Characters / Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: Team Aqua and Team Magma

Main Character Index > Ruby and Sapphire > Team Aqua and Team Magma

General Tropes

Tropes that apply to both organizations as a whole:

• Adaptation Expansion:
  • The Gen III remakes expand their goals to explain why they want to change the sea level. Team Magma seeks to expand landmass so humanity can further its development, and do not care that their actions may harm Pokémon and believe it's silly to desire co-existence. Team Aqua seeks to raise sea levels to return the world back to nature and give back to Pokémon the habitats humanity's expansion has destroyed.
  • The remakes also give more personality to both teams and their important members, by way of their new designs and new character traits. Team Magma are changed to be more militaristic, Tabitha has more of a Hair-Trigger Temper, Courtney is more of a Yandere, and Maxie is more of a Mad Scientist. Team Aqua on the other hand are more laid back and casual with each other, Matt is more of a Boisterous Bruiser, Shelly is more of an Evil Genius, and Archie is more Affably Evil than he originally was.
• Adaptational Heroism: The opposing team to the version you choose becomes outright altruistic, as they become entirely devoted to stopping your version's corresponding team with their own goals in changing the sea levels going unmentioned. They're both shown as being evil in Emerald and the remakes, though.
• Color Contrast: Team Magma wears red and black, while Team Aqua wears blue and white.
• Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: In the previous games (Red and Blue and Gold and Silver) Team Rocket were thugs bent on capturing rare and strong Pokémon for profit, but their goals never had potentially apocalyptic consequences to humanity and are considered Mundanger. Team Aqua and Team Magma, on the other hand, are both eco-terrorists who want to use their respective mascot legendaries to either expand the oceans for Pokémon (Aqua) or landmass for humanity (Magma).
• Combat Pragmatist: Both teams use the Dark-types Poochyena and Mightyena.
• Demoted to Extra: Team Magma suffers from this in Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, where they only make appearances at Mt. Chimney and Seafloor Cavern, before they disappear from the story entirely. Team Aqua suffers the same way in Ruby and Omega Ruby.
• Eco-Terrorist: Both groups are dedicated to warping the lands for the sake of either humans or Pokémon.
• Evil vs. Evil: In Emerald especially, but also brought up in the remakes where the benevolence of the gang the game isn't focusing on is called into question. One thing delaying either team's plans is that the other team is diametrically opposed to them and will actively engage in combat with them, which buys the player time to stop the plan at Mt. Chimney.
• Far East Asian Terrorists: They're both eco-terrorists from Hoenn, which is based on Kyushu, Japan.
• Heel–Face Turn: Upon defeat, both organizations resolve to change their goals to be more benevolent.
• History Repeats: Implied in Legends: Arceus as Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan settlements have paintings depicting two men who have similar hairstyles as Maxie and Archie respectively, suggesting that even their ancestors have fought against each other.
• Lethally Stupid: The main threat comes from whichever one you fight having the means to enact a nonsensical plan that will either create a scorched wasteland or a national, if not global, flood. The games don't even bother to hide the fact their plans would backfire spectacularly if they succeed (the Oceanic Museum in Slateport City has a poster that explains the importance of water currents in sustaining life, and the scientists at the Weather Institute comment, when rescued, on the climate disaster their success would cause). This is downplayed slightly in the remakes, in that each team gives somewhat plausible explanations for each step in their plan (mostly regarding how triggering an eruption at Mt. Chimney will assist them), but they still grossly and incompetently underestimate just how powerful Kyogre and Groudon are in the long run.
• Poisonous Person: Both teams use the Zubat line. In the remakes, Team Magma uses the gaseous Koffing line, while Team Aqua uses the liquid sludge Grimer line.
• Static Role, Exchangeable Character: Which team is the villain depends on what version you're playing.
• Tom the Dark Lord: In a series where villains tend to have cool or intimidating names, the two teams are led by guys called Maxie and Archie.
• Unwitting Pawn: They're both this to Zinnia in the remakes, with her hoping that Team Magma/Aqua awakening Groudon/Kyogre would summon Rayquaza to destroy the incoming Meteor.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Their goals are vastly different, but their motivations are for the good of Pokémon and humans, respectively.

Team Magma

Team Magma

"The land... It is the stage upon which humanity stands. The land exists so we humans might continue onward and upward, stepping into the future... For us to continue growing and evolving, humans require a grand stage upon which to stand. A land upon which we can stride forward... A land we can explore...develop...exploit... This is the basis for the growth of all human endeavor. That is why we, Team Magma, must increase the landmass of the world! Believe that this will lead to a future of eternal happiness for humanity... And consequently for all life!"

—Maxie

Tropes that apply to the organization as a whole:

^{Ruby and Sapphire} 

• Adaptational Heroism: Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire actually portray them as a heroic organization, trying to stop the villainous Team Aqua, though less so in the remake where they are Nominal Heroes at best.
• Demoted to Extra: In Emerald, they as a whole get little screentime compared to Team Aqua, but they are still antagonists. However, they kinda make up for it by having their leader Maxie be a Recurring Boss as opposed to Aqua's leader Archie who is only fought once.
• Dishing Out Dirt: The Numel and Camerupt they use are part Ground-type, and they use the Ground-type Baltoy too.
• Elemental Powers: They wield Fire, Ground, Poison, and Dark-types as their Pokémon of Choice.
• Evil Is Burning Hot: This villain team uses the Fire-types Numel and Camerupt; fitting, considering their name.
• Fire Is Red: They paint their stuff red, and they are themed around fire.
• Gratuitous English: For whatever reason, they seem to be quite fond of this in the Japanese version.
• In the Hood: Everyone but Maxie wears a hood as part of their uniform.
• Poisonous Person: The remakes add the Koffing family to their lineup, in addition to the Zubat line.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: In Omega Ruby, they believe that equal coexistence between people and Pokémon is a foolish idea that will only hold back humanity's progress.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Their uniforms are red and black, and they're part of a villainous team.
• Signature Mon: The Zubat, Poochyena, and Numel lines. In Emerald, the Baltoy line is added. In the remakes, the Koffing line is added.
• Strange Salute: Their default pose in Omega Ruby shows them giving one. Together, they form an "M" like their logo.
• Straw Character: In the remakes. They think it's silly to desire peaceful co-existence between humans and Pokémon, as humanity's progress is being hindered by trying to accommodate nature. A debate worth having - the Rusturf Tunnel and New Mauville were abandoned near completion to avoid interfering with Pokémon habitats - but they take it to the extreme of environmental terrorism.
• Visionary Villain: In Omega Ruby, they believe that humanity's development will lead to greater prosperity for everyone. To achieve this, they plan on expanding the landmass to increase the area people can labor upon, furthering mankind's evolution.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: They aim to dry up the world to increase landmass for people and Pokémon (less so in the remakes, when they view Pokémon as inferior) to live on.

