Villainous team

Villainous teams, also officially referred to as villainous organizations (Japanese: の villainous organizations) or sinister organizations (Japanese: villainous organizations; officially secret teams), are typically groups which serve as the main antagonists in the storylines of Pokémon games. They are also often major antagonists in story arcs of the and . 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 . Their names usually follow the pattern Team ~ (Japanese: -dan) e.g. Team Rocket (Japanese: ロケット 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 — 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 , which are merely overzealous fans of Marnie, and whose boss, Piers, is largely ignorant to the trouble they've been causing. Team Star in , while initially rambunctious and often breaking the schools rules, are found to largely 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 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 , disguising the true villain of the game's story.
While 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.
Cipher in and , and Phobos Battalion in Pokémon Trozei!, are the only organizations officially referred to as villainous teams that do not appear in the core series and do not closely adhere to the standard pattern and trends of those teams, having various similarities and differences.
==List of villainous teams==
===Team Rocket===
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. Their logo is a large, red "R". Many variations of the costume have been seen. Their leader is Giovanni. After Giovanni's disappearance, Archer took his place.
In the Generation I games and their remakes, 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 the Generation II games and their remakes, Team Rocket operates as a remnant group under new leadership 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 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 / and Lance, leading to their ultimate disbandment once again. At the same time, a time-traveling Ethan/Lyra from the future fought Giovanni, who vanished after his defeat, before Ethan/Lyra returned to their time in the future.
Team Rocket has appeared in almost every episode of since the second, usually as the bumbling trio: Jessie, James, and , though at times the leader as well as other members, such as Butch and Cassidy, have appeared. Team Rocket as an organization made separate attacks on the Kanto, Unova, and Alola regions, failing each time.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Team Rocket is depicted as a sinister organization led by . 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 Pryce, Giovanni, and the Rocket Executives, each pursuing powerful Legendary Pokémon like , , and .
===Team Magma===
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 costumes or similar to an imp. 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 , 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 and the weather Pokémon . 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 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 , 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 stops the fight between Kyogre and Groudon. After that, they are seen returning the respective orbs to Mt. Pyre.
Team Magma made their first appearance in in the episode A Ruin with a View.
In the 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. In the arc, Team Magma along with Team Aqua was reformed as the now Neo Team Magma.
===Team Aqua===
Team Aqua is one of the villainous teams of the Hoenn region. The grunts wear blue, white, and black thorn costumes that look like outfits. 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 , 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 and the weather Pokémon . 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 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 , 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 and the weather Pokémon . 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 stops the fight between Kyogre and . After this, the two leaders are seen returning their respective orbs to Mt. Pyre.
Team Aqua made their first appearance in in the episode Stairway to Devon.
In the 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. In the , Archie disbanded Team Aqua as he assumed his new identity. In the , 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 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 in his image or spiritless with the powers of and . 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 , 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.
Saturn, along with two grunts, appeared in the 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 , trying to bring back Cyrus following his disappearance at the end of their original plan.
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 s 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 . 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 '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 .
Team Plasma appears in various locations. In , 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 /, 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 , 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 . 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.
Team Plasma's intended debut episodes, BW023 and BW024, were postponed due to the 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===
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 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.
The first appearance of a Team Flare member was in the 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 's battle. Team Flare later hatches a plan to capture the Legendary Pokémon, , 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 and , 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 , 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.
===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.
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 , 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 '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.
Team Skull debuted in the episode Alola to New Adventure!, where three of their grunts, Tupp, Zipp, and Rapp, challenged Kiawe to a Pokémon battle, threatening to steal his . and teamed up to defeat the grunts, with Kiawe defeating all of the grunts' Pokémon with his '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.
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 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 . 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===
Team Star is the villainous team of the Paldea region. They are delinquent students of Naranja Academy/Uva Academy, 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 '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).
==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 , 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 , Lusamine, working with the Ultra Recon Squad, obsessively researched and pursued 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 to solve Galar's projected energy crisis. In , the vice-president of the company and Rose's secretary, Oleana, tasked employees with preventing the 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 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, , and , 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 .
====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 , and do not play a major role in the games' story.
===Side series===
====Cipher====
In and , 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 and , 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 , they take over TCG Island and kidnap several of the Club Masters.
====Go-Rock Squad====
In , 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 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 is a team of Pokémon in the second pair of Mystery Dungeon games. It is made up of , , and . 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 , 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 via the .
====Phobos Battalion====
Phobos Battalion are the enemies in . 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 . 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 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 evil and the exploitation of Pokémon. In , Their objective is to invade PokéStops for their resources by using in s to defend their claims. Like in the core series games, is their leader.
====Team Break====
Team Break is a villainous team in the Pasio region, appearing in . 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 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 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. The grunts wear gray clothes and silver jackets with the symbol of the Explorers on them. Many variations of the costume are seen on the admins. The leader of the Explorers is Gibeon.
Similar to the previous animated series, introduces a new trio of villains. Unlike the Team Rocket trio and Team Skull trio of , 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, the second-in-command and Spinel, one of the Admins. 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. It's later revealed that the Explorers were originally founded 100 years prior by three friends: Lucius, Gibeon, and Rystal, who together travelled around the world seeking the Pokémon paradise, Laqua.
==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 , 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 and , it is treated as the default plain terrain.
* Team Break is the only villainous team (if spin-off teams are included) outside of the 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 , Team Skull holds the distinction for debuting earlier in their respective series than any other team, appearing in the very first episode of the . Likewise, Team Plasma holds the distinction of debuting the latest of any team, not appearing until the 112th episode of the .
** 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, Unova, and Kalos, the villainous team puts their plan into action right after the player earns their seventh Badge.
==In other languages==
Category:Animation characters
Category:Game characters
Category:Organizations
de:Antagonistische Gruppierungen
es:Villano
fr:Team
it:Team malvagi
ja:悪の組織
zh:邪恶组织