Villainous team
Villainous teams, also officially referred to as villainous organizations (Japanese: 悪の組織 villainous organizations) or sinister organizations (Japanese: 敵組織 villainous organizations; officially secret teams), are typically organized crime groups which serve as the main antagonists in the storylines of Pokémon games. They are also often major antagonists in story arcs of the animated series and manga. Whatever their goals in their respective games, one thing most have in common is that they plan on achieving their results through the misuse of Pokémon. Their names usually follow the pattern Team ~ (Japanese: ～団 -dan) e.g. Team Rocket (Japanese: ロケット団 Rocket-dan).
Despite the name, villainous teams, particularly in later generations, are not always outright villainous or malicious in their intentions. Additionally, similar organizations may fill a villainous role instead, such as parts of the Aether Foundation and Macro Cosmos.
Overview
Villainous teams in the core series have many aspects in common. Their structure generally includes, in order of rank, a leader, one or more Admins, and a number of anonymous grunts. Some teams have additional levels of authority within them, such as Team Flare's scientists, as well as additional members and associated individuals who do not fit into the hierarchy at all, such as Gladion, who works with Team Skull but is not a "member" per se.
Most core series games have only one core team or organization acting in a villainous capacity. Typically, the player character encounters the villainous team many times over the course of their adventure. They often first encounter grunts early in the game, often involved in a small act of villainy unrelated to the team's broader goals. As the player's adventure continues, they meet more of the team's members and uncover more of its secrets and aims, culminating in one or more encounters with the team's boss. Finally, toward the end of the game, the player foils the team's scheme. In most games — with the exception of Pokémon Black and White — this happens before the end of the player's journey to the Pokémon League.
Other canons outside of the core series, such as the Pokémon Adventures manga, have created very different interpretations of villainous teams.
In later generations, villainous teams are generally less overtly villainous, criminal, or malicious in nature, such as Team Yell in Pokémon Sword and Shield, which are merely overzealous fans of Marnie, and whose boss, Piers, is largely ignorant to the trouble they've been causing. Team Star in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, while initially rambunctious and often breaking the school's rules, are found to mainly just be misunderstood, and are given the opportunity to reintegrate and help out at the school.
Additionally, the main antagonists of a game may be affiliated with a different organization altogether, such as a faction of the Aether Foundation in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon or Macro Cosmos in Pokémon Sword and Shield. In this way, the initial villainous team encountered by the player may serve as more of a red herring, disguising the true villain of the game's story.
While Pokémon Legends: Arceus lacks a traditional villainous team, the Galaxy Team acts as a predecessor to Team Galactic, and various groups with differing goals are encountered throughout the game, including the Miss Fortunes, which, while serving a more overtly antagonistic role, are not the main villains of the game. Similarly, Pokémon Legends: Z-A features several factions, none of which are overtly villainous, though having various motives and often misguided or questionable tactics, especially the Rust Syndicate.
Cipher in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Phobos Battalion in Pokémon Trozei!, are the only organizations officially referred to as villainous teams[citation needed] that do not appear in the core series and notably do not closely adhere to the standard pattern and trends of those teams, having various similarities and differences.
List of villainous teams
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Manga info of Team Plasma and Team Flare from Pokémon Adventures |
Team Rocket
In the core series games
Team Rocket is the villainous team of the Kanto and Johto regions and the Sevii Islands. The grunts wear black outfits with gray gloves, boots, and belt, while variations of those outfits are also worn by specific members such as the Admins. Their logo is a large, red "R". Their leader is Giovanni. After Giovanni's disappearance, Archer took his place.
In Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Team Rocket often worked to gain money through methods such as burglary and selling Fossils. Their plans culminated in a hostile takeover of the Silph Co. building in Saffron City. The gang based their operations in the hidden basement of the Celadon Game Corner. Initially, Giovanni was the leader of the Viridian Gym. After being defeated by the player character, he resigned from his position and disappeared to train further. Team Rocket was disbanded at this time, but isolated groups still operated in the Sevii Islands until they were made aware of Giovanni's departure.
In Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, Team Rocket operates as a remnant group under the leadership of Rocket Executive Archer after Giovanni's absence. They engage in unethical activities like selling Slowpoke Tails and conducting experiments with radio waves to control Pokémon, resulting in the unnatural Evolution of Magikarp at the Lake of Rage. Their attempts to seize control escalate with the takeover of Goldenrod Radio Tower, where they broadcast a plea for Giovanni's return. However, their plans are thwarted by Ethan/Lyra and Lance, leading to their ultimate disbandment once again. Meanwhile, Ethan/Lyra time-travelled from the future to that moment with Celebi and encountered Giovanni in his hideout in Tohjo Falls, listening to the group's broadcast and planning to meet with them in Goldenrod, but after being defeated by them, he gives up and leaves the room, disappearing once again.