Maxie (Matsubusa)

Maxie / Matsubusa (マツブサ matsubusa)

^{Ruby and Sapphire} 

Voiced by: (in Pokémon Generations) Seiji Sasaki (Japanese), Lex Lang (English), (in Pokémon Masters): Jarred Kjack (English), Joji Nakata (Japanese)

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• Adaptational Intelligence: In Ruby and Emerald, he assumes the Blue Orb controls Groudon as opposed to enraging it, leading to the Legendary Pokémon's drought threatening Hoenn. In Omega Ruby, he knows to use the Red Orb instead, though Primal Groudon is simply too powerful to control.
• Adaptation Personality Change: Ruby and Emerald, Maxie was more of the standard bad guy, his default expression being a permanent scowl. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire transform him into a dignified nerd.
• Affably Evil: Though not so much as Archie, he is still rather courteous overall and this especially shows after his Heel–Face Turn. He becomes more of a genuine (if aloof) friend to the player character, even giving them the Cameruptite to defeat Zinnia.
• Alphabetical Theme Naming:
  • In every language that isn't Chinese, his name starts with the first two letters of his team's name, Magma.
  • In the English translation, the first letters of Archie's, Maxie's, and Zinnia's names are the first, middle, and last letters of the English alphabet.
• Anti-Villain: Like Archie, he thinks he is doing justice to the world, since draining the sea would allow humans to travel more easily and would make more room to live. He also pulls a quicker Heel–Face Turn than Archie in Emerald.

• Badass Longcoat: Especially his design in the remakes. Apparently they’re his favorite uniform.
• Big Bad: In Ruby and Omega Ruby, though his arch-rival Archie is in those games, he plays a minor role in the story mode but Maxie and Team Magma play major roles in the story.
• Big Bad Ensemble: In Emerald, opposite Archie, unlike Previous installments they both share the spotlight in that game. However Maxie and Team Magma are mostly Demoted to Extra but they are still a threat.
• Defrosting the Ice Queen: Ironically, given his chosen element — especially in the remake. He’s introduced as being completely stone-faced and haughty, looking down at the player. By the end of the game, however, he comes to regard the player with humbled respect and gratitude, finally calling them by their name instead of just “child.”
• Didn't Think This Through: In Ruby version, Maxie's first Evil Plan is to make Mt. Chimney erupt and produce enough lava to expand Hoenn's shores. The sheer volume of lava needed for that would, if it were to be erupted all at once, be guaranteed to kill everyone in the western Hoenn region at least, which seems counterproductive for someone trying to improve humanity's situation. Further, this plan is being carried out at the rim of the volcano itself, putting Maxie in prime position to be incinerated by his own success. Tellingly, Rewrites of the Mt. Chimney scenario in Updated Rereleases change Maxie's goals from trying to make the volcano erupt.
• Dishing Out Dirt: His signature Pokémon Camerupt is part Ground-type.
• Dork in a Sweater: To further establish his "nerdy" image, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire gave him a turtleneck sweater underneath his coat.
• Dual Boss: In Emerald, you have to battle him three times. The third time, he faces you in a double-battle alongside Tabitha. You get to fight them both alongside Steven, and each person is allowed no more than three Pokémon to balance the odds.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • The GBA Maxie in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon can't stand Faba.
  • In Alpha Sapphire he is uncomfortable with burdening a child with the task of saving the world and genuinely apologises to the player.
• Evil Is Not a Toy: His attempt to control Groudon results in it going out of control and creating a drought that will end all life if not stopped.
• Evil Redhead: He's the leader of Team Magma, and he has red hair.
• Evil Sounds Deep: He's the leader of Team Magma, and his Japanese voice in Pokémon Generations is rather deep thanks to Seiji Sasaki.
• Foil: He wants to build an ideal world for humanity, as opposed to Archie, who wants to build a world ideal for Pokémon.
• Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Omega Ruby redesigned Maxie and gave him a pair of glasses, while leaving his villainous traits untouched.
• Geek Physiques: His redesign makes his thinness even more apparent, along with him looking like a teacher/scientist.
• Gone Horribly Right: He succeeds in awakening Groudon, and it promptly proceeds to cause a lot more drought than he had hoped for.
• Guest-Star Party Member: In Omega Ruby, he is one of the NPC trainers the player can partner with during the Multi Battle mode in the Battle Maison.
• Heel–Face Turn:
  • After releasing Groudon and having his My God, What Have I Done? moment. In the remakes, he assists the player by giving him or her the Magma Suit and guiding him or her into following Groudon to the Cave of Origin's deepest part. He later returns the Blue Orb to Mt. Pyre in the originals or gives the Red Orb to the player in the remakes.
  • In Emerald, he makes one even sooner once he realizes the potential destruction that releasing Groudon and Kyogre could lead to.
• Hypocrite:
  • Somewhat in Emerald — at the Seafloor Cavern after you defeat Archie, Maxie calls Archie out for waking up Kyogre and causing inclement weather — Archie calls him out and mentions he is no different regarding Groudon, but Maxie (being in a foul mood after his own recent Heel Realization) snaps that they don't have time to argue the point. He does calm down, though, and acknowledge this and admit that he has no ground to stand on in this regard, but asserts that this is beyond the matter of who is to blame and that stopping the two legendaries is their top priority at this point.
  • In Omega Ruby, he leads the team who believes co-existence between humans and Pokémon is silly and will hinder humanity's progress, while he has two Morality Pets that are Pokémon.
