Showdown: Villainous Teams — Round I: Leaders

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Showdown is back and better than ever! For those that don’t know what our Showdown series is, or need a reminder: Showdown is where we hold a series of polls on our site and ask readers to vote for their top choice until we found our champion.

Showdown: Villainous Teams will work a little differently this time however: rather than a winner from each round moving forward into a finale vote-off, votes from each round will influence the final score one all rounds are complete. This time will have four rounds: Round 1: Leaders, Round 2: Grunts, Round 3: Plans, Round 4: Overall. The final winner will be the team that receives the most OVERALL votes.

You can pick your favourite by voting in the polls on the site. At the end of the voting period, we’ll add up all the votes, publish a results post and get started on the next round!

NOTE I: Teams that appear in more than one Generation are classed as one team. For example: Team Aqua from Generation III is classed as the same as the Team Aqua from Generation VI and will receive combined votes. This also means Generation III Archie and Generation VI Archie will have their vote combined, for example.

NOTE II: Team Rainbow Rocket and Aether Foundation have also been excluded from this series.

Voting periods will run for one week at a time and new rounds will begin on the following dates:

Round I: Leaders — December 2nd
Round II: Grunts & Admin — December 9th
Round III: Plans — December 16th
Round IV: Overall — December 23rd
Winner Announcements — December 30th

Up first in Round I are the leaders of each villainous team. These are responsible for giving guidance to their teams and often the main “bad guy” trainers face in their Pokémon adventures. Every region has had their own unique team excluding Johto, who share Team Rocket with the Kanto region.

Giovanni: Team Rocket Leader

Appears in: RBY, FRLG, HGSS, BW, B2W2, USUM

Giovanni is the Leader of the original villainous team, Team Rocket. Team Rocket has appeared in the largest number of Pokémon games, in many different iterations. Giovanni himself is the only Team Leader to hold a Gym Leader position.

Many of Giovanni’s actions within story events reflect upon his selfish nature. He has abandoned his team on several occasions, despite this they still remain loyal to him.

Giovanni also leads Team Rainbow Rocket in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Maxie: Team Magma Leader

Appears in: RSE, ORAS, USUM

Maxie leads Team Magma in the Hoenn Region. He wishes to create an ideal world for humanity. Maxie is often calm yet sensitive in game, making his true personality difficult to understand. He pays extreme attention to the tiniest of details, but believes that some sacrifices cannot be avoided if he is to achieve his goals.

Maxie is able to utilise the power of of Mega Evolution and Mega Evolves his Camerupt during battles.

Archie: Team Aqua Leader

Appears in: RSE, ORAS, USUM

Team Aqua is lead by Archie, who dreams of creating a perfect world for Pokémon to live in. Due to his big heart he has earned unending loyalty from subordinates within his team. Despite this, he does not care for the wellbeing of himself or his team if it means he can achieve his ultimate goal.

Archie is a Mega Evolution user and will boost the power of his Sharpedo using it.

Cyrus: Team Galactic Leader

Appears in: DPPt, USUM

Cyrus heads Team Galactic and is perhaps the most twisted of all the Team Leaders. His childhood rejection led him to believe the problems of the world were caused by emotion. Ultimately he dreamed of destroying the universe, so he could create another with himself as its god.

Cyrus is often portrayed with little to no emotion and is happy to exclude himself in the unknown after being defeated by trainers in the Distortion World.

Colress & Ghetsis: Team Plasma Leaders

Colress appears in: B2W2, SM, USUM
Ghetsis appears in: BW, B2W2, USUM

(Note: Ghetsis unpictured)

Ghetsis and Colress are leaders of Team Plasma in Black/White and Black 2/White 2 respectively. Ghetsis at first appears to be a kind-hearted individual merely wanting the best for Pokémon. However, as events progress his true megalomaniac personality becomes apparent. He is willing to stop at nothing in order to achieve his dream of liberating Pokémon from humans.