In animation
Team Rocket has appeared in almost every episode of Pokémon the Series, usually as the bumbling trio: Jessie, James, and Meowth. At times, the leader Giovanni as well as other members, such as Butch and Cassidy, have appeared as well. Team Rocket as an organization made separate attacks on the Kanto, Johto, Unova, and Alola regions, failing each time. Their goals are usually capture powerful Legendary and Mythical Pokémon such as Mewtwo, Lugia, the Forces of Nature, and Necrozma.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Rocket is depicted as a sinister organization led by Giovanni. They initially pursue powerful Pokémon, clash with the Pokédex holders, and feature prominent members such as Koga, Sabrina, and Lt. Surge. After disbanding several times, the group undergoes multiple revivals under new leadership, including the Masked Man, Giovanni, and the Rocket Executives, each pursuing powerful Legendary and Mythical Pokémon such as Lugia, Celebi, Deoxys, and Arceus.
Team Magma
In the core series games
Team Magma is one of the villainous teams of the Hoenn region. The grunts wear red jumpsuit outfits, which have been variously interpreted to look like Ninja costumes or similar to an imp, while variations of those suits are also worn by specific members such as the Admins. Their logo is a black "M" stylized to look like a volcano. Their leader is Maxie.
In Pokémon Ruby and Omega Ruby, their main goal is to increase the landmass of the Hoenn region. They are first encountered in Petalburg Woods, and a grunt is fought. After earning the Stone Badge, the same grunt is seen fleeing to the Rusturf Tunnel and was revealed to have kidnapped Peeko. Later, they are encountered at Slateport City's Oceanic Museum, attempting to steal the Devon Goods from Captain Stern. Later, they steal a Meteorite from Professor Cozmo in Meteor Falls, and use it to try to cause Mt. Chimney to erupt. After being defeated, they aren't seen again until the player reaches the Weather Institute, where a group of grunts led by Courtney in Ruby or Tabitha in Omega Ruby are looking for information about the Legendary Pokémon Groudon and the weather Pokémon Castform. Soon after, they are seen at Mt. Pyre, and succeed in stealing the Blue Orb (Red Orb in Omega Ruby). They then steal the Submarine Explorer 1 that Captain Stern built. They are seen and fought at their hideout in Lilycove City, which cannot be accessed after earning the Mind Badge in Ruby, and they then travel to the Seafloor Cavern with the orb to awaken Groudon.
In Pokémon Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, they help the player defeat Team Aqua.
In Pokémon Emerald, Team Magma is first seen in Meteor Falls, but flees when Archie and Team Aqua appear. Like in Ruby and Omega Ruby, they steal the meteorite. They are first fought at Mt. Chimney, and this is the first time Tabitha and Maxie are fought. After fighting Team Aqua, who successfully stole the Red Orb, at Mt. Pyre, the player obtains the Magma Emblem, which was dropped by a grunt when Team Magma stole the Blue Orb, and accesses the hideout. However, in this game, it's located in Jagged Pass instead of being near Lilycove City in Ruby and Omega Ruby. After defeating many grunts and Tabitha, the player witnesses Maxie awaken Groudon, but it flees, and they then fight Maxie for the second time. After earning the Mind Badge, they are fought at the Mossdeep Space Center for the last time. After defeating a few grunts, the player teams up with Steven Stone and defeat Maxie and Tabitha in a Double Battle. They are also seen after Archie awakens Kyogre in the Seafloor Cavern and is defeated by the player. The two leaders are in Sootopolis City until Rayquaza stops the fight between Kyogre and Groudon. After that, they are seen returning the respective orbs to Mt. Pyre.
In animation
Team Magma made their first appearance in Pokémon the Series in the Ruby and Sapphire series episode A Ruin with a View. It's later revealed that they captured Kyogre, which was freed by Shelly in Gaining Groudon, allowing Archie to take control of it with the Red Orb. They then help the heroes stop the battle between the Super Ancient Pokémon and bring Archie back to his senses.
In the manga
In the Ruby & Sapphire arc arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Magma was shown to be lesser threat compared to Team Aqua as both teams go on a race to try and find the Red and Blue Orbs before each other so they can go on with their plans. Both Maxie and Archie were controlled by Groudon and Kyogre respectively and abandoned their original goals, only wanting to cause destruction across the region instead. After the orbs were separated from them, Maxie's body broke down, which resulted in his eventual death. In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc arc, Maxie returned from the dead and reformed Team Magma as "Neo Team Magma", with the new goal of saving the world from a giant meteor.
Team Aqua
In the core series games
Team Aqua is one of the villainous teams of the Hoenn region. The grunts wear blue, white, and black thorn costumes that look like pirate outfits, while variations of those costumes are also worn by specific members such as the Admins. Their logo is a white "A" stylized to look like skull and bones. Their leader is Archie.