• It's All My Fault: His Heel Realization in Emerald is especially hard-hitting; at least part of his calling out Archie later is Self-Deprecation, though he uses his bluster as a front.
• Labcoat of Science and Medicine: In the remakes, which adds to his scientist motif.
• Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: He doesn't seem to realize that summoning Groudon will cause any harm to the world; he thinks that he can use it to dry up the sea and create new landmasses for human civilization to expand on. When he realizes he cannot control Groudon or its power, he has a My God, What Have I Done? realization.
• Morality Pet:
  • His Crobat, almost certainly — it even gets a decent amount of focus in fanart. A Golbat needs a high level of friendship with its trainer to evolve, so it makes sense.
  • In the remakes, his Camerupt can Mega Evolve, something that requires a strong bond with one's Pokémon.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After awakening Groudon and finding out that it will roast every living being in the world, he realizes he was foolish in his goals and tries to stop Groudon. In the remakes, he even believes himself to be beyond redemption, until Tabitha snaps him out of it.
• Nerd Glasses: A pair of thick frames that also contain his Key Stone.
• Nice Mean And In Between: In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, he tends to serve as the mean to Archie's nice and Zinnia's in-between, looking down at the player constantly and calling them "child". Though he gradually grows out of this as the story progresses.
• Not So Stoic:
  • In the remake, he initially comes off as cool and calculating, and in his pre-battle animation, he looks positively bored with the whole thing. However, he has a terrible temper that flares up when things turn against him, and his defeat animation has him stagger back, mouth agape and glasses askew, before desperately scrambling to regain his composure.
  • In Alpha Sapphire, he falls to his knees in a Pose of Supplication after getting beaten by his rival. Contrast Archie in Omega Ruby, who becomes shocked but regains his composure almost immediately.
  • He lets out an impressive Evil Laugh before his final battle at the Seafloor Cavern, and goes Laughing Mad after defeat and after awakening Groudon.
• Obliviously Evil: Like Archie, he doesn't seem to realize the bad parts of his plans until it is too late.
• Olympus Mons: An alternate Maxie succeeds in controlling Groudon before being pulled into the world of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and uses it as his ace Pokémon. It also becomes his Sync Partner in Masters.
• Pose of Supplication: In Alpha Sapphire, he does this in front of Archie after Archie defeats him at the Seafloor Cavern.
• Pride: Has a habit of calling himself "the great Maxie", even after he's fallen. In general, he's a smug stiff, as opposed to Archie's affable nature.
• Recurring Boss:
  • He's fought twice in Ruby and its remake — at Mt. Chimney, and at Seafloor Cavern.
  • In Emerald, he's fought three times in total (once in a Dual Boss situation on both sides) — at Mt. Chimney (again), at the Magma Hideout (which is located inside Mt. Chimney in this game, and is Groudon's location instead of Seafloor Cavern), and finally at the Mossdeep Space Station. This sharply contrasts Archie, who is only fought once — after all three battles with Maxie.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Ironically, the blue to Archie's red. Maxie is a nerdy emotionally-reserved smart guy, while Archie is friendly, out-going, and Hot-Blooded.
• The Rival: To Archie. They both believe that they can excel as individuals by having someone testing them, which isn't something that other people can deny.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gives the impression of being the Sensitive Guy to Archie's Manly Man. The remakes play this up further with Maxie redesigned to look like a slim scientist while Archie is a buff pirate.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: In a manner of speaking.
• Signature Mon:
  • Camerupt. It's his strongest Pokémon across many of his game appearances, and he Mega Evolves it in the remakes.
  • In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Groudon serves as his strongest instead of Camerupt. It is paired with him again in Masters as part of his default Sync Pair.
• The Spock: In contrast to Archie being The McCoy. He's a stoic intellectual compared to Archie's bombastic personality.
• Stock Costume Traits: His design in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Turtleneck sweater, labcoat, Nerd Glasses, etc.
• The Stoic: Maxie is generally fairly calm, and as noted in the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire guidebook, his face shows little expression (most of the time).
• Theme Naming: Maxie's name includes the root word "maximum", a word based on the Latin maximus and which means, "to the greatest degree". It complements Archie's name, which comes from the Greek arkh and which means "chief, principal, foremost". If you squint, Zinnia's name in the English localization of the remakes is similar to "zenith", which is literally the point of the heavens above an observer but is often used in metaphor to describe anything that has reached its greatest or highest point.
• Transformation Trinket: The remakes give him a pair of glasses into which his Key Stone is set, used to Mega Evolve his Camerupt.
• Villainous Widow's Peak: On his Ruby/Sapphire design, he has a widow's peak in his hair, and is the main antagonist of Ruby.
• Villains Out Shopping: In Pokémon Masters, he frequently visits the island's artificial volcano to let his Groudon play among the lava.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants to make more land so that humanity have more room to advance. Like Archie, he has a Crobat to prove that he is not really an evil person.
• We Used to Be Friends: In the Gen III remakes, a grunt claims that Maxie and Archie used to be "on the same team".

