Team Skull
- If you were looking for the exploration team in the Mystery Dungeon series, see Team Skull (Mystery Dungeon).
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 Artwork of Team Skull Grunts from Sun and Moon | ||||||||||||||
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Team Skull (Japanese: スカル団 Skull-dan, literally Skull Gang) is a villainous team based in the Alola region.
In the games
In Pokémon Sun and Moon
Team Skull appears in Sun and Moon. As revealed by some of their members, Team Skull is composed of misfits who failed the island challenge. They steal Pokémon from people, but unlike previous villainous teams, they do not have a specific goal other than to cause trouble.
Team Skull originated from a group that coalesced around one of Alola's kahunas. This group provoked the wrath of the four island deities and was struck down. The survivors became the first members of Team Skull. At some point, Team Skull took over Po Town on Ula'ula Island, driving away the original residents.
At some point, Lusamine became the secret benefactor of Team Skull, and they, in turn, started to carry out her orders.
After Guzma is rescued from Ultra Space by the player, he disbands Team Skull and its members go their separate ways. Guzma returns to his parents' house on Melemele Island, while Plumeria takes up residence in a camper on Route 13 and later challenges the Alola Pokémon League. One Grunt becomes an apprentice chef under Mallow in Konikoni City, while two others in the Po Town Pokémon Center offer a Skull Tank for sale in order for them to make enough money to leave. Others are taken by Hala to train in Iki Town, deciding to become a rescue team and dubbing themselves "Team Reskull" (Japanese: タスカル団 Tasukaru-dan, literally Rescue Gang).
In the anime
Team Skull makes their first appearance in Alola to New Adventure!, where three Team Skull Grunts, Tupp, Rapp, and Zipp, were seen harassing Kiawe in front of the Pokémon School. Though the three Grunts outnumbered Kiawe and Ash, they emerged victorious though the combined efforts of Ash's Pikachu and Kiawe's Turtonator. This particular trio have become recurring characters, often appearing to cause trouble, but are often stopped by Ash and Pikachu's Gigavolt Havoc.
More Grunts appeared in a flashback in Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!, where they were harassing a Popplio on the beach until Lana intervened by freezing them solid with her Ride Pokémon, Lapras.
Team Skull appeared on Akala Island in Young Kiawe Had a Farm!.
They fought against Team Rocket in A Team-on-Team Tussle! in order to get a Darkinium Z which multiple Alolan Rattata, Raticate, and a Totem Raticate were protecting. They lost after the wild Bewear showed up, scaring the Totem and Ally Pokémon away.
Gladion made his physical debut in A Glaring Rivalry! and defeat them with Lycanroc (Midnight Form) by Stone Edge.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In the Sun & Moon arc, a pair of Grunts are berated by Guzma because their attempt to skip out on paying Sun for his part-time job ended in their defeat. They are ordered to find Sun so that they can be taught a lesson.
In the movie adaptations
A group of Team Skull members appears in Get Fired Up, Marshadow!
In the TCG
Trivia
- Team Skull is the first villainous team to make their debut in the first episode of an anime series.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スカル団 Skull-dan | From skull |
| English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, European Portuguese |
Team Skull | Same as Japanese name |
| Korean | 스컬단 Skull-dan | Same as Japanese name |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 骷髏隊 / 骷髅队 Kūlóu Duì | From 骷髏 / 骷髅 kūlóu, skull |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 骷髏隊 Fūlòuh Déui | From 骷髏 fūlòuh, skull |
| Czech | Tým Skull | Same as Japanese name |
| Hungarian | Koponya Csapat | From koponya (skull) |
| Polish | Zespół Skull | Same as Japanese name |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Equipe Skull | From English name |
| Russian | Команда Череп Komanda Cherep | From череп cherep (skull) |
Team Reskull
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タスカル団 Tasukaru-dan | From たくましい takumashi (bold) and スカル skull |
| English | Team Reskull | From skull and rescue |
| German | Rettungsteam Skull | From Rettungsteam (rescue team) and Team Skull |
| Italian | Team Muskull | From skull and muscoli (muscles) |
| Korean | 헬스컬단 Healthkull-dan | From 헬시 healthy and 스컬 skull |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 築樓隊 / 筑楼队 Zhúlóu Duì / Zhùlóu Duì | From 建築工 / 建筑工 jiànzhú-gōng (construction work) and 骷髏 / 骷髅 kūlóu (skull) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 築樓隊 Jūklàuh Déui | From 建築工 ginjūk-gūng (construction work) and 骷髏 fūlòuh (skull) |
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