Team Galactic

Team Galactic ギンガ団 Ginga-dan

Artwork of Galactic Grunts from DP

Leader Cyrus, Saturn* Charon* Region Sinnoh Admins Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Charon, Mitsumi*, Sird* Major targets Valley Windworks, Great Marsh, Lake Verity, Lake Valor, Lake Acuity, Spear Pillar, Stark Mountain Base locations Eterna City, Veilstone City Animated debut A Secret Sphere of Influence! Adventures debut Belligerent Bronzor TCG 47 cards

Team Galactic (Japanese: ギンガ団 Ginga-dan, literally Galaxy Gang) is the villainous team in Sinnoh. Unlike previous villainous teams, their goal is not limited to the Pokémon world, but is the recreation of the entire Pokémon universe.

In the games

Team Galactic appears only in the Sinnoh game trio of Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum; however, unlike their Generation III counterparts of Team Magma and Team Aqua, their impact on the storyline is not affected on which of the primary pair is being played until the end (varying in the Pokémon they summon), though their role does expand in the third version.

In Diamond and Pearl

Team Galactic first appears in Jubilife City, harassing Professor Rowan and his assistant, and trying to get them to give over Rowan's research, with the player returning from Oreburgh City just in time to help. After this, the player's next encounter with the organization in the Valley Windworks, where Mars heads up a scheme to steal energy for use in their activities.

After she has been defeated in the Valley Windworks, Team Galactic's building in Eterna City remains as a stronghold on the western side of the region. Jupiter runs the show here, possibly using the area as a base closer to the central media in Jubilife so as to reduce travel time for new commercials for Team Galactic, though this is unknown.

Team Galactic's leader, Cyrus, is first encountered shortly after this, as the player travels through the south cave of Mt. Coronet for the first time, though he does not give his name, and it is not implied at all that he is in any way involved with the group. After this, Team Galactic remains low on the radar for a while, not appearing again until Veilstone City, where their base is set up. After the player beats Maylene, Rowan's assistant will ask for his or her help in defeating two Team Galactic Grunts (the same as those in Jubilife City), who have stolen her or his Pokédex and refuse to return it. Eventually, after Crasher Wake is defeated, a single Grunt loitering near the entrance to the Great Marsh will claim to have a bomb but run away when he is overheard. The player must chase him all the way to the entrance to Lake Valor , where he will finally battle, and will run off scared due to his defeat. In Celestic Town, the player defeats a Grunt who plans on wrecking the place, and is then confronted by Cyrus, who reveals that he is the leader of Team Galactic before issuing a threat and leaving. Team Galactic will then vanish from the radar until after the player has met with his or her rival, Rowan, and Rowan's assistant in the Canalave Library after Byron has been defeated, where it will be found that they are responsible for a huge explosion at Lake Valor, originally mistaken for a tremor. After Saturn is defeated here and Mars at Lake Verity, Team Galactic will block the player's way to Lake Acuity from its lakefront until Candice has been bested, and Jupiter will have defeated the rival before the player has arrived.

From here, Team Galactic's final push remains, with a showdown occurring at Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City after an initial infiltration, and then a trek to the highest part of Mt. Coronet to stop Cyrus from summoning Dialga or Palkia to destroy and remake the universe. Here the rival teams up with the player to defeat Mars and Jupiter together, while Cyrus and the Legendary Pokémon remain as a final challenge. After the Pokémon is either defeated or captured, Cyrus will tell the player he is not finished and will try once again to remake the universe for himself, but will not be seen again afterward, with the assets of Team Galactic left to Saturn.

In Platinum

Several events change from Diamond and Pearl to Platinum, most significantly the fact that Cyrus appears at the beginning of the game at Lake Verity and again in Eterna City, and the addition of Charon to the cast of Team Galactic, introducing him at the same time as Mars. Looker, an international police officer, will tail Team Galactic throughout the game, but will not arrive in time to stop them at any point, as the player will have already defeated them.

Aside from this, not too many alterations are made. However, Cyrus will appear and battle with the player in Celestic Town, while Charon will assist with the penultimate stage of the Red Chain experiment. It is also stated that the plaques on the Eterna City statue of Dialga and Palkia in Diamond and Pearl have been removed by vandals, later revealed to be Team Galactic itself, for research by Cyrus. Through this the full text of the plaques can be discovered in the Team Galactic HQ later in the games.

Instead of only Dialga or Palkia being summoned at the Spear Pillar, Cyrus creates a duplicate of the Red Chain to harness both of their powers, knowing the instability it would cause in the universe. The plot extends past the Spear Pillar, with Giratina drawing Cyrus into the Distortion World to prevent the destruction of spacetime, and Cynthia and the player following after to make sure that the hole ripped in the fabric of spacetime by Giratina is closed so as to not destroy the world.