Courtney (Kagari)

Courtney / Kagari (カガリ kagari)

"But now I just want to...engage you and see what happens! I want to...analyze you!"

Voiced by: (in Pokémon Generations) Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Sandy Fox (English), (in Pokémon Masters) Anjali Kunapaneni (English), Minori Chihara (Japanese)

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• Ambiguously Bi: As mentioned below, she has some Yandere-tinted Ship Tease towards both Maxie and whichever player character is selected. Her lines in Omega Ruby (especially the way her lines from the Magma Hideout are said in Generations) sound particularly creepy when directed toward Brendan.
• Ascended Extra: In Pokémon Adventures, she receives a surprisingly large amount of characterization and a larger role. Same is true for the remakes, being one of the major post-game antagonists.
• Badass Cape: Her uniform has a cape unlike the other members of Team Magma. This is absent in the remakes.
• Co-Dragons: In the remakes, where she and Tabitha share the role of Number Two, just in different ways.
• Curtains Match the Window: In the remakes. Her eyes and hair are both purple, just slightly different shades.
• Dark Action Girl: The female Magma Admin.
• Demoted to Extra: Worse than Team Aqua's Matt in this regard. While both have only an easy-to-miss cameo in the game opposite their team's role (in her case, Sapphire), she's the only notable member of either team that isn't battled in Emerald either. Not the case anymore in Omega Ruby.
• Determinator: In the remakes, once Courtney sets her interest on someone or something, she never gives up in pursuing it.
• Distaff Counterpart: To Matt, being an antagonist in Omega Ruby's version of the Delta Episode.
• The Dragon: To Maxie, but only in Ruby. In Emerald, where she never speaks nor fights, she surrenders this role to Tabitha. In Omega Ruby, they are treated more as Co-Dragons.
• Dragon Their Feet: In the Omega Ruby version of the Delta Episode, whereas most of Team Magma, Maxie included, had performed a Heel–Face Turn at the awakening of Groudon.
• Dual Boss: In Omega, the first and last battles against her both see her fight alongside a male Magma Grunt.
• Easily Forgiven: After attempting to destroy the world in the Delta Episode of Omega Ruby, everyone forgives her as if nothing happened.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Masters shows that she cares deeply about her Camerupt and dotes on her. However, the problem with this is that Courtney doesn't make an effort to be strict with her when Camerupt does any mistakes (such as loafing while battling Flannery), which makes Courtney recall the many times she exasperates Maxie, who is very strict with her when she makes mistakes so she can be a better admin.
• Evil Genius: She's a former scientist, and is said to have a brilliant mind.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: In the original games, her skirt has a gap that exposes her left leg. This isn't present in the remakes.
• Hartman Hips: Although it’s pretty difficult to tell, due to her pose not being head-on.
• Heel–Face Turn: Although in the remakes, it takes her and the remaining Magma Grunts until the post-game to get there.
• Humanizing Tears: At the end of Delta Episode, she breaks down crying while apologizing to Maxie for going rogue and trying to destroy the world. She breaks down even more when Maxie apologizes to her for failing to recognize her loyalty and live up to it.
• The Hyena: In the original Ruby and Sapphire, she begins everything she says with laughter, whether she's actually happy with the situation or not. Remake Courtney, on the other hand, prefers giggling at the end of her lines.
• In the Hood: In the original games, her hood has black horns with a slight curve, unlike the straight horns the other members have. In the remakes, her hood has yellow horns to better distinguish her from the female grunts.
• Karma Houdini: She tries to destroy the world in the Delta Episode of Omega Ruby, but receives no punishment for this.
• Laughing Mad: She breaks into maniacal laughter when confronted during the Delta Episode.
• Ma'am Shock: Wally calls her "ma'am" when apologizing for bumping into her at the Battle Resort. This is her reaction.
  Courtney: I'll... make him cry...
• Meaningful Name: Her Japanese name means "bonfire". Courtney is derived from "country" — i.e. an area of land.
• Minidress of Power: In the remakes, she might as well just be wearing a turtleneck sweater with a long enough hem.
• Morality Pet: Her most villainous point, the Delta Episode, shows us her Mega Camerupt, showing through the (in-universe) necessary bond to achieve such a Mega Evolution that she's still not wholly evil.
• Not So Stoic: Her introduction has her as very unemotional and calculating. After she takes interest in you when you defeat her in Omega Ruby, though, every subsequent encounter has her acting more and more notably emotional.
• Omnicidal Maniac: After Maxie's defeat, she tries to sabotage the attempt to use the rocket to destroy the meteor so that not only will it unleash a wave of devastation even greater than the one AZ's Ultimate Weapon unleashed, but the meteor will stay on course and finish off what's left of the world. She outright states that she's doing it to avenge Maxie suffering a breakdown due to said defeat.
• Perverted Drooling: After the player defeats her on Southern Island, her defeat quote is "...Slurp. ♪", which suggests she was swallowing drool. The musical note certainly doesn't help. It's never made clear as to why she was drooling, but it can be argued that her "unanticipated" defeat by the player character (and Steven) left her very dumbfounded. Then she quickly sucks up her drool while breifly humming a cheery tune to keep her unstable mind in check.
• Promoted to Playable: Sure, every trainer eventually becomes playable in Pokémon Masters, but special mention goes to her for being the first only evil team admin so far to be made playable next to her boss, and she's not even secluded in a random Poké Fair banner.
• Psycho Supporter: She's not exactly sane, to say the least, in the remakes in particular.
• Psychopathic Womanchild: In the remakes. Rather childlike, and mentally stable she is not.
• Recurring Boss: At least, when the games actually let her get involved.
  • In Ruby, she's fought twice — first at the Weather Institute, and later at the Seafloor Cavern.
  • In Omega Ruby, she's battled five times — the first three during the main plot, and the final two in the Delta Episode post-game. None have basis in the original Ruby, although the Mossdeep Space Centre battle in the Delta Episode is loosely based on a subplot from Emerald — there, Maxie and Tabitha are fighting the player and Steven instead of her and a male grunt.
• Rei Ayanami Expy: She fits this very well in the remakes; she looks pretty young, has pale skin, her hair is short and is an unusual color, her eyes are an unnatural color, she usually acts emotionless and robotic, she has a strong bond with her leader, and becomes more emotional over time.
• Satellite Character: She's just there to provide a battle (in Ruby), and is easy to miss in Emerald. Subverted in the remakes.
• Say It with Hearts: A lot of her dialogue with the player in the remakes is sprinkled with musical notes, even if she just lost a battle.
• Ship Tease:
  • She has quite a bit of teasing with the protagonist in Omega Ruby, which is not present in the original game; though in Pokémon Adventures she had some feelings for Ruby, the protagonist of the Ruby and Sapphire arc.
  • She also really, really seems to like Maxie. It's not clear how much of this is admiration or if she's actually in love with the guy, but given her reaction to seeing him defeated, there's definitely something strong there.
• Signature Mon: Camerupt, her sole Pokémon in most of her appearances. Masters even expands on their close relationship, especially through the reveal that Camerupt was a gift from her beloved Maxie.
• The Stoic: Very quiet and unemotional. At first anyway.
• Terse Talker: In the remakes, Courtney is shown to rarely speak. The fact that most of her dialogue has ellipses emphasizes this.
• Theme Naming: Has a ground-based name like the rest of Team Magma.

• The Unfought: In Emerald, she's the only evil team admin to not be battled.

• Villainous Breakdown: After Maxie is defeated and the team's plans foiled. By the time of her last battle, she's visibly livid, and is actually speaking fully-formed sentences.
• Villainesses Want Heroes: She grows fond of the player. A bit too fond.
• Yandere: Towards Maxie in Omega Ruby. When his defeat leaves him a broken man, she's so furious that she takes what's left of the team and tries to destroy the world.

Tabitha (Homura)

Tabitha / Homura (ホムラ homura)

Voiced by: (in Pokémon Generations) Akio Suyama (Japanese), Doug Erholtz (English), (in Pokémon Masters) Van Barr Jr. (English), Yasuhiro Takato (Japanese)

