Villainous team
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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 anime 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).
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.
Aside from Pokémon Emerald and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, each core series game has only one team acting in a villainous capacity. Typically, the player character encounters the villainous team many times over the course of their adventure. Typically, they 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.
The above refers to the core series games; however, other canons, such as the Pokémon Adventures manga, have created very different interpretations of villainous teams.
Core series
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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, if any |
Team Rocket
Team Rocket is the villainous team of the Kanto and Johto regions. The grunts wear black costumes and have a red "R" as their crest. Many variations of the costume have been seen. Their leader is Giovanni.
In the games
In Generation I, 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 Red/Leaf, 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.
For three years, Team Rocket appeared to be gone completely. However, an underground movement, led by executives from the Sevii Islands, developed in the Johto region. As usual, it began with crimes committed to earning money, such as selling Slowpoke tails at outrageous prices.
As the Johto Team Rocket grew in size, scientists within the group studied radio waves and how they might be used to control Pokémon. From a former ninja base in Mahogany Town, their experiments affected the Magikarp at the Lake of Rage, causing the Pokémon to evolve unnaturally. Although the experiment was stopped by Lance, Team Rocket soon took over the Goldenrod Radio Tower, intending to use its transmitter to affect Pokémon nationwide.
Before putting their plan into action, however, Team Rocket used the tower to instead attempt to contact Giovanni, hoping he would hear their message and return. This gave Ethan/Lyra enough time to infiltrate the besieged Goldenrod and defeat Team Rocket's executives, who again disbanded the group. Some time later, a time-traveling Ethan/Lyra from the future fought Giovanni while their present-day counterpart watched the fight. Giovanni vanished after the fight, and Ethan/Lyra returned to their time.
In the anime
Team Rocket has appeared in almost every episode since the second, usually as the bumbling trio Jessie, James, and Meowth, though at times Giovanni as well as other members, such as Butch and Cassidy, have appeared. Giovanni made separate attempts to take over the Kanto and Unova regions, failing both times.
In the manga
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: other manga |
Pokémon Adventures
Team Rocket first appears in Pokémon Adventures, when Red and Blue are pursuing Mew in Viridian Forest. They are led by Giovanni, who is portrayed in a much more sinister light than in the anime or games, as with Team Rocket as a whole.
This canon's depiction of Gym Leaders is different from that of the games and anime, which generally depict Gym Leaders as valiant. In the Red, Green & Blue arc, the three most prominent members of Team Rocket, collectively referred to as the Team Rocket Triad, are Koga, Sabrina, and Lt. Surge. Like the other villainous trios, two members of the Team Rocket Triad (Sabrina and Lt. Surge) are true to their original calling (though as opposed to the other villainous trios, for them it is being Gym Leaders, not being members of their Team), while one goes his own way, that being Koga.
For a short time, Blaine worked for Team Rocket, making 5 out of the 8 Kanto Gym Leaders Rocket-affiliated at some point in their life.
As in the games, Giovanni later disbands Team Rocket and shuns the Team Rocket Triad and the four of them go their separate ways. Team Rocket makes a brief comeback aboard the S.S. Aqua, but they are on the whole unsuccessful. Later, however, Pryce, under the guise of the Masked Man, reforms Team Rocket for his own use. At this point, his most prominent members are Carl, Sham, Karen, and Will. Pryce plans to use Team Rocket to gain control of Lugia, Ho-Oh, and eventually, Celebi, and through that, control time in order to save his Lapras's parents. After Gold convinces him to cease his villainous ways, he too disbands Team Rocket.
In the FireRed & LeafGreen arc, Giovanni once again reforms Team Rocket, the most notable members now being the Three Beasts of Team Rocket. The main aim of Team Rocket is to reunite Giovanni with his son Silver through the use of Deoxys. Like the other villainous trios, two of the Beasts remain true to their original calling as Rockets, those being Orm and Sird, while the other, Carr, goes his own way. In this arc, Silver is intended to inherit Team Rocket, but he instead shuns it.
In the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, it was revealed that Carr had taken over Team Rocket and gathered the remaining troops together. His reign of power comes to an abrupt end, however, as the organization is then taken over by the four Rocket Executives, who intend to gather all the Plates and use them to control Arceus. With the unknowing help of Gold, Crystal, and Silver, the Rocket Executives manage to enter the Sinjoh Ruins, where Arceus recreates Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, which Archer intends to be an invincible army for Giovanni. However, when Giovanni arrives with Lance and Pryce, it is revealed that the battle of the three Legendary Pokémon would cause the destruction of both Johto and Sinnoh, as foreseen by Pryce when he was trapped in the time stream. Thanks to Gold opening up to Togebo, Arceus soon calms the Pokémon of Myth down, sending them back to their respective realms. As a reward for his good deed, Celebi then cures Giovanni of his long-time illness, allowing him to return to lead Team Rocket and its rebuilding. Silver still doesn't approve of his father's criminal life, intending to stop Team Rocket and convince his father of the error of his ways one day by himself.
Ash & Pikachu
Team Rocket does the same role they did in the anime.
Team Magma
Team Magma is one of two 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. They have a stylized "M", appearing like a volcano, as their team's signature crest. Their leader is Maxie. Team Magma attempts to wake Groudon and expand the land area of the world.
In the games
In Pokémon Ruby (and its remake, 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 its remake, 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 the anime
- Team Magma made their first appearance in A Ruin with a View.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
- In the Ruby & Sapphire arc arc, 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.