Colress has less far insidious intentions and joined Team Plasma in order to research the true power of Pokémon, thus unlocking their full potential. He is extremely helpful and polite towards the player and even offers to rebattle them after his defeat within Team Plasma.

Lysandre: Team Flare Leader

Appears in: XY, USUM

Lysandre is the leader of Team Flare in the Kalos region. He sees the beauty within everything, but unfortunately takes his obsession with it too far. He wishes to make the world a perfect place and despite the beauty that they hold is willing to destroy all Pokémon and humans that do not follow Team Flare.

Guzma: Team Skull Leader

Appears in: SM, USUM

Team Skull’s Leader is Guzma. His plans are far less wicked than that of the other Leaders, with him instead merely wanting to bring fear and chaos to the Alola region. His looks gain him a lot of respect from most in the Alola region, but in reality he lacks confidence in himself and wishes to be seen as a confident Pokémon Trainer.

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So, there you have it, all 8 contenders in the Leaders round of this showdown. Get voting for your favourites and be sure to comment below with your thoughts and opinions only who deserves to win!

[poll id=”141″]

Be sure to check back next week for Round II: Grunts and stick around for more content as part of our ongoing Advent event!

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320 thoughts on “Showdown: Villainous Teams — Round I: Leaders”

  4. Okay what idiot at gamefreak thought it was a good idea to only give poison sting and funk shot as the only physical poison level up moves for the ekans line. Seriously now. So I am stuck with either acid or poison sting until very late in the game…..

    Reply

  5. Whaaaaat! This place is full of Sinnoh Babies. The greatest evil villain is definitely Guzma.
    #1. Guzma is easily the hardest bug type specialist.
    #2. Guzma was hilarous and very quotable.
    #3. Not only was he funny, he was very intimidating too, He just destroyed Gladion, so you dont know if you can beat him (in SM I didnt)
    #4. He actually has a rivalry with his Kukui, do any of the team leaders actually rival with any other good character?
    #5. He had a backstory. The other leaders are seemingly evil just cause. Guzma was hinted to be abused which would very obviously cause the behavior he has.
    If you dont vote Guzma…
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f86079c7578a64c0fede023e942756660341060c9c37db04a0d6f2cd7db3dbee.jpg

    Reply

      • Are you kidding? His in game team is so hard unless you have specific pokemon to counter it. Ive struggled on every Guzma match

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          • Mehhhhh. Personally since Guzma (and in turn Team Skull) was working for Lusamine, I saw it as them doing bad things to take the people’s focus off of Lusamine, and focus on how Team Skull is the ‘true’ bad people.
            Also, the article is strictly for the leaders. Do NOT include their grunts into how you vote

          • Either way, I think Cyrus has a better battle theme, better team, and better role in the story. Guzma’s a close second. Very close..

        • Exactly. What’s even cooler the Punk NPCs are the grunts too. It just adds more that it’s just punk kids just trying to cause ruckus

          Reply

        • That’s not the point. Team Galactic had clear goals. Team Skull didn’t. So they’re trying to disrupt the trial system. Okay, that’s cool. Too bad like 90% of the interactions we have with them have NOTHING to do with that. And then their extremely poorly written collusion with Aether Foundation that I still don’t get the point of. Should have either kept the two teams separate of interwoven them better.

          Acting stupid as hell and waving your arms around 50 million times doesn’t automatically make you the best. Team Galactic was better simply because their motives and interactions weren’t all over the place.

          Reply

          • Clear? Are you sure Clear?
            Like the time they were stealing honey for some reason.
            Or the time they blew up Pastoria Marsh for another odd reason

          • 1) They weren’t stealing honey…they were harvest energy from the windworks.

            2) Pastoria Marsh was a distraction so they could get to the lake spirit

          • Actually yes they were stealing honey. Literally. They were stealing honey. The other fuckers were getting energy. These idiots were trying to steal honey.