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• Adaptational Curves: In the original games, he's a muscular guy. His design in the remake shows him packing a few extra pounds.
• Adaptational Ugliness: Well, sort of — he was a conventionally attractive, muscular guy with a sleeveless outfit in the originals, but in the remakes, they decided to add a few pounds to him. That's not to say he's "ugly" now, but his new look is certainly not attractive in the conventional sense.
• Ascended Extra: In Emerald, he's more important and more prominent than in Sapphire or even Ruby.
• Badass Cape: Unlike the other members of Team Magma, his uniform has a prominent cape. This is absent in the remakes.
• Berserk Button: In the demo, Tabitha does not take too kindly to Matt comparing him to a Makuhita.
  Tabitha: You'd better at least make it a Hariyama!
• Co-Dragons: In the remakes, where he and Courtney share the role of Number Two; just in different ways.
• Demoted to Extra: In Sapphire — he only appears at the Seafloor Cavern, and it's easy to miss that it's him there.
• The Dragon: To Maxie in Emerald, where he is fought thrice and displaces Courtney. In Omega Ruby, the two are Co-Dragons.
• Dual Boss: In his third battle in Emerald, he's fought along with Maxie himself. In Omega Ruby, his first battle is alongside a female Magma Grunt.
• Enemy Mine: In the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire demo, he teams up with Matt from Team Aqua to take out the player and Steven teams up with you to even the odds.
• Even Evil Has Standards: In Omega Ruby, Tabitha is horrified once he learns what will happen if Groudon is awakened. This is what causes him to start working to get Maxie and Team Magma off the path they're on.
• Evil Genius: Somewhat characterized as such. In the remakes, he used to be a scientist who worked in Devon and contributed significantly to the team's research.
• Evil Laugh: He laughs in every single line of dialogue he has. The remakes give him a rather strange laugh, rendered as "Ahyahyahya!"
• Eyes Always Shut: In the remakes, save for when he's angry or acting pretty cocky. This contributes to his aforementioned resemblance to Makuhita.
• Fat and Skinny: The Fat to Maxie and Courtney's Skinny.
• Fat Bastard: Downplayed. He's one of the heavier villains in the franchise and while he's irritable and overly ambitious, he's also the first member to raise objections to awakening Groudon.
• Gender-Blender Name: "Homura" can go both ways or be a last name, but Tabitha is always female. However, this is actually a nickname: His real name is apparently Tabitabi.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: In the remakes, Tabitha is impatient and has a very short temper. He has been aggravated by the player's meddling in Team Magma's plans, being compared to a Makuhita by Matt and being called "sir" by Wally. After the Delta Episode in Omega Ruby, he even yells at Courtney to apologize to Maxie after the latter two stare at each other for an extended period.
• Heel–Face Turn: Along with his boss (and in the remakes, his Heel Realization precedes Maxie's).
• In-Series Nickname: According to a scientist in Omega Ruby's Magma Hideout, he is also known as "Tabitabi".
• In the Hood: He wears the same hood as the grunts. In the remakes, his hood has yellow horns like Courtney's, but he keeps it down.
• Ma'am Shock: A rare male example, as he gets upset when Wally calls him "sir" ("I've only just turned 27!").
• Meaningful Name: His Japanese name means "flame". Tabitha is an anagram of "habitat".
• Only Sane Man: In Omega Ruby, at least compared to Maxie and Courtney. He's the only one to figure out the problem with awakening Groudon before it happens (not that Maxie listens).
• Psycho Supporter: Between his constant laughter and glee over what Maxie is doing, he seems more than a little unhinged. It's ultimately subverted, however, when he's the first one to realize the dangers of awakening Groudon.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: His eyes are normally closed, but when he's angry or acting confident, his eyes are revealed to be this.
• Real Men Wear Pink: You can find a magazine about cute Pokémon in his room in the Magma Hideout.
• Recurring Boss: The most consistently across the Hoenn games:
  • Fought three times in Emerald, and twice in Ruby. The first battle in both is at Mt. Chimney; the second is at the Magma Hideout; the last, in Emerald, is at the Mossdeep Space Centre, alongside his boss.
  • In Omega Ruby, he's battled thrice just like in Emerald, but the set-up is different — the first fight is alongside a Grunt at Meteor Falls; the second is now the Mt. Chimney battle; the last is at the Weather Institute (replacing Courtney's role there).
• Spear Counterpart: To Shelly in Emerald (as The Dragon to their respective leaders), and more so in the remakes where they serve the same story roles (including the moment of a Heel Realization).
• The Starscream: It's said that he wants to become the leader of Team Magma, as evidenced by the application forms for promotion on his desk. He ultimately proves to be loyal, but his ambition ends up biting him when he tries to stop Maxie from awakening Groudon, and the leader just uses Tabitha's ambition as a reason to mistrust him.
• Theme Naming: Has a land-based name like the other members of Team Magma.
• Vague Age: One of the few notable examples to completely avert this in the series in the remakes. He's 27.
• You Don't Look Like You: In the original games, he was tall, of a regular build, and with normal eyes. In the remakes, he became short and fat, and his eyes are now always closed.

Team Aqua

Team Aqua

"The sea is an irreplaceable treasure for every living thing on this planet. But with our selfish extravagance, humanity dirties the great ocean, destroying this source of all life... Day by day, we're all destroying our most precious resource! If we humans suffer from our actions, well, maybe we'll end up getting what we deserve. But what about the Pokémon in our world? The Pokémon that no longer have a place to live because we stole and soiled their seas? The Pokémon that won't have a place to raise their young and watch them grow? We are creating a world in which innocent Pokémon suffer as a result of our actions... And that is something that I can't forgive! That's why I came to a decision, see? The foolish actions of my fellow humans, the seas we have blighted, nature itself... I will return everything to its unspoiled beginnings!"

—Archie

Tropes that apply to the organization as a whole:

^{Ruby and Sapphire} 

• Adaptational Heroism: Like Team Magma in Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, they are actually portrayed as a heroic organization in Ruby and Omega Ruby, though less so in the remake where they are Nominal Heroes at best.
• Ambiguously Brown: They're all very tan, though, being based on pirates, this means little.
• Animal Wrongs Group: In Alpha Sapphire, they want to expand the seas to bring back the habitats Pokémon lost due to humanity's greed.
• Beard of Evil: The male grunts in the remakes have goatees.
• Combat Pragmatist: In addition to Poochyena and Mightyena, they use Carvanha and Sharpedo, who are Dark-type Pokemon.
• Elemental Powers: They use Water, Poison, and Dark-types as their types of choice.
• Evil Redhead: Shelly and the female grunts have bright red hair and are the main antagonists of Sapphire.
• Hypocrite: A man in Emerald laments that they built their very industrial-looking hideout inside a habitat for water Pokémon. Alpha Sapphire at least makes their version of the hideout look much more natural.
• Irony:
  • They seek to right the wrongs humanity committed against Pokémon out of greed... yet dress up as and theme themselves after Pirates, a group known for their greed and destructive nature.
  • The remakes make them an Animal Wrongs Group who want to make the world better for Pokémon, yet one of the Pokémon they use is Grimer, a Pokémon that pollutes the environment with its very presence.
• Jolly Roger: A variant. They use as their symbol a stylized A, white on a black or blue background, with a rounded central part and "legs" ending in femur heads. This is prominently displayed on both their vehicles and on the bandannas worn by each member.
• Light Is Not Good: They wear bright white and blue outfits, but are antagonists in Sapphire, Emerald, and Alpha Sapphire.
• Making a Splash: Carvanha and Sharpedo are dual Water and Dark-type.
• Pirates: They're dressed up like this, with bandannas on their heads, striped clothing and ripped sashes.
• Poisonous Person: They frequently use Poison-types such as Zubat and Grimer.
• Race Lift: Often confused as such by fans, as they're significantly darker-skinned in the remakes. In truth, they remain the same race (presumably East Asian, specifically Japanese, or a Pokémon equivalent of it) they were in the originals, but heavily tanned.
• Signature Mon: The Zubat, Poochyena, and Carvanha lines. In Emerald, the Wailmer line is added. The remakes add the Grimer line.
• Straw Character: In the remakes. They think humanity's progress has recklessly destroyed Pokémon habitats and want to return the world to nature. A debate worth having, but they take it to the extreme of environmental terrorism.
• Water Is Blue: They paint their stuff blue.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: They aim to flood the world to make it a haven for water-dwelling Pokémon, and figure that humanity can learn to adapt a la Waterworld.