After Giratina is defeated or captured, Cyrus chooses to stay in the Distortion World, leaving Team Galactic's assets in Saturn's hands, as in the end of Diamond and Pearl. However, when the player journeys to the Battle Zone after becoming the Champion, Charon is revealed to still be plotting, with a plan to ransom money from the citizens of Sinnoh by threatening to cause Stark Mountain to erupt. Mars and Jupiter join him in this venture in hopes of finding Cyrus, but decide to quit when defeated by the player once more, and Charon goes alone into Stark Mountain's deepest cave. It is here where he is finally arrested by Looker, restoring Sinnoh's safety.

In the anime

Saturn, Mars, Cyrus, Jupiter, and Charon in the anime

Unlike their predecessors Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua, Team Galactic did not appear in the earliest segments of the Diamond & Pearl series. The group finally appeared in A Secret Sphere of Influence!, with Saturn and several Grunts appearing in a short cameo at the end of the episode. They had assigned the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth to steal the Adamant Orb from the Eterna Historical Museum.

Team Galactic made a second appearance in Journey to the Unown!, this time in an expanded role. Saturn brought two grunts with him to the Solaceon Ruins, using three plates to obtain a strange cube inside. After thanking the Team Rocket trio who followed them inside, Saturn escaped using his Bronzor, leaving the ruins in chaos due to the enraged Unown.

In Enter Galactic!, Ash and his friends encountered the organization for the first time. Saturn again lead the mission, exposing the strange cube found in the ruins to the Veilstone meteorites and transforming it into the Spear Key. Team Galactic attempted to steal the meteorites as well, but after a brief battle between Saturn's Toxicroak and Brock's Croagunk, as well as many Golbat and Ash's Pikachu and Paul's Electabuzz, the team was forced to retreat.

Team Galactic HQ in the anime

Team Galactic made their biggest push yet in Losing Its Lustrous and Double Team Turnover!, when the other two Commanders, Mars and Jupiter, as well as leader Cyrus made their debuts. Cyrus appeared to be a rich businessman who was responsible for constructing most of the buildings in the Sinnoh region, while Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were carrying out yet another Team Galactic plot, this time to steal both the Adamant Orb as well as the Lustrous Orb from the Celestic Town Historical Research Center. Ash and Dawn revealed to Cyrus their encounters with Mesprit and Azelf at Lake Verity and Lake Valor, respectively, unknowing of his obsession with the lake guardians and the other Legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh. The Galactic plot was successful, and the two Orbs were stolen, though Cyrus never revealed himself to be behind it all. It was also revealed that some of Veilstone's meteorites had been sent to the Fuego Ironworks as part of the Red Chain project.

In Steeling Peace of Mind! and Saving the World From Ruins!, yet another plot was carried out by the group. Mars led a group of grunts to Iron Island, where a shrine to Dialga and Palkia was located. Using it and the Spear Key, an electromagnetic beam that disturbed the Steel types that inhabit the island was blasted at Mt. Coronet. Ash and his friends, as well as Riley, his Lucario, and Barry, were able to destroy the machine that Mars was using, though Team Galactic's scan of Mt. Coronet remained at 60%. Charon also debuted in the latter of the two episodes; however, it was only in a cameo, and he did not have a speaking role.

In Frozen on Their Tracks!, they were apparently behind disrupting the alignment of railroad tracks leading to Lake Acuity; this caused a slight delay in the trip Ash and his friends were taking to the lake, as well as raising Looker's suspicions.

Team Galactic made another appearance in Gateway to Ruin!, where they searched inside of Mt. Coronet's caves for ruins that would lead them to the Spear Pillar. Saturn and Charon led this venture, and Looker as well became involved. Charon and Saturn were forced to leave empty-handed, as the ruins they had found were not the ones leading to the Spear Pillar.

Team Galactic controlling the lake guardians

Team Galactic's plans finally came to a head in Unlocking the Red Chain of Events!, where Jupiter and Charon completed the Red Chain that would be instrumental in taking control of Dialga and Palkia. Pokémon Hunter J was then hired by Cyrus to capture the lake guardians, and although she was successful in handing them over to Team Galactic, her ship was destroyed by Future Sight immediately after, leaving her fate unknown.