In Pokémon Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, their main goal is to reduce the landmass of the Hoenn region. They are first encountered in Petalburg Woods and a grunt is fought. After earning the Stone Badge, the same grunt is seen fleeing to the Rusturf Tunnel, and is revealed to have kidnapped Peeko. Later, they are seen at Slateport City's Oceanic Museum, attempting to steal the Devon Goods from Captain Stern. Later, they steal a Meteorite from Professor Cozmo in Meteor Falls and use it to try to cause Mt. Chimney to become dormant. After being defeated, they aren't seen again until the player reaches the Weather Institute, where a group of grunts led by Shelly are looking for information about the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre and the weather Pokémon Castform. Soon after, they are seen at Mt. Pyre, and succeed in stealing the Red Orb (Blue Orb in Alpha Sapphire). They then return to Slateport City to steal the Submarine Explorer 1 that Captain Stern built. They are seen and fought at their hideout near Lilycove City, which cannot be accessed until after earning the Mind Badge in Sapphire, and they then travel to the Seafloor Cavern with the orb to awaken Kyogre.
In Pokémon Ruby and Omega Ruby, they help the player defeat Team Magma.
In Pokémon Emerald, a single grunt is encountered in Petalburg Woods with a second encounter ending in Rusturf Tunnel. As a group, they are first seen at Slateport City's Oceanic Museum, attempting to steal the Devon Goods from Captain Stern. At Meteor Falls they cause Team Magma to flee. They are seen fighting Team Magma at Mt. Chimney. Later, they are seen again when the player reaches the Weather Institute, where a group of grunts led by Shelly are looking for information about the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre and the weather Pokémon Castform. Soon after, they are seen at Mt. Pyre, and succeed in stealing the Red Orb. They then steal the Submarine Explorer 1 that Captain Stern built. They are seen and fought at their hideout near Lilycove City. After many grunts and Matt are defeated, they are seen traveling to the Seafloor Cavern with the Red Orb to awaken Kyogre. After defeating many grunts and Shelly, Archie is seen awakening Kyogre, but it flees and is fought and defeated by the player. Archie and Maxie are seen in Sootopolis City until Rayquaza stops the fight between Kyogre and Groudon. After this, the two leaders are seen returning their respective orbs to Mt. Pyre.
In animation
Team Aqua made their first appearance in Pokémon the Series in the Ruby and Sapphire series episode Stairway to Devon. It's later revealed that they captured Groudon, which was freed by Pikachu under the effects of the Blue Orb. Archie gain control of Kyogre through the Red Orb, but was stopped by Groudon.
In the manga
In the Ruby & Sapphire arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Aqua was shown to be a bigger threat compared to Team Magma as both teams go on a race to try and find the Red and Blue Orbs before each other so they can go on with their plans. Both Maxie and Archie were controlled by Groudon and Kyogre respectively and abandoned their original goals, only wanting to cause destruction across the region instead. After the orbs were separated from them, their bodies started to break down, but in the Emerald arc, Archie managed to slow down the process thanks to an armor set and disbanded Team Aqua as he assumed a new identity. In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc, Archie returned from the dead and reformed Team Aqua as the now "Neo Team Aqua", with the new goal of saving the world from a giant meteor.
Team Galactic
In the core series games
Team Galactic is the villainous team of the Sinnoh region. The grunts wear black and white jumpsuits that vaguely resemble spacesuits, while variations of that suit are worn by specific members such as the Admins. Their team's crest is a stylized letter "G" (possibly resembling a spiral galaxy). Their leader is Cyrus.
In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Cyrus wishes to recreate the universe in his image or spiritless with the powers of Dialga and Palkia. In Platinum, Charon is also present. In Platinum, once the player has access to Stark Mountain, Mars and Jupiter are seen at Stark Mountain with Charon attempting to use the power of Heatran, but after being defeated, they leave the team, and Charon is arrested, leaving Saturn as the only Team Galactic Commander still part of the team.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it's heavily implied that Team Galactic is connected to the disbanded Galaxy Expedition Team, which had its name and accomplishments passed down to captain Cyllene's descendants. Additionally, Cyllene heavily resembles Cyrus himself.