Archie (Aogiri)

Archie / Aogiri (アオギリ aogiri)

^{Ruby and Sapphire} 

Voiced by: (in Pokémon Generations): Rikiya Koyama (Japanese), Jamieson Price (English) / (in Pokémon Masters): Adin Rudd (English), Tsuguo Mogami (Japanese)

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• Adaptational Badass: Downplayed with the remakes. While Archie was always a powerful trainer, in the remakes, he's more muscular, wears an imposing outfit, and in general looks much more threatening than before.
• Adaptational Curves: His remake appearance is noticeably more muscular than his original one.
• Adaptational Intelligence: In Sapphire and Emerald, Archie tries to control Kyogre with a colored orb... only he thinks the Red Orb controls the blue Kyogre, when in fact the total opposite happens. In Alpha Sapphire, he does go for the Blue Orb, and only fails thanks to Primal Kyogre being too powerful to control.
• Affably Evil: He's quite civil to the player, and between the two different versions, he's slightly more politely-spoken than Maxie is. In the remakes, this is even more apparent, with Archie constantly calling the player affectionate nicknames and generally acting fond of them.
• Affectionate Nickname: In both Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, he refers to the player character as "little scamp."
• Alphabetical Theme Naming:
  • In every language that isn't Italian or Chinese, his name starts with the first letter of his team's name, Aqua.
  • In the English translation, the first letters of Archie's, Maxie's, and Zinnia's names are the first, middle, and last letters of the English alphabet.
• Anti-Villain: He wants to raise the seas since water is the source of life. He is willing to do low things to succeed, but in his mind, it's the right thing.
• Badasses Wear Bandanas: He wears a bandanna like the rest of Team Aqua, and he's its toughest Trainer as their Bosss.
• Badass Longcoat: His redesign for the Gen III remakes gives him extensions from the hips that invoke this imagery.
• Beard of Evil: His beard that runs all the way up to his sideburns. In the remakes, it even gets a pointed end.
• Big Bad: In Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire though his arch-rival Maxie is in those games, he plays a minor role in story mode, but Archie and Team Aqua play major roles in the story.
• Big Bad Ensemble: In Emerald, opposite Maxie, unlike previous installments they both share the spotlight in that game. In that installment they once again play major roles unlike Team Magma who were mostly Demoted to Extra.
• Bling of War: He's covered with gold, including a large pendant shaped like an anchor, in which his Key Stone is set.
• Enemy Mine: Sort of in Emerald, where despite still being an antagonist, he and his team are also trying to stop Team Magma from erupting Mt Chimney.
• Even Evil Has Standards: In Masters, he is still fully intent on flooding the world starting with Pasio itself, but he can't bring himself to put a Preschooler in danger and tries to protect her from the rampaging Legendaries nearby. Bonus points when said Preschooler earlier didn't run away from him for his appearance because he didn't look scary to her.
• Evil Is Not a Toy: His attempt to control Kyogre results in it going out of control and summoning massive floods that will end all life if not stopped.
• Fangs Are Evil: When really angry, he can apparently have a mouth full of fangs. He's also shown with prominent canines in some art. However, Archie really isn't all that evil (though he is still a villain), so it's not played fully straight.
• Faux Affably Evil: In Emerald, he's more polite and affable than Maxie is, which conceals the fact that he's even more of a stubborn extremist who doesn't take the hint until it's too late.
• Foil: He wants to build a world ideal for Pokémon, as opposed to Maxie, who wants to build a world ideal for humans.
• Friendly Enemy: In Alpha Sapphire, he's the least hostile of all the team leaders, and treats you almost like a rival rather than a true enemy. Eventually he does a Heel–Face Turn and becomes a real friend to the protagonist post-game, even giving them the Sharpedonite so they can defeat Zinnia. You can even invite him to be your partner in battle at the Battle Maison.
• Friend to All Children: Archie has a real soft spot for kids from the remakes onward. In addition to his Affably Evil behavior towards his games' protagonist, he also acts protective of a little girl in his Masters debut, and helps out Tate by leading him to Jirachi for him to wish to get back Liza and Anabel after they were sucked in by an Ultra Wormhole during the 2023 summer event.
• Genius Bruiser: He may not look like much, but he consistently out-maneuvers Maxie in Alpha Sapphire.
• Gone Horribly Right: He succeeds in awakening Kyogre, and it promptly proceeds to cause a lot more flooding than he had hoped for.
• Graceful Loser: In the remakes, he takes defeat pretty well. Aside from brief surprise, he acts almost proud whenever you beat him. Shown best compared to Maxie, who is prone to Not So Stoic moments when he loses.
• Guest-Star Party Member: In Alpha Sapphire, he is one of the NPC trainers the player can partner with during the Multi Battle mode in the Battle Maison.
• Hot-Blooded: Archie has a loud outgoing personality in the remakes. This attitude is what gained him many followers in-universe.
• Heel–Face Turn: After releasing Kyogre and having his My God, What Have I Done? moment. In the remakes, Archie also assists the player in confronting Kyogre by giving him or her the Aqua Suit and guiding him or her in following Kyogre to the deepest depths in the Cave of Origin. He later returns the Red Orb to Mt. Pyre in the originals, or gives the Blue Orb to the player in the remakes.
• Hunk: Archie is buff and handsome, in contrast to Maxie, who is slender and pretty.
• Hypocrite: Despite totting about how wonderful Water Pokémon are, he only has one in his team of three (four in the remakes) Pokémon, despite them being pretty much everywhere in Hoenn.
• Idiot Ball: Archie's plan to flood the world makes even less sense than Maxie's to create more land. Does he really think creating worldwide flooding and raising global sea levels is a good thing that will benefit the planet? He claims it will create new habitats for Pokémon to live in, which it may, but it's also going to destroy a lot of existing habitats. He's either completely delusional or incredibly stupid to not see the negative consequences of his plan. The remakes avert this by shifting Team Aqua's goals to specifically turning the world back to nature; the destruction of water-based human cities is their own fault for being greedy and stealing that land from the Pokémon.
• The McCoy: In contrast to Maxie being The Spock. He's a loud extrovert and is casual with the player and his allies.
• Making a Splash: Naturally, he leans to Water-types, with his team leader being Sharpedo.
• Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds: Similar to Maxie, he thinks that expanding the sea is a great idea; the sea is the cradle of life from which all the world's creatures evolved, and they all need it to survive. Once he realizes that Kyogre cannot be controlled and the world will drown in endless rain if it isn't stopped, he abandons his plans.
• Morality Pet:
  • His Crobat (Golbat can only evolve into Crobat if it's at maximum happiness).
  • In the remakes, his Sharpedo can Mega Evolve, something that requires a strong bond with one's Pokémon.
• Mr. Fanservice: The fangirls always found him attractive, but the remakes made it even better, with his facial hair evolution and him wearing a skintight wetsuit baring his chest. Suffice to say, he's gotten a lot of 'attention' since his redesign was revealed.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After awakening Kyogre, he realizes that Kyogre will flood everything, including humanity.
• Nice Mean And In Between: In ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire', he tends to serve as the ' nice to Maxie's mean and Zinnia's in-between, being much friendlier compared to the other Team leaders and treating you more as a rival than anything else, affectionately calling you "Little Scamp". At the end of main story, he starts treating you like a genuine friend.
• Obliviously Evil: He does not seem to realize the bad parts of his plans or why people try to stop them; only when it is too late to stop does he realize the bad parts of releasing Kyogre and flooding the world. Realizing it causes him to make a very fast Heel–Face Turn.
• Olympus Mons: An alternate Archie succeeds in controlling Kyogre before being pulled into the world of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and uses it as his ace Pokémon. It also becomes his Sync Partner in Masters.
• Perpetual Smiler: He's nearly always smiling, usually a cocky grin, in contrast to Maxie, who is always frowning.
• Pet the Dog: In Masters:
  • In the "Masters of Land and Sea" story event, after his My God, What Have I Done? moment, he sees a little girl he met earlier who is in grave danger and gets worried, commanding the player, Brendan and May to get her to safety.
  • In the "Twin Stars Far Apart" story event, when Liza and Anabel are sucked into an Ultra Wormhole and go missing, Archie gets worried and willingly joins Tate and Nanu on their search for them.
• Recurring Boss: In Sapphire and its remake, he's fought twice — at Mt. Chimney and at Seafloor Cavern. Only the latter battle is retained for Emerald, however.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Ironically, the red to Maxie's blue. Maxie is a nerdy emotionally-reserved smart guy, while Archie is friendly, out-going, and Hot-Blooded.
• The Rival: To Maxie. They both believe that they can excel as individuals by having someone testing them, which isn't something that other people can deny.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Gives the impression of being the Manly Man to Maxie's Sensitive Guy. The remakes play this up further with Archie redesigned as a buff pirate while Maxie looks like a slim scientist.

