Team Galactic

Team Galactic (Japanese: ギンガ団 Ginga-dan lit. Galaxy Gang) is the villainous team in Sinnoh.

In the games

Among other things, Team Galactic tries to entice Pokémon to do their bidding, attempt to invite the region's Pokémon professor to do research for them, steal people's Pokémon, steal Lucas/Dawn's Pokédex, and threaten Lucas/Dawn.

Unlike past criminal syndicates, the existence of Team Galactic is an openly advertised fact; they even broadcast television commercials requesting the donation of Pokémon. However, their genuinely criminal operations remain covered-up, under the guise of an energy company doing research. Team Galactic wants to catch the Pokémon that created the world: Dialga of time and Palkia of space, as well as Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie so that their leader, Cyrus, can destroy the universe and rebuild it in his own image with himself as an absolute god. However, only the Commanders and Boss are aware of this plan (which even then, Saturn isn't entirely aware of his boss's plan.), while the underlings think that it's simply an organization that collects rare Pokémon. Most of the Grunts joined because they were promised to be awarded rare Pokémon if they completed their assignments.

By the end of Platinum, Mars and Jupiter have quit the organization, Pluto has been arrested, and Cyrus has decided to stay in the Distortion World, while Saturn decides to take what's left of the team and repent for their evil deeds.

Typically, Team Galactic members will use a variety of weak Pokémon obtained early in-game, such as Beautifly and Dustox. This may reference the fact that many of their Pokémon are stolen from other trainers. Admins, on the other hand, will use stronger Pokémon, mostly of the Poison-type.

Admins and Boss

All of the Commanders of Team Galactic are named after planets:

• Commander Mars
• Commander Jupiter
• Commander Saturn
• Boss Cyrus

Pluto

Pluto is a new character introduced in Pokémon Platinum, who eventually becomes the boss.

In the anime

They first appeared in A Secret Sphere of Influence!, though it was only a brief cameo at the end. They assigned the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth to steal the Adamant Orb for them. Both Brock and Officer Jenny believed that the trio had been assigned to this work by Butch and Cassidy or Pokémon Hunter J.

In their next appearance in Journey to the Unown!, Saturn brings the two grunts into the Solaceon Ruins. The Team Rocket trio observe them, following them inside. Using three Plates, Saturn obtains a cube inside of the ruins, enraging the Unown and causing general chaos inside of the ruins. Before leaving, Saturn thanks the Team Rocket trio for their assistance in the earlier episode and his group escapes with his Bronzor.

Team Galactic appeared again in Enter Galactic!, where Saturn appears yet again. After exposing the obtained cube to the Veilstone City meteorites, it transforms into the Spear Key. This episode is also the time when Ash and his friends finally encounter them. Their mission this time is apparently to steal some of Veilstone City's meteors. Saturn also battles Brock with their Toxicroak and Croagunk, respectively. However, no thanks to Ash, Dawn, Officer Jenny, and Paul's Electabuzz, the battle ends up in a draw and the mission is a complete failure, leaving Team Galactic to retreat.

They appeared in Losing Its Lustrous and DP097, when Mars, Jupiter and Cyrus debuted in the anime. In the episodes, they steal the Lustrous Orb and the Adamant Orb from the Celestic Town museum. Later, it is stated that the Veilstone City meteorites were sent to the Fuego Ironworks as part of the Red Chain project.

They also appeared in DP110 and DP111 along with Mars.

They also appear in the opening High Touch!.

In other languages

Trivia

• Although "Team Galactic" is not incorrect, a more literal translation of the Japanese is "Team Galaxy" or "Galaxy Gang", possibly a reference to the Galaxy Gang in Pulseman.
  • There is a TV show with the name Team Galaxy.
• This is the only villainous team of the main games whose leader does not express regret after being defeated or seem dissuaded from further activities. However, considering how Saturn took over the Team Galactic HQ and is currently reforming it into a more beneficial organization, that might count towards its leader being (albeit in a different manner) dissuaded from further activities.
  • Also, after the final battle with Cyrus in the Distortion World, he mentions that he plans to live in it, thus in a sense, he is dissuaded from his goals in this game as well.
• Although Cipher Admin Venus from Pokémon Colosseum is not a Team Galactic operative, her name fits in with the other Galactic Commanders: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Like the other Galactic Commanders her appearance also seems to be based loosely on a Pokémon, Cresselia, as she wears a pink dress (Cresselia is pink) with a crescent moon turned on its side on her back (Cresselia is very well connected with the crescent moon). This is interesting to note since Cresselia is a Generation IV Pokémon, while Colosseum takes place during Generation III, which seems to suggest that it is the other way around.

See also

• Galactic Boss
• Galactic Grunt
• Commander
• Galactic Eterna Building
• Galactic Veilstone Building

Team Galactic
Team Galactic HQ • Team Galactic Eterna Building • Galaxy Team
Boss	Commanders				Other members
Cyrus (Masters)	Mars	Jupiter	Saturn	Charon	Team Galactic Grunts	Scientists
Manga
Advanced level Grunt • B-2 • Io • Lily • Mitsumi • Sird