In animation
Saturn, along with two grunts, appeared in the Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl episode A Secret Sphere of Influence!, though it was just a brief cameo at the end of the episode. Here, they commissioned Team Rocket to steal the Adamant Orb and frame Nando for the crime. In the end, Team Galactic commented that Team Rocket did a lousy job at it. In their next appearance, Journey to the Unown!, Saturn acquired the Spear Key at the Solaceon Ruins. Cyrus, Mars, and Jupiter later appeared in Losing Its Lustrous and Double Team Turnover! with Saturn. Team Galactic also served as the antagonists of Pokémon: The Arceus Chronicles in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, trying to bring back Cyrus following his disappearance at the end of their original plan.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga, like in the games, the team is led by Cyrus. The team essentially has the same goal as in the games, but it was possible that the Commanders did not know about the absolute plan of their leader since Mars was shocked when Cyrus revealed that his ultimate goal was to create the universe and all of its life fully anew. Hareta, with the help of Mitsumi, a former member, and the Gym Leaders, managed to stop him. Later, Charon became the new leader and tried to capture Heatran. Mars and Jupiter left on a search to find Cyrus and were treated as deserters. One of the most distinctive characters of the team is B-2, a grunt who has swollen buttocks due to Hareta biting him when they first met.
In the Diamond & Pearl arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Galactic has the same goal as in the game. They capture the Lake Guardians and use them to create two Red Chains to summon Dialga and Palkia to create Cyrus's new universe. However, the three Legendary Pokémon were freed by Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum leaving the second Red Chain incomplete. Their plans were ultimately stopped by Giratina, who dragged Cyrus, Dialga, and Palkia into the Distortion World. There, Cyrus had his mind changed by Diamond, abandoning his plan as a result.
Team Plasma
In the core series games
Team Plasma is the villainous team of the Unova region. The grunts' uniform resembled a knight's armor, while the Seven Sages' are robes. Their objective is to separate humanity from Pokémon. Their king was N, who was actually used by his adoptive father, Ghetsis, one of the Seven Sages, to reach his goal of taking over the world. Their crest is the letters P and Z combined together, looking like the Chi Rho.
After the truth of Ghetsis is revealed, Team Plasma is split into two factions: Team Plasma, formed by those who follow N, and "Neo Team Plasma",formed by those who follow Ghetsis . The grunts that supported Ghetsis changed their uniform to be more similar to pirates, while those that supported N remained in the old uniforms. The leaders of this new team are both Colress and Zinzolin, another one of the Seven Sages.
In Pokémon Black and White, their leader, N, is encountered very early in the game and is battled in many of Team Plasma's appearances. Eventually, N is able to gain control of ZekromB/ReshiramW, and defeats the champion Alder. After the player captures the other Legendary Pokémon and defeats N, Ghetsis reveals his true plans, battling the hero himself. After his defeat and arrest, Looker will ask the player to help him round up the remaining Sages.
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Team Plasma has split into two different factions. One of the factions consists of the few members of Team Plasma that are still loyal to N. The other faction, known as the Neo Team Plasma, is led by Colress and Zinzolin. This faction is not attempting to release Pokémon, but instead take over Unova. They intend to accomplish this new goal by freezing the region and stealing all of the region's Pokémon. Having escaped from custody, Ghetsis once again reveals himself to be the true mastermind behind Team Plasma's actions. The reformed members and N help the player against the new Team Plasma, culminating in the defeat of Colress and Ghetsis — the latter controlling Kyurem. Following this, Colress officially disbands Team Plasma, retiring to P2 Laboratory. Ghetsis, having snapped and lost heart upon seeing his plans foiled, is taken away by the Shadow Triad, never to be seen again.
In animation
Team Plasma's intended Pokémon the Series debut episodes, BW023 and BW024, were postponed due to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan and were later retconned out of continuity. Their proper debut was in the Best Wishes Season 2: Episode N arc, but in their new outfits. N debuted at the end of New Places... Familiar Faces! and was properly introduced in the next episode. Colress, with some other grunts, first appeared in Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot! experimenting with wild Pokémon. Ghetsis made his proper appearance in Team Plasma's Pokémon Manipulation!. Anthea and Concordia made their debut at the end of the episode, where they rescued N from Team Plasma. The Seven Sages appeared in a flashback in Secrets From Out of the Fog!. Like in the games, Team Plasma's plan is to use the strength of Pokémon and use it to take over the Unova region.
Team Flare
In the core series games
Team Flare is the villainous team of the Kalos region. The grunts' uniform is a mafia-styled red suit, while Admins wear more stylized white suits. Variations of those uniforms are also worn by specific members such as the scientists. Their symbol is an "F" stylized like a flame. Their leader is Lysandre.
At first, Team Flare's goal is claimed to be making the world "beautiful" with style and lots of money. Despite their claims, several grunts and even their leader Lysandre confirm that they seek a world benefiting only those within Team Flare, disregarding anybody else. Team Flare attempted to make money by stealing and selling Fossils. They also siphoned energy from the Kalos Power Plant, and later on stole Poké Balls from the Poké Ball Factory. It is eventually revealed that Team Flare's true plan is to use the ancient Ultimate Weapon in order to obliterate all life except themselves and start anew, as Lysandre no longer sees a bright future for the current society — which, in his words, has grown to an unsustainable level and is doomed by "unproductive fools" consuming the planet's limited resources. At this point, it is explained that all their actions were preparations for this goal: the energy from the Power Plant was needed to reactivate the weapon, and a large number of Pokémon was needed to feed it, as it is powered by their life energies. After the player has entered the Hall of Fame, the player is tasked by Looker to help him solve a series of crimes related to a person known as Essentia, which would be revealed to be the result of experiments by Xerosic, one of Team Flare's scientists.