• Signature Mon: Sharpedo. In the original games, it's his strongest Pokémon. In the remakes, it can Mega Evolve. In Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon and Masters, that honor belongs to Kyogre.
• Strange Minds Think Alike: Archie shares N's ideas of a better world for Pokémon, despite his own actions.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, he gains a nice tan.
• Talk Like a Pirate: In the remakes. He calls Team Magma scurvy knaves and refers to the player as a scamp.
• Theme Naming: Archie's name includes the root word "arch", a word based on the Greek arkh and which means, "chief, principal, foremost". It complements Maxie's name, which comes from the Latin maximus and which means "to the greatest degree". If you squint, Zinnia's name in the English localization of the remakes is similar to "zenith", which is literally the point of the heavens above an observer but is often used in metaphor to describe anything that has reached its greatest or highest point.
• Threatening Shark: His signature Pokemon Sharpedo is a shark, and brutal in battle with its high Attack and Speed.
• Transformation Trinket: In the remakes, he wears a golden chain pendant with an anchor that contains his Key Stone, used to Mega Evolve his Sharpedo.
• Uncatty Resemblance: He has an X on his face, just like his Signature Mon Sharpedo.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: He wants to expand the seas so that Water Pokémon have more places to live. And just to drive the point home that he is a nice (but stupid) guy, he has a Crobat.
• You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry!: His "mega-rage state" is apparently quite frightening. When enraged, his face becomes red and he even has what look like shark teeth.
• We Used to Be Friends: In the Gen III remakes, a grunt claims that Archie and Maxie used to be "on the same team".

Shelly (Izumi)

Shelly / Izumi (イズミ izumi)

Voiced by: (in Pokémon Generations) Takako Honda (Japanese), Cristina Valenzuela (English), (in Pokémon Masters) Dani Chambers (English), Michiko Neya (Japanese)

^{Ruby and Sapphire} 

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• Adaptation Dye-Job: Red-haired in the originals, black-haired in the remakes.
• Adaptational Skimpiness: While she still had a midriff-revealing outfit in the original, in the remakes, her outfit is more revealing.
• Ambidextrous Sprite: Somehow played straight for a 3D model. At various points in the game, her bangs are either covering her left or right eye.
• Ascended Extra: In the anime and Emerald, where she appears to be Archie's sole lieutenant, and also in the remakes.
• Badasses Wear Bandanas: Wears a bandana like the rest of Team Aqua, and she's Archie's co-dragon. Not in the remakes, though.
• Childhood Friends: Turns out she's this to Archie, as there's a photo in Archie's room of them together as kids with Jirachi.
• Co-Dragons: In the remakes, where she and Matt share the role of Number Two; just in different ways.
• Dark Action Girl: The female Aqua Admin.
• Demoted to Extra: In Ruby — she only appears once at Meteor Falls, and once more at the Seafloor Cavern.
• Distaff Counterpart: To Tabitha in Emerald (as The Dragon to their respective leaders), and more so in the remakes where they serve the same story roles (including the moment of a Heel Realization).
• The Dragon: To Archie in the original games. In the remakes, she's more Co-Dragons with Matt.
• Dual Boss: In Alpha Sapphire, her first battle is alongside a female Aqua Grunt.
• Even Evil Has Standards: In Alpha Sapphire, Shelly is horrified once she learns what will happen if Kyogre is awakened. This is what causes her to start working to get Archie and Team Aqua off the path they're on.
• Evil Genius: Shelly is the brains of Team Aqua in the remakes. And one of the scientists in the Aqua hideout says that she used to be a scientist who worked at Devon and contributed significantly to the team's research.
• Evil Redhead: In the original games, there is little to define her character beyond working for a team trying to flood the world, and she has red hair. She's less evil and black haired in the remakes.
• Excessive Evil Eyeshadow: Her most defined features in the remakes. The receptionist at the Weather Institute notes that Shelly wears too much of it.
• Fiery Redhead: Again, only in the original games.
• Girls Love Stuffed Animals: A Grunt in the secret demo mission mentions finding a Pokédoll in her room. They then Squee over the implications that she may have a hidden softer side.
• Hartman Hips: More noticeable than Courtney. They’re pretty wide.
• Heel–Face Turn: Along with her boss (and in the remakes, her Heel Realization precedes Archie's).
• Ma'am Shock: In Omega Ruby, when Wally cuts past her and the other Aqua leaders and addresses her this way while apologizing, she gets upset, declaring that she's clearly a "miss", not a "ma'am".
• Meaningful Name: Her Japanese name means "spring/fountain". As for "Shelly"... sea shells, anyone?
• Ms. Fanservice: Her original design has long red hair and walks around wearing a low-cut midriff-baring top and a sleeveless jacket that bares her shoulders. Her redesign, though completely different, fits this just as well, being just as if not more revealing.
• Only Sane Woman: In Alpha Sapphire, at least compared to Archie and Matt. She's the only one to figure out the problem with awakening Kyogre before it happens (not that Archie listens).
• Recurring Boss: In all the games, and quite consistently at that.
  • In Sapphire and Emerald both, she is fought twice in the same circumstances — first at the Weather Institute, and later at Seafloor Cavern.
  • In Alpha Sapphire, she's battled thrice — the first is at Meteor Falls alongside a Grunt; the second is now the Mt. Chimney battle (replacing Matt's role there); the last is the battle at the Weather Institute.
• Stylish Protection Gear: Her swimsuit verges into the impractical category, except for the goggles. Those look perfectly functional, even if she never makes use of them. And she's the only member of team aqua to carry eye protection despite operating in salt water.
• The Tease: A lot of her demeanor and dialogue is quite flirtatious.
• Tsundere: After Kyogre is calmed, Shelly tells Archie that he doesn't have any grounds to ask for forgiveness, calls him a dolt, and tells him she'll stand by his side regardless.
  • She acts this way toward the player too, calling them "cute" even when yelling at them.
• Theme Naming: Has a sea-based name like the other members of Team Aqua.
• Vapor Wear: What the cut-outs on her pants suggest. Makes a bit of sense since her outfit is based on a wetsuit.