            Remember when they stole the Bike dude’s weak ass Pokémon that aren’t even hard to find?

            Why did they need all that energy anyways if they were just goona make a red chain. They never tie those things together.

            Meanwhile Team Skull doing random stuff makes sense because they’re just a gang

          • Okay well yeah some of the grunts were abusing their power in the current situation then lol.

            Yeah, I’ll give you the eterna city part. I’m sure there’s some sort of motive there, but eh it doesn’t do much to further their plans.

            He needed the energy to remove the crystals from the legendaries and craft the chain. Has pokemon ever been that specific on science stuff? Nah.

            I think you’re going easy on Skull. Doing random cutesy stuff only holds its charm so long. They’re funny every now and then, but does being funny make them good? I don’t find a lot of their interactions interesting. Woooo they’re kicking a bus stop post….neato. I’d much rather have them focus on disrupting the trials, but Aether Foundation just bogs them down.

          • So they feel more real, yeah, but they also could be removed from the story and nothing would change. Seriously take them out and what changes? Plumeria getting Lillie to surrender Nebby is the only real bearing they have if I’m not mistaken. Then again, haven’t quite finished USUM so not sure if they do more for the plot.

          • I think the game would be better if you removed Aether actually (as much as I love the AF).

            A face off ridding the region of Team Skull’s low scale crime sounds like it makes way more sense. It’s low stakes and low scale. Which makes since because let me remind you

            YOUR PLAYER CHARACTER IS A CHILD.

            Dealing with a small scale problem makes much more sense and feels more real than the fate of the universe

          • I definitely agree. They couldn’t handle both teams. I like ultimately what Skull wanted, but a re-write of the plot would’ve helped. Too bad it seems USUM didn’t take as many risks as I was hoping. So far almost nothing has changed and I’m at the end of Ula Ula.

          • Fam. They’re a gang of punks. Their goal is to f*ck sh*t up and chill out with eachother and loiter.

            Team Skull is a family for outcasts and misfits that stick together because they are all they have. They unite under Guzma because of how rad he is

            Why do Team Galactic grunts follow Cyrus? It’s supposed to be like a cult but he doesn’t have the charm that a cult leader needs to have to sway idiots into following him. Like Platinum makes him better by showing him interacting with him but still. It makes no sense for him to have that many followers.

          • From his speech in the HQ:
            “Fellow members of Team Galactic! Hear me! My name, as I appear to you today, is Cyrus. This world of ours is a crude one. In a word, it is incomplete. It has been, and always will be, a struggle to survive in this world. We humans and Pokémon are likewise incomplete. Because we are all so lacking, we fight, we maim… It is ugly. I hate the incompleteness. That we are all incomplete, I hate it with my entire body and being. The world should be complete. The world must change. Then, who will change it? Me, Cyrus. And Team Galactic. Yes, all of you. Together we pored over myths and exposed their secrets. Together we captured legendary Pokémon. And now, Team Galactic has obtained the energy to change the world! The power of dreams is within our grasp! Understand it, fellow members! My long-held dreamworld is on the verge of becoming reality. All those headed to Mt. Coronet, and those who remain here… Though our missions may differ, our hearts beat as one. Let there be glory for Team Galactic!”

            He promised them a world free of war basically. He doesn’t need to be charismatic if he can promise them something that actually sounds like it would be nice while also demonstrating that he’s capable of making it a reality, and he did. He came really close. Giratina stopped him pretty much, not the player.

          • But… no. Anyone can promise that stuff. It takes a certain type of charisma and personality to make people actually believe you.

            And actually you brought up something. Giratina stops him, not you. What business do you have fighting this team? You’re 10.