In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, 5 years after Team Flare was disbanded, some of its former members seem to be redeeming themselves as Xerosic became one of Emma's mentors alongside Looker and Mable became the director of the Pokémon Research Lab in Sycamore's place. The former Team Flare grunts Grisham and Griselle are also redeeming themselves and formed Team Flare Nouveau to save Lumiose City from Ange so Team Flare is forgiven by the population. The team's leader, Lysandre was also revealed to have been saved by Zygarde and lost most of his memories, becoming known as "L".
In animation
The first appearance of a Team Flare member was in the Pokémon the Series: XY special Mega Evolution Special I, where Lysandre made an appearance at Lysandre Labs, monitoring the Mega Evolution energy Alain had accumulated. He appears again in Mega Evolution Special II, where he interrupted Alain and Steven's battle. Team Flare later hatches a plan to capture the Legendary Pokémon, Zygarde, which is first revealed in From A to Z!. However, they fail in doing so as it escapes. The team is after two of the Zygarde Cores, code-named Z1 and Z2. In Meeting at Terminus Cave!, Team Flare was able to locate Z2 while it and Z1 were communicating, and Mable and Aliana proceeded to go after Z2. After discovering that Z1 had joined Ash and his friends, who had nicknamed it Squishy, they began following the group to capture it, and were seen on numerous occasions. Team Flare Admins, along with Xerosic, began their experiments on an island using the power of Zygarde Cells to mutate trees, which Xerosic declared was a success. Locating Z2, Aliana and Mable, along with Team Flare Grunts, were able to capture Z2 with the help of Alain and his Charizard, allowing Xerosic to later conduct experiments on it. In Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare!, on the night before the Lumiose Conference's final round, Team Flare, reaching the final stages of their plan, made their way to the Lumiose Gym to begin setting up their equipment. At the end of Down to the Fiery Finish!, Lysandre arrived at the Lumiose Gym and ordered Z2 to show him its power as he put his plan into motion. In A Towering Takeover!, Lysandre televised a message to the citizens of Kalos, describing his plan to create a new, beautiful world by destroying the one they currently live in. Team Flare's plot was ultimately foiled in Forming a More Perfect Union!, after Z2 was freed from its control and Team Flare's Giant Rock destroyed. Lysandre's fate was unclear after he was engulfed in the same explosion that destroyed the Giant Rock, while the other members were eventually arrested.
In the manga
In the X & Y arc in Pokémon Adventures, Team Flare planned to use the power of Xerneas and Yveltal to power up the ultimate weapon, but after Xerneas escaped and joined Y's team, they retreated into the Pokémon Village and decided to power the weapon with the life force of the Pokémon that live there instead.
Team Skull
In the core series games
Team Skull is the primary villainous team of the Alola region. The grunts' black-and-white uniforms are inspired by street gangs and consist of sneakers, shorts, wrist bands, tank tops, bandannas used to cover the lower face, and berets that resemble the tops of skulls. Their symbol is a stylized letter S in the shape of a skull, which is worn as a medallion. Their leader is Guzma.
Team Skull's intentions are to simply make enough money to survive. They can be seen around the Alola region, stealing Pokémon and disrupting island life and island challenge events. The team's leader, Guzma, had once attempted the island challenge, aiming to become a captain, but failed. He is acquainted with Professor Kukui. Plumeria, Team Skull's Admin, is considered the "big sister" of the team and cares for the grunts, calling them her "cute, dumb brothers and sisters". It is eventually revealed by some of their members that the organization is composed of other people who also failed their island challenge. Their enforcer, Gladion, the son of Aether President Lusamine, joined their team to become stronger, though the grunts do not consider him a real member of their team. Their base is located in Po Town. Throughout the game, Team Skull acts like minor inconveniences towards the player, often causing trouble on their island challenge. Lillie seems to be a afraid of the group, hiding her Cosmog, Nebby, in her bag saying that Team Skull is one of the people who may use its power for their own gain. The player encounters Team Skull's notable members several times, Gladion warning them of Cosmog's powers and Plumeria telling them to not get in the way of the relationship she has with her grunts. In Malie City, it is revealed that Guzma and Professor Kukui have history, with Guzma being uninterested in his Pokémon League. Team Skull eventually finds out what is in Lillie's bag and brings her to her mother, President Lusamine, so that Lusamine could use Nebby's power to activate an Ultra Wormhole. Worried about their boss's disappearance into Ultra Space, Plumeria and the rest of the team ask of the player to bring him home.