Now with the power of the lake guardians and the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs, Cyrus, Saturn, Mars, and Charon entered the Spear Pillar, with Cyrus finally realizing his dream, taking control of Dialga and Palkia with the Red Chain. With Jupiter staying behind as a guard, Ash, Dawn, Brock, Cynthia, and Looker easily caught up to the group, arresting her and advancing into the Spear Pillar themselves.

Dialga and Palkia's power opened a portal to another world, which would expand outward and consume the old one. Cyrus then revealed to Saturn and Mars that he had no intention of bringing them with him to this new world. After Dialga and Palkia were freed, the portal began to close and a desperate Cyrus jumped into the portal and never was seen again. Just in time, Ash, Dawn, and Brock helped the lake guardians to calm the two Legendary dragons and save Sinnoh, while Mars and Saturn were arrested by Looker and Charon nowhere to be found. With the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs recovered, three of the Commanders arrested, Charon gone, and Cyrus missing, Team Galactic was finished and their plans to destroy Sinnoh were finally brought to an end.

In Pokemon Generations

Team Galactic in Pokémon Generations

Team Galactic appears in Pokemon Generations watching their boss Cyrus summon Dilaga and Palkia.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

The team is first pointed at during Emerald arc where Archie reveals that a mysterious woman from Team Galactic gave him and Maxie the armor and the sword.

During Diamond & Pearl arc Team Galactic appears many times, appearing as the main villains for the chapter. Like in the games, the team's goal is to help their leader, Cyrus, to create the universe anew. They were first seen in Belligerent Bronzor, where Mars invaded Valley Windworks. After some time the theme was seen helding Rad Rickshaw as hostage because of his two Clefairy, Cliff and Cliffette, and his knowledge about Dialga and Palkia. Later, Saturn sent Paka and Uji into an another universe. The team was to awaken and capture the Lake guardians in order to summon Dialga and Palkia so they crafted a bomb and detonated it over one of the lakes of the Sinnoh region in order to achieve this. When the Red Chains, the tools for summoning the legends were complete, the team set of to the peak of Mt. Coronet, where Cyrus managed to summon Dialga and Palkia. Diamond, Pearl and Platinum stopped them, but the team's leader was taken into Distortion World by Giratina.

In Platinum arc, most of the members of Team Galactic are searching for their leader who disappeared into Distortion World at the end of the previous chapter. One of the commanders, Charon, attempts to gather all the known Sinnoh legendaries so he can come into ultimate power. He gains access to the Distortion World to capture Giratina, Dialga and Palkia. The other three commanders follow him there and are tricked into fighting with him. A reformed Cyrus appears in the Distortion World and helps the protagonists defeat Giratina. After Charon is defeated, everyone emerges from the Distortion World having calmed Giratina. Cyrus announces that he is disbanding Team Galactic and departs, taking Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with him. Charon is arrested by Looker.

In the TCG

Team Galactic are featured across several expansions in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Initially only featured on a few Supporter cards, Team Galactic were more prominent in the Platinum Series, which introduced Pokémon belonging to team members and supporting cards in the form of various inventions. Cards that mention or belong to specific members can be found on their individual pages.