            With Skull, they’re the gang that screw stuff up with low stakes. It makes sense you would try to stop them. You’re close in age too. Of course that gets muddy around the climax but for most of the game, thy are a threat that actually makes sense for you to be dealing with

          • Does it take a charismatic person though? Just give the people a common enemy and they’ll want change. Was Hitler particularly charismatic? Yeah, the whole Nazi thing is over compared, but Hitler convinced people mass genocide was the answer and thousands flocked to him because he gave them something to blame their problems on. Cyrus promised people a new world and blamed their problems on emotion. And if the anime is anything to go off, Cyrus can be very charismatic when he wants. I’m sure he can fake it.

          • I wouldn’t compare Cyrus to Hitler as much I would a cult leader. A Charles Manson type ya know.

            Cyrus doesn’t have any real political power. He isn’t in the public eye. He’s just some weird guy. The guy literally has no emotions. How does someone with no emotion or charisma or personality or anything sway anyone to do anything?

            Sure maybe some people will fall for it, but that’s what the admins are for. He shouldn’t have a freaking small army

          • He doesn’t have no emotion though. Everything he does is fueled by his anger. Honestly I would have to replay Platinum to full analyze him more than I can. As far as I’m concerned, we would need a more omnipotent point of view to really make sense of most of the pokemon evil teams. They just kind of exist and we have to piece it together. We see everything from such a limited POV.

            But playing USUM has actually made me like Guzma more and made my problems with Skull stand out. It just seems Guzma and his team want different things. It doesn’t feel like they mesh

    • I personally got several sections for Villans as far as the leaders go.
      Most Psychotic: Ghetsis
      Most Personality: Guzma
      Most Unearving: Guzma (For bashing himself for losing, I mean check the comics…) and Cyrus (For wanting to erase emotions, willpower and likely knowledge.)
      Most Annoying Battle: Ghetsis (For seriously under-leveled Pokemon.) and Guzma (HOLD STILL YOU ANNOYING BUG!)
      Easiest to Stomp out: Archie of Aqua (If you are plotting to swim, be sure to have thunderous Pokemon with you.)

      Reply

  9. One cannot underestimate Ghetsis’s goal, his brainwash ability is top notch, able to convince whole grunts and half of population to believe in PETA.

    Still I voted Guzma with no reason

    Reply

  10. Also might as well list them from best to worst
    #8. Colress. Ehhhhhh he was kinda weird. I dont really like the “Im not an evil villain, Im just doing this for myself.” Archetype which he was. Plus why did he work with team plasma anyway?
    #7. Maxie. Sure he was seemingly intelligent, but what did he do to live up to that intelligence he has? Just talk smart?
    #6. Giovanni. He has the most basic look, but it’s ok. He’s a pretty normal gang leader. Wish he was a bit more cruel.
    #5. Archie. Arrrrrg. I like his rough new design. And the way he talks is pretty cool too.
    #4. Cyrus. He’s pretty cool, I like his mindset that he just wants to make another universe with no faults of humans. He actually got what he wanted in Platinum which is cool. He doesnt see the wrongs in his ways because hes so crazy.
    #3. Lysandre. He’s a bit too much like Cyrus, but hes still very cool. I like his crazy motives on supposedly a well liked person
    #2. Ghetsis! He was amazing! I loved how he literally raised a child just to fit his needs. He literally probably made N break mentally! Hes such a evil villain.
    #1. Guzma See below

    Reply

    • Lysandre is a more insane version of Cyrus. Basically wanting to commit suicide and bring the world with him. He’s seriously f*cked in the head. He might’ve been a good villain, imo, if pokemon was allowed to be really dark. Seriously he’s trying to kill himself in the most extra way.

      Reply

  11. Dear GameFreak…

    Make Pokémon Switch more HGSS and less XY

    Stop trying to tell a complex save the world narrative in your Pokémon game. You suck at it. Just stop interrupting me with story and let me play the game

    Sincerely,

    Some whiny idiot in the internet

    Reply

      • Or here’s an idea

        MAKE THE GAME ABOUT A DUMB KID CATCHIN SOME DOPE ASS MONSTERS

        NOT FUCCIN INTERDIMENSIONAL ALIENS

        NOT SOME ULTIMATE WEAPON

        NOT ENDING THE WORLD WITH A BIG DOPEY ORCA

        I just wanna waste some fuckers with my ripped af Furret and explore a neat world

        Reply

        • Also less shoehorning the legends into the plot…rarely do they ever do it well. Also maybe don’t feature them on the box art? Seriously I want something different.