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's Episode RR post game story, Team Skull, most notably Guzma, ally with and assist the player in taking down Team Rainbow Rocket, who had taken over Aether Paradise, building a castle there.
In animation
Team Skull debuted in the Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon episode Alola to New Adventure!, where three of their grunts, Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp, challenged Kiawe to a Pokémon battle, threatening to steal his Charizard. Ash and Kiawe teamed up to defeat the grunts, with Kiawe defeating all of the grunts' Pokémon with his Turtonator's Z-Move. Since then, they have made semi-regular appearances in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, especially Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp. Their leader, Guzma also participated in Alola's very first Pokémon League.
Team Rainbow Rocket
Team Rainbow Rocket is a villainous team that appears in the Alola region. Members wear black uniforms that are similar to those worn by the original Team Rocket, but the red "R" logo on the uniform's front has been replaced by a rainbow "R" logo. Their leader is Giovanni, one from a parallel world.
Team Rainbow Rocket's intention is to create an army of Ultra Beasts in order to conquer all worlds in the multiverse. The group's leader Giovanni has recruited the leaders of other villainous teams from alternate universes where they were successful in their plans, including Archie of Team Aqua, Maxie of Team Magma, Cyrus of Team Galactic, Ghetsis of Team Plasma, and Lysandre of Team Flare. Faba of the Aether Foundation also assists in Team Rainbow Rocket's goals.
Team Yell
In the core series games
Team Yell is the villainous team of the Galar region. The grunts' black-and-pink uniforms are inspired by football hooligans and punks, and consist of sneakers, pranks, tank tops, vests, and gloves. Many of their clothing articles are ripped/torn or embellished with spikes and studs. The grunts also wear face paint and dyed or painted hair. Their symbol is a stylized, upside-down Y, forming an eye tattoo or a claw, though it also closely resembles their signature Y-shaped vuvuzela. In reality, Team Yell grunts are Spikemuth Gym Trainers in disguise, under their captain and Gym Leader Piers.
Unlike most evil teams, Team Yell's intentions, while similar to those of Team Skull (who also have a history of disrupting events), are not entirely evil; they are simply devoted fans of Piers' younger sister Marnie. Team Yell was formed when Marnie entered the Gym Challenge by several Gym Trainers from the Spikemuth Gym who came together to form Team Yell and act as a fan club for her, but they also began vandalizing and obstructing her competitors to help her win the Gym Challenge and get publicity for their dilapidating hometown.
Team Star
In the core series games
Team Star is the villainous team of the Paldea region. They are delinquent students of Naranja AcademyS/Uva AcademyV, and their uniforms are modified uniforms of the Academy, with the colors varying by game. Their symbol is a cut-out star shape, with the negative space shaped like both a lightning bolt and the letter S. Their leader is Cassiopeia.
Team Star is the focus of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's ★ Starfall Street ★ (Japanese: スターダスト★ストリート Stardust ★ Street) storyline, causing trouble for others and pressuring other students into joining. The team is made of several squads, each led by a Boss. When battling a Boss, they will appear on top of a custom car called the Starmobile.
Similar examples
Core series
Aether Foundation
The Aether Foundation was founded in the Alola region with the intention to protect and heal injured Pokémon. Despite its noble goals, the organization's leader, Lusamine, with the help of her second-in-command Faba, lead a handful of employees, alongside the aid of Team Skull, to research and pursue the Ultra Beasts. Blinded by her obsession, Lusamine neglected her family, mistreated Pokémon, and threatened the safety of those around her, ultimately putting the whole Alola region at risk by opening the Ultra Wormholes, allowing the Ultra Beasts to come through and wreak havoc.
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Lusamine, working with the Ultra Recon Squad, obsessively researched and pursued Necrozma to prevent the Legendary Pokémon from stealing the light of Alola, inadvertently unleashing the Pokémon, whose immense power and instability threatened to plunge the region into darkness.
In contrast to Lusamine and those who worked for her, the rest of Aether Foundation and its employees generally believed in the virtues and ideals of the organization, genuinely wanting to help and shield Pokémon from harm.
Macro Cosmos
Macro Cosmos is an organization serving as a large business conglomerate in the Galar region. The president of the company and chairman of the Galar League, Rose, planned to use the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus to solve Galar's projected energy crisis. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the vice-president of the company and Rose's secretary, Oleana, tasked Macro Cosmos's employees with preventing the player and Hop from reaching Chairman Rose during his conversation with Leon, and ultimately battled them herself.