In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc arc, Team Magma along with Team Aqua was reformed as the now Neo Team Magma.
Team Aqua
Team Aqua is one of two villainous teams of the Hoenn region. The grunts wear blue costumes that look like pirate outfits. They have a skull-and-bones-like "A" as their crest. Their leader is Archie. Team Aqua tries to expand the ocean and awaken Kyogre.
In the games
In Pokémon Sapphire (and its remake, 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 its remake, 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 the anime
- Team Aqua made their first appearance in Stairway to Devon.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
- In the Ruby & Sapphire arc, 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.
In the Emerald arc, Archie disbanded Team Aqua as he assumed his new identity.
In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc, Team Aqua along with Team Magma was reformed as the now Neo Team Aqua.
Team Galactic
Team Galactic is the villainous team of the Sinnoh region. Galactic Grunts wear black and white jumpsuits that vaguely resemble spacesuits and wear their hair in teal bowl cuts. Their leader is Cyrus, who wishes to create a new universe by awakening Dialga andPt/orDPBDSP Palkia. Their team's crest is a stylized letter "G" (possibly resembling a spiral galaxy). Whereas the other teams usually have large logos on their uniforms, Team Galactic's logos are small, being barely visible on their battle sprites.
In the games
In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Cyrus wishes to recreate the universe in his image with the powers of Dialga or Palkia. In Pokémon Platinum, the leader is still Cyrus, but this time, he tries to summon both Dialga and Palkia to create a world without spirit. 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 the anime
Saturn, along with two grunts, appeared in 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, trying to bring back Cyrus following his disappearance at the end of their original plan.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
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.
Team Plasma
Team Plasma is the villainous team of the Unova region. Originally, the grunts wore a costume that resembles a knight's armor, while the Seven Sages wore robes. Their objective is to separate humanity from Pokémon. Their leader is N, although the team is being used to further the goals of his adoptive father, Ghetsis. After this is discovered, the members of Team Plasma that support Ghetsis change their uniform to be more similar to pirates, while those that support N remain in the old uniform. Their crest is the letters P and Z combined together, looking like the Chi Rho.
In the games
Team Plasma appears in various locations. 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. 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 the anime
Team Plasma's debut episodes 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.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Team Flare
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 and Scientists wear red suits of varying designs. Their leader is Lysandre. Their symbol is a flaming letter F.
In the games
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 the anime
The first appearance of a Team Flare member was in 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.
In the anime, Team Flare 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
Pokémon Adventures
Team Skull
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.
In the games
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 Trial 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 and assist with the player in taking down Team Rainbow Rocket, who had taken over Aether Paradise.
In the anime
Team Skull debuted in 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.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
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.
In the games
Team Rainbow Rocket's intention is to create an army of Ultra Beasts in order to conquer all the worlds. The group is led by Giovanni, who 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
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.
In the games
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.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Team Star
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.
In the games
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 (Japanese: スターモービル Starmobile).
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Side series
Cipher
In the games
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.
In the manga
Cipher has appeared in two manga adaptations: Pokémon Colosseum Snatcher Leo and Pokémon Colosseum Snatchers.
Team Snagem
In the games
In Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD, 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 the games
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 the games
In Pokémon Ranger, this team attempts to capture the Legendary beasts with their own version of the Capture Styler.
In the manga
In 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 formes by the use of their instruments.
Team Meanies
In the games
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.
In the anime
Team Meanies appeared in the Mystery Dungeon anime 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
In the games
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.
In the manga
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team
Only Koffing and Zubat have appeared in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team.
Team Dim Sun
In the games
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 Sum's ex-admins.
In the manga
Team Dim Sun appears in Pokémon Ranger: The Comic – Shadows of Almia. Their ultimate goal is to take control over Darkrai via the Shadow Crystal.
Phobos Battalion
In the games
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
In the games
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.
In the anime
Two Pinchers and Red Eyes were seen in anime special Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs.
In the manga
Dark Legion
In the games
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
In the games
Team GO Rocket is a villainous team in pursuit 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
In the games
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.
In the anime
Team Break briefly appeared in the Pokémon Masters Animated Trailer in a montage.
Anime
Explorers
The Explorers are a villainous team that appears in the Kanto, Galar, and Paldea regions. The grunts wear gray clothes and silver jackets with the symbol of the Explorers on them. Many variations of the costume have been seen on the Admins. Their leader is Gibeon.
Similar to previous anime series, Pokémon Horizons: The Series introduces a new trio of villains. Unlike other trios, 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 anime, other members of this organization are introduced, such as Hamber, the second-in-command and Spinel, one of the Admins. The original Explorers date to 100 years ago and were a group of friends of the ancient adventurer, Lucius. The Explorers main goal is to reach the Pokémon paradise Laqua to collect Laquium. To do that, they must not only steal Terapagos, whose "awakening" is the key to reach Laqua, but they also need to gather all of the Six Heroes, ancient Pokémon who'd allow Terapagos to awaken. They're the sworn enemies of the Rising Volt Tacklers, who share the same goal.
Manga
The Explorers appear in Anime Pocket Monsters: Liko and Roy's Adventure, playing the exact same role they play in the anime.
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 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 the anime, Team Skull holds the distinction for debuting earlier in their respective series than any other team, appearing in the very first episode of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Likewise, Team Plasma holds the distinction of debuting the latest of any team, not appearing until the 112th episode of Pokémon the Series: Black & White.
- 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.
See also
In other languages
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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. |