Matt (Ushio)

Matt / Ushio (ウシオ ushio)

Voiced by:(in Pokémon Generations) Tetsu Inada (Japanese), Richard Epcar (English), (in Pokémon Masters) Mike Smith (English), Tsuyoshi Koyama (Japanese)

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• Adaptational Curves: He was a lot more generic and less buff in the originals.
• Ambiguously Gay:
  • His dialogue with Tabitha in the demo has shades of this.
  (To Tabitha): Oho! Good idea, bro! That's my funny little man! You, me, and our Pokémon are gonna have a real good time later!
  • In Alpha Sapphire itself, "I love interesting, strong dudes! That's why I love my bro, Archie!" You love strong dudes, huh, Matt? Not That There's Anything Wrong with That.
• Ascended Extra: More important (and characterized) in the Pokémon Adventures manga. Like with Courtney, also true for the post-game of the remakes.
• Blood Knight: In the remakes, he makes no secret of his love for a good fight, without caring much about whether he wins or loses.
  Matt: I can feel it! I can feel it, all right! The strength coming offa you two! More! I still want more! But looks like we're outta time... Let's tussle again someday!
• The Brute: In Sapphire and especially Emerald, he's little more than a battle-hungry thug who is loyal to his leader's cause (willingly providing a distraction for Archie's escape). The remakes downplay this, as while he's not as intelligent as the other three admins (not being a scientist) and his love for battle is taken to Blood Knight levels, he displays greater depths of loyalty and charisma than his original version ever did and thus gets a more nuanced depiction.
• Co-Dragons: In the remakes, where he and Shelly share the role of Number Two; just in different ways.
• Demoted to Extra: In Ruby especially, where he only appears with his leader twice — at Meteor Falls, and at the Seafloor Cavern. He only appears once in Emerald — at the Aqua Headquarters — but is more significant in that he battles you, providing a distraction while his boss escapes.
• Dragon Their Feet: In the Alpha Sapphire Delta Episode, after Team Aqua's Heel–Face Turn.
• Dual Boss: In Alpha Sapphire, the first and last battles against him both see him fight alongside a female Aqua Grunt.
• Easily Forgiven: After attempting to destroy the world in the Delta Episode of Alpha Sapphire.
• Enemy Mine: In the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire demo, he teams up with Tabitha from Team Magma to take out the player and Steven teams up with you to even the odds.
• Evil Laugh: As a substitute for Team Magma's Tabitha, he does a lot of chuckling and giggling. In the remakes, his laugh is rendered as "Hoohahaha!"
• Friendly Enemy: In the Alpha Sapphire remake, he's downright Affably Evil.
• Heel–Face Turn: Although in the remakes, it takes him and the remaining Aqua Grunts until the post-game to get there.
• The Hyena: Chuckles so much that in Sapphire, Emerald, and the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire demo, every line he has begins with a laugh.
• I Owe You My Life: Matt is very loyal to Archie because the latter saved the former's life at an earlier point.
• Karma Houdini: He tries to destroy the world in the Delta Episode of Alpha Sapphire, but receives no punishment for this.
• Kingpin in His Gym: Implied in Alpha Sapphire. When you infiltrate the Team Aqua Hideout, a punching bag and cassette player can be found within his room.
• Manly Tears: At the end of Delta Episode, he breaks down crying while apologizing to Archie for going rogue and trying to destroy the world. He breaks down even more when Archie apologizes to him for failing to recognize his loyalty and live up to it.
• Meaningful Name: His Japanese name means "tide". Matt could possibly come from the "mast" of a ship.
• Morality Pet: His most villainous point, the Delta Episode, shows us his Mega Sharpedo, showing through the (in-universe) necessary bond to achieve such a Mega Evolution that he's still not a wholly bad guy.
• Omnicidal Maniac: After Archie's defeat, he tries to sabotage the attempt to use the rocket to destroy the meteor so that not only will it unleash a wave of devastation even greater than the one AZ's Ultimate Weapon unleashed, but the meteor will stay on course and finish off what's left of the world. He outright states that he's doing it to avenge Archie suffering a breakdown due to said defeat.
• Recurring Boss: He gets a few matches throughout the games.
  • In Sapphire, he's battled twice — first at Mt. Chimney, and again at the Aqua Hideout. He only gets one fight in Emerald, though — the Aqua Hideout battle.
  • In Alpha Sapphire, he's battled five times — the first three during the main plot, and the final two in the Delta Episode post-game; none of these battles appeared in the original Sapphire (although the Mossdeep Space Station one is based off an Emerald subplot... that featured Team Magma).
• Satellite Character: He's just there to provide a battle (in Sapphire and Emerald). Subverted in the remakes.
• Scary Black Man: His design in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire sure evokes this... despite the fact that his homeland is based on southwestern Japan.
• Signature Mon: Sharpedo.
• Spear Counterpart: To Courtney, being an antagonist in Alpha Sapphire's version of the Delta Episode.
• Tattooed Crook: He has a tattoo in the shape of Team Aqua's logo on his chest in the remakes. It could just be an oddly-shaped tan line though.
• Theme Naming: His name has a naval theme like the rest of Team Aqua.
• Villainous Breakdown: His actions in the Delta Episode, it gets worse until you beat him and he manages to calm down.
• Walking Shirtless Scene: In the original games, all he wore on top was a vest. In the remakes, he goes completely bare-chested.
• Yandere: Towards Archie. When his defeat leaves him a broken man, he's so furious that he takes what's left of the team and tries to destroy the world and restart it.