It is revealed in the climax of the game that Rose energized Eternatus with Wishing Stars collected by Bede to bring about the Darkest Day in order to provide Galar with a near-infinite supply of energy. However, the energy released by Eternatus became too much for Rose to contain. Realizing the severity of the situation, Oleana urged the player to put a stop to Rose's plan. Rose lost control of Eternatus and was forced to enlist the Champion Leon's help to defeat and catch it, but Leon was unable to fully weaken and catch the Pokémon. Eternatus was only able to be stopped with the combined strength of the player, Hop, Zacian, and Zamazenta, before being captured by the player. Rose was not seen again after Eternatus's capture, having turned himself over to the authorities, while Oleana chose to do community service.
Despite the criminal actions of the president and Oleana as his accomplice, the rest of Macro Cosmos and its employees did not appear to be aware of Rose's plans and were not involved in his crimes. Instead, most of them are encountered as regular League Staff.
Miss Fortunes
The Miss Fortune sisters are a trio of bandits from the Hisui region who stole valuable items and Pokémon. Prior to becoming bandits, they were members of the Galaxy Team, and before that, Clover and Coin were members of the Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan, respectively. The sisters merely serve as minor recurring antagonists in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and do not play a major role in the games' story.
Rust Syndicate
While there are several groups and organizations with varying motives and often dubious approaches to achieving their goals in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the Rust Syndicate initially appears most like a villainous team. The organization's tasks are carried out by grunts, and the group deploys predatory loans and high interest to make money and coerce people to work for them to pay off their debt. However, their motives are more altruistic in that the organization seeks to maintain peace in Lumiose City, though often through intimidation and shows of strength through Pokémon battles. Despite this, their boss, Corbeau, doesn't necessarily see himself as a "good person". Unlike most villainous teams, the group does not appear at all until late in the game; they play a major role during the subsequent section of the story, but do not serve as the game's main antagonist.
Side series
Cipher
In Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, this criminal syndicate aimed to take over the world using Shadow Pokémon. Their leader in Colosseum was Evice, and their leader in XD: Gale of Darkness was Greevil.
Cipher has also appeared in two manga adaptations: Pokémon Colosseum Snatcher Leo and Pokémon Colosseum Snatchers.
Team Snagem
In Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, this team tries to steal every Pokémon in the world using their special device, the Snag Machine. In both games, their leader was Gonzap.
Spin-off games
Team Great Rocket
In Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, this team is located in the Trading Card Game Islands. They attempt to steal the Legendary Cards of the Grand Masters. Led by Biruritchi, they take over TCG Island and kidnap several of the Club Masters.
Go-Rock Squad
In Pokémon Ranger, this team attempts to capture the Legendary beasts with their own version of the Capture Styler.
In the manga Pokémon Ranger the Comic: Double Mission, the Go-Rock Quads captured Deoxys and used it against the Rangers Lunick and Solana. They controlled Deoxys and changed its forms by the use of their instruments.
Team Meanies
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team along with its remake, Team Meanies is the enemy team. They harass the player and their partner many times, including stealing their personal rescue missions and attacking them. Eventually, the player has to rescue one of the members, and the leader of the team asks for help.
Team Meanies appeared in the animated special Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!. Like in the games, they are the enemy team to the protagonist team, Team Go-Getters.
Team Skull
Team Skull is a team of Pokémon in the second pair of Mystery Dungeon games. It is made up of Skuntank, Koffing, and Zubat. They frequently harass the player's team, until Brine Cave, where Skuntank is injured. The two teams finally make up, and Team Skull is never seen again.
Koffing and Zubat also appeared in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team manga.
Team Dim Sun
In Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, this team attempts to control all Pokémon in Almia Region. Blake Hall, their head, intends to force all the Pokémon in Almia to produce limitless energy for his company, the Altru Inc.
Team Debonairs
This team appears after the player has beaten the game and plays the special mission "Liberate the Tower." This team consists of ex-members of Team Dim Sun with their leader being Kincaid, one of Team Dim Sun's ex-admins.
Team Dim Sun appears also in the manga Pokémon Ranger: The Comic – Shadows of Almia. Their ultimate goal is to take control over Darkrai via the Shadow Crystal.
Phobos Battalion
Phobos Battalion are the enemies in Pokémon Trozei!. Their goal is to steal Pokémon to use their energy and power up a secret weapon called the Phobosphere. Their leader is Baron Phobos.
Pokémon Pinchers
The Pokémon Pinchers are a villainous team based in the Oblivia region, appearing in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs. Their leaders are the Societea, four people who wish to extend their lives with the Golden Armor and rule the world.
Two Pinchers and Red Eyes were seen in the Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs animated special.
Dark Legion
The Dark Legion is a group of Rusty Pokémon who have been corrupted and are being controlled by Dark Rust. They cannot speak, are always hostile, and will not drop as toys when defeated.
