   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   49/95 Aqua Deck Kit   015/033
Team Aqua's Corphish   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   50/95 Aqua Deck Kit   004/033
Team Aqua's Corphish   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   51/95 Aqua Deck Kit   005/033
Team Aqua's Electrike   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   52/95 Aqua Deck Kit   018/033
Team Aqua's Electrike   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   53/95 Aqua Deck Kit   017/033
Team Aqua's Poochyena   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   54/95 Aqua Deck Kit   020/033
Team Aqua's Poochyena   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   55/95 Aqua Deck Kit   021/033
Team Aqua's Spheal   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   56/95 Aqua Deck Kit   007/033
Team Aqua's Spheal   EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   57/95 Aqua Deck Kit   008/033
Team Aqua's Spheal   Double Crisis   3/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   003/034
Team Aqua's Sealeo   Double Crisis   4/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   004/034
Team Aqua's Walrein   Double Crisis   5/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   005/034
Team Aqua's Grimer   Double Crisis   7/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   007/034
Team Aqua's Muk   Double Crisis   8/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   008/034
Team Aqua's Seviper   Double Crisis   9/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   009/034
Team Aqua's Poochyena   Double Crisis   16/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   016/034
Team Aqua's Mightyena   Double Crisis   18/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   018/034
Team Aqua's Carvanha   Double Crisis   20/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   020/034
Team Aqua's Sharpedo   Double Crisis   21/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   021/034
Pretend Grunt Pikachu         SM-P Promotional cards   014/SM-P
Pretend Boss Pikachu Team Aqua         SM-P Promotional cards   192/SM-P
Team Aqua's Pokémon 
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Team Aqua's Kyogre    Double Crisis   6/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   006/034
Other related cards
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Team Aqua Schemer T [Su] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   69/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   073/080
      Aqua Deck Kit   027/033
Archie T [Su] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   71/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   075/080
      Aqua Deck Kit   029/033
Team Aqua Ball T EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   75/95 Aqua Deck Kit   026/033
Team Aqua Belt T [PT] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   76/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   071/080
      Aqua Deck Kit   030/033
Team Aqua Conspirator T [Su] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   77/95 Aqua Deck Kit   028/033
Team Aqua Hideout T [St] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   78/95 Aqua Deck Kit   032/033
Team Aqua Technical Machine 01 T [TM] EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   79/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   077/080
      Aqua Deck Kit   031/033
Aqua Energy    E EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua   86/95 Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions   080/080
      Aqua Deck Kit   033/033
Archie's Ace in the Hole Su Primal Clash   124/160 Tidal Storm   66/70
Primal Clash   157/160 Tidal Storm   77/70
Aqua Diffuser I Double Crisis   23/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   025/034
Team Aqua Admin Su Double Crisis   25/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   027/034
Team Aqua Grunt Su Double Crisis   26/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   028/034
Team Aqua's Great Ball I Double Crisis   27/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   023/034
Team Aqua's Secret Base St Double Crisis   28/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   031/034
Double Aqua Energy   E Double Crisis   34/34 Magma Gang VS Aqua Gang: Double Crisis   033/034
 


Gallery

Trivia

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese アクア団 Aqua-dan From aqua
English, French,
German, Spanish
Team Aqua Same as Japanese name
Italian Team Idro From idro-, Italian equivalent of the prefix hydro- (water)
Spanish Equipo Aqua Same as Japanese name
Korean 아쿠아단 Akua-dan Same as Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin) 海洋隊 / 海洋队 Hǎiyáng Duì* From 海洋 hǎiyáng, ocean
水艦隊 / 水舰队 Shuǐjiàn Duì* From 水 shuǐ (water) and 艦 / 舰 jiàn (warship)
Chinese (Cantonese) 海洋隊 Hóiyèuhng Déui* From 海洋 hóiyèuhng, ocean
水艦隊 Séuilaahm Déui* From 水 séui (water) and 艦 laahm (warship)
Finnish Aquaryhmä Same as Japanese name
Polish Zespół Aqua Same as Japanese name
Brazilian Portuguese Equipe Aqua Same as Japanese name
European Portuguese Equipa Aqua Same as Japanese name
Russian Команда Аква Komanda Akva Same as Japanese name
Vietnamese Đội Aqua Same as Japanese name


Related articles



Boss: Archie (Masters)
Administrators: MattShellyAmber*
Lower members: Team Aqua Grunts
Former members: ZinniaAS
Locations: Team Aqua Hideout


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Team RocketTeam MagmaTeam AquaTeam GalacticTeam PlasmaTeam Flare
Team SkullTeam Rainbow RocketTeam YellTeam Star
Team Great RocketTeam SnagemCipherPhobos BattalionGo-Rock SquadTeam Dim Sun
Team DebonairsPokémon PinchersDark LegionTeam GO RocketTeam BreakExplorers