Pokémon Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Dialga		Platinum		7/127	Galactic's Conquest		065/096
Palkia		Platinum		12/127	Galactic's Conquest		032/096
Weavile		Platinum		17/127	Galactic's Conquest		061/096
Gyarados		Platinum		30/127	Galactic's Conquest		028/096
Toxicroak		Platinum		40/127	Galactic's Conquest		050/096
Bronzong		Platinum		41/127	Galactic's Conquest		064/096
					DPt-P Promotional cards		006/DPt-P
Crobat		Platinum		47/127	Galactic's Conquest		041/096
Houndoom		Platinum		50/127	Galactic's Conquest		019/096
Honchkrow		Platinum		77/127	Galactic's Conquest		059/096
Purugly		Platinum		88/127	Galactic's Conquest		081/096
Skuntank		Platinum		94/127	Galactic's Conquest		049/096
Darkrai		Rising Rivals		3/111	DPt-P Promotional cards		005/DPt-P
Electrode		Rising Rivals		39/111	DPt-P Promotional cards		010/DPt-P
Ambipom		Rising Rivals		56/111	Bonds to the End of Time		075/090
Forretress		Rising Rivals		61/111	Bonds to the End of Time		061/090
Toxicroak		DP Black Star Promos		DP41	DPt-P Promotional cards		008/DPt-P
Carnivine		DP Black Star Promos		DP42	DPt-P Promotional cards		001/DPt-P
Probopass		DP Black Star Promos		DP43	DPt-P Promotional cards		004/DPt-P
Absol		Supreme Victors		1/147	Beat of the Frontier		064/100
Arcanine		Supreme Victors		15/147	Charizard Half Deck		003/016
Camerupt		Supreme Victors		19/147	Charizard Half Deck		004/016
Charizard		Supreme Victors		20/147	Charizard Half Deck		001/016
Crawdaunt		Supreme Victors		23/147	Charizard Half Deck		007/016
Sableye		Supreme Victors		41/147	Charizard Half Deck		006/016
Chatot		Supreme Victors		54/147	Beat of the Frontier		082/100
Manectric		Supreme Victors		66/147	Charizard Half Deck		005/016
Raticate		Supreme Victors		78/147	Charizard Half Deck		008/016
Zapdos		Arceus		12/99	Advent of Arceus		033/090
Porygon-Z		Arceus		26/99	Advent of Arceus		075/090
					DPt-P Promotional cards		035/DPt-P
Beedrill		Arceus		53/99	Advent of Arceus		001/090
Pokémon LV.X
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Dialga LV.X		Platinum		122/127	Galactic's Conquest		066/096
Palkia LV.X		Platinum		125/127	Galactic's Conquest		033/096
Absol LV.X		Supreme Victors		141/147	Beat of the Frontier		065/100
Charizard LV.X		Supreme Victors		143/147	Charizard Half Deck		002/016
		DP Black Star Promos		DP45
Related Cards
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Team Galactic's Wager	Su	Mysterious Treasures		115/123	Secret of the Lakes
					Rampardos the Attacker
					Bastiodon the Defender
Galactic HQ	St	Platinum		106/127	Galactic's Conquest		091/096
Team Galactic's Invention G-101 Energy Gain	T [PT]	Platinum		116/127	Galactic's Conquest		088/096
					Infernape Half Deck		015/018
					Gallade Half Deck		015/018
Team Galactic's Invention G-103 Power Spray	T [PT]	Platinum		117/127	Galactic's Conquest		082/096
Team Galactic's Invention G-105 Poké Turn	T	Platinum		118/127	Galactic's Conquest		083/096
					Infernape Half Deck		012/018
					Gallade Half Deck		012/018
Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine	T [TM]	Rising Rivals		95/111	Bonds to the End of Time		077/090
					Charizard Half Deck		014/016
Team Galactic's Invention G-109 SP Radar	T	Rising Rivals		96/111	Bonds to the End of Time		076/090
					DPt-P Promotional cards		013/DPt-P

Trivia

• The group's Japanese name is a nod to the Galaxy Gang in Pulseman, a Game Freak title for the Sega Mega Drive released in 1994.
• All high-ranking members of Team Galactic are named after Solar System objects: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are planets, while Charon is Pluto's largest natural satellite. Cyrus is derived from an ancient Persian word for the Sun.
• All Team Galactic members wear outfits similar to spacesuits. Due to this, characters who do not know who they are refer to them as spacemen.
• According to some members, children are not allowed to join Team Galactic.
• In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, a Team Plasma member claims he is a former member of Team Galactic.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ギンガ団 Ginga-dan	From 銀河 ginga, galaxy.
English	Team Galactic	From galactic.
French	Team Galaxie	From galaxie, galaxy.
German	Team Galaktik	From Galaktisch, meaning galactic, but made English-sounding.
Italian	Team Galassia	From galassia, galaxy.
Spanish	Equipo Galaxia	From galaxia, galaxy.
Korean	갤럭시단 Gaelleoksi-dan	From English galaxy.
Chinese (Mandarin)	銀河隊／银河队 Yínhé Duì	Means "galaxy group".
Finnish	Galactic-tiimi	Same as English name.
Polish	Zespół G	Analogous to Zespół R (Team Rocket)
Portuguese (Brazil)	Equipe Galáctica	From galáctica, galactic.
Portuguese (Portugal)	Team Galáctica	From galáctica, galactic.
Romanian	Echipa Galactică	From galactică, galactic.
Russian	Команда Галактика Komanda Galaktika	Transliteration of English name.

Related articles

• Episodes focusing on Team Galactic
• Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

Villainous teams Core series: Team Rocket • Team Magma • Team Aqua • Team Galactic • Team Plasma Team Flare • Team Skull • Team Rainbow Rocket • Team Yell • Team Star Side series: Team Snagem • Cipher Spin-off games: Team Great Rocket • Phobos Battalion • Go-Rock Squad • Team Dim Sun • Team Debonairs Pokémon Pinchers • Dark Legion • The Rogers • Team GO Rocket • Team Break • Unitas Animation only: Explorers Manga only: Neo Team Rocket (Adventures) • Team Kings (Horizon)