Team GO Rocket
Team GO Rocket is a villainous team in pursuit of evil and the exploitation of Pokémon. In Pokémon GO, their objective is to invade PokéStops for their resources by using Shadow Pokémon in Trainer Battles to defend their claims. Like in the core series games, Giovanni is their leader.
Team Break
Team Break is a villainous team in the Pasio region, appearing in Pokémon Masters EX. Their goal is to steal strong Pokémon from other trainers and sabotage the Pokémon Masters League. Its members wear masks that resemble the team's logo turned sideways.
During the Villain Arc, they temporarily received a leader in the form of Paulo, who wants to use them and Lear's Hoopa Unbound to destroy all evil teams, naming himself the "last evil" and planning to disband his own team when he's finished, however, his plans are stopped by Giovanni by stealing and controlling Hoopa with the power of the sync stones, causing the Team Break members loyal to him to defect.
Team Break briefly appeared in the Pokémon Masters Animated Trailer in a montage.
Animated series
Explorers
The Explorers are a villainous team that appears in the Kanto, Galar, and Paldea regions and is based at Mount Pericarp. The grunts wear gray clothes and silver jackets with the symbol of the Explorers on them. Variations of those clothes are also worn by specific members such as the Admins. The leader of the Explorers is Gibeon. After Gibeon passed away in Where the Adventure Leads, Spinel took his place as leader.
Similar to the previous animated series, Pokémon Horizons: The Series introduces a new trio of villains. Unlike the Team Rocket trio and Team Skull trio of Pokémon the Series, however, Amethio, Zirc, and Onia are more competent and serious in their actions, getting to the point of being more violent too, not caring if their actions might hurt other Pokémon or people. Over the course of the series, other members of this organization are introduced, such as Hamber, Gibeon's second-in-command and Spinel, an Exceed scientist that was promoted into an admin. It's also later revealed that Hamber was the one to not only find, but train most of the Explorers admins, including Amethio, Chalce, Coral, and Sidian.
The Explorers' main goal is to better the lives of people and Pokémon through the use of Laquium, crystals that can expand humans's lifespan and awaken Pokémon's latent power. These crystals can only be found in a sealed part of the Pokémon paradise Laqua. To get there, they must not only capture Rystal's Terapagos, whose "awakening" is the key to unseal the area where Laquium is found, but they also need to gather all of Lucius's Six Heroes, ancient Pokémon whose energy will allow Terapagos to awaken. Due to their conflicting goals, they've become the sworn enemies of the Rising Volt Tacklers, who share the goal of reaching Laqua, but for different reasons. In Where the Adventure Leads, the Explorers took possession of Laqua, even though all of the Laquium there has been purified by Terapagos. After Spinel became the new leader of the team, their goal was changed to secretly taking control of the world.
It's later revealed that the Explorers were originally a small group founded 100 years prior to the series by three friends: Lucius, Gibeon, and Rystal, who together travelled around the world seeking the Pokémon paradise, Laqua. After their disbandment, Gibeon reformed the group as the advanced organization that's known in the present day.
Exceed
The Exceed Corporation is a company founded in Pericarp Town by Gibeon with the goal to improve the lives of Humans and Pokémon through the research of a mysterious crystal named Laquium. At first, it was portrayed as a legitimate company, but when its original chairman Gibeon passed away in Where the Adventure Leads, it became one of the main antagonists of Pokémon Horizons: The Series being having come entirely under the sway of the Explorers and its new boss Spinel.
Trivia
- In Generation VI, the final battle against each villainous team's Boss takes place on a background that differs from the actual location and reflects the team's name.
- For Lysandre, the background is a fiery area resembling a stellar corona, whereas the actual location is the Team Flare Secret HQ.
- For Archie and Maxie, the background resembles a whirlpool or a volcano, respectively, while both battles take place in the Seafloor Cavern. For the purposes of moves that vary with environment and Burmy, it is treated as the default plain terrain.
- Team Break is the only villainous team (if spin-off teams are included) outside of the Mystery Dungeon series with neither a leader nor executives, admins, or commanders. However, they later gain a boss during the Villain Arc when Paulo temporarily becomes their leader.
- In Pokémon the Series, Team Skull holds the distinction for debuting earlier in their respective series than any other team, appearing in the very first episode of the Sun & Moon series. Likewise, Team Plasma holds the distinction of debuting the latest of any team, not appearing until the 112th episode of the Black & White series.
- However, if Team Plasma's intended debut had aired as planned, the latter distinction would be held by Team Yell instead, who did not appear until the 99th episode of Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
- In Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, UnovaB2W2, and Kalos, the villainous team puts their plan into action right after the player earns their seventh Badge.
In other languages
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Brazilian Portuguese | Organização maligna | |
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This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games. |