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          • And like… god damn it legends are way more rewarding when you have to discover them. Finding Virizion on a whim was such a crazy surprise when I was an idiot kid playing Black version.

            Now virizion is a special Pokémon to me because of that experience of finding this powerful force of nature on my own.

            That’s why Lugia and Ho-oh are cool. They aren’t being snatched by an evil team. They recognize how strong you are as a trainer and wanna see your rad skills.

            The regi trio side quest is great because of this

            The events in gen 4 and 5 are awesome

            Just make legends part of the world. Give them sidequests. MAKE THEM LEGENDARY

          • I wanna make my rom hack “Pokémon Wish” at some point which is like a remixed Hoenn except it had good water routes with things that are interesting and I just wanna make it about you being a hot boy gamer girl exploring a cool world ya know

    • That’s basically been Nintendo’s entire development philosophy with the Switch…letting players decide what to do, when to do it, and with little interruption. Considering how the Switch itself is marketed towards the hardcore market (looking at DOOM and Skyrim especially), they’ll have to move away from the childish Rotom Dex thing onto something else. I don’t know about you, but I could see something that’s a mix between Black/White and Red/Blue in terms of tone.

      Reply

    • Actually their narratives aren’t bad, it’s interrogation between game play and story and pacing that they’re bad at. They’re also not very good at explaining character motivation in a clear way. If you just casually play SuMo you’d probably never realise Mohn’s disappearance is the thing that had the biggest bearing on changing Lusamine for the worse

      Reply

  12. forgot to post here for a little while, sorryyy, ill just post a few lines i made in the meantime so i can always have a few more fakemon ready for the next time :’)

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba29072479da3f8ae1ca64e3b981635f817063a6138dba385f851cc089417cae.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ae37a8b35e14bd706765f68016da2dc7caaf8ddb226eda0ee5929884234f774e.png
    ground/flying bird and raptor

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fef12e6990884da7830f99b7c0bbd7c3f1e5e46ed070c1a69b9ea3ef30bcdce0.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/99cbe1de52966aec20bc3ff294815fb589277e710381aeb01744e48f41d9c4f6.png
    electric/fairy lion cub and manticore

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a4e4c1cdc5b3252e9994b6871c60cdb5e5348e01d557f21731c4108cff2fcbb4.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/325f3f85da05ff64cc8585f6366176d0c91e9cbe5e751cc774f43bd0397fa6fb.png
    water salamander and water/dragon gila monster

    hope you like them, ive been very busy doing commissions lately so ill post more soon ^w^

    Reply

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      Reply

  14. Ngl the biggest disappointment of BW2 was how little they changed the Elite 4. The only blatant change to them outside of challenge mode is that Shauntel drops Jellicent for Drifblim.

    Reply

  17. comin to you with more fakemon ^w^

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/17f56b05a55eb8cb59e4c2df82a7ef1637e7bb36cb3c800d84b863449f6067fa.png
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0b45ce3e0e0d5b3ae32978609f4f82d547b5e10cec92cf77e644cf85e604aee3.png
    water-bug and water-steel spider crabs

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d024a94b07edd8d8c6f94020a000ad0f49b7115ec97ffcb458ae2fa5c5d89cd8.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0fb2da18f32e066876af723b6e2c916aba50fa6c0e576e7b8b0b5ed82ea6c150.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a6dced58246289d7841b7599e25bf9e497662ac1d6298131c7b1f6f4d7d37ab.png
    bug-rock cave centipedes (1st one will be redone to better fit line)

    im feelin some artists block if you wanna give me some alolan form ideas for your favorite pokemon :’)

    Reply

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