Team Flare

Team Flare is the villainous team of the Kalos region, making their debut in the video games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Their goals involve making money and aiming for a more "beautiful world" by using the Ultimate weapon to Wipe Out All Life

Info
The mission objective for Team Flare varies between the two games, but it appears that both goals involve making money by doing things such as selling Pokémon and fossils to the black market. They tend to use Fire-type Pokémon, like Houndour, in battle, and their team is represented by flame.

In the games
Team Flare appears in X and Y. Their goal is to produce money, while also aiming for a "beautiful and better" world. They are first encountered in Glittering Cave where they attempt to steal the fossils of the researcher who resides there. They are stopped by the player. Once defeated they are in next scene in Route 10, examining the mysterious rock formation. The player is spotted by one grunt who wants revenge for ruining their plans in Glittering Cave. Once defeated they are next spotted in Geosenge Town, Where they are examining the rock formations there. In Route 13, they are found ciphering electricity from the power plant and blocking the entrance to Lumiose City as well as causing a black-out across the city, preventing the player from accessing the fifth gym. They are eventually stopped once more by the player. They do not appear again till the player has received their seventh badge from the Anistar City gym where Team Flare's leader Lysandre sends out a live broadcast to all trainers via the holo caster, telling them that Team Flare plans on wiping out all life on the earth by using the "ultimate weapon". A machine built by the king of Kalos, 3,000 years ago that exterminated all life in Kalos for a many years and using the legendary Pokémon of Kalos to activate it by going to Lysandre Labs in Lumiose City, where the player watches as the weapon emerges from the ground of Geosenge Town. Lysandre is eventually forced to cease operation once the player defeats him and is chosen by the legendary Pokemon to save Kalos. Lysandre using what remains of the legendary Pokemons Power in the machine to destroy it and crush himself as well. Once Lysandre is given eternal life but has to spend the rest of eternity under rubble (in X) or crushed to death (in Y), Team Flare disbands.

In the anime
Lysandre debuted in the anime in Mega Evolution Special I. He was seen monitoring Alain's Charizard's energy levels during its Mega Evolution from his laboratory, and was apparently pleased with the result. He reappeared in Mega Evolution Special II, when he visited the ruins Steven Stone was investigating, leading to Mega Rayquaza attacking. In Mega Evolution Special III, thanks to the efforts of Alain, Steven, and their Pokémon, Lysandre was able to secure a giant Key Stone for his research.

Malva debuted in-person in Mega Evolution Special IV, battling Alain and Charizard with her Mega Houndoom. The battle eventually ended in Alain's victory. Team Flare, as a collective entity, debuted in From A to Z!, with the Team Flare Grunts and the five Scientists all making appearances.

They reappeared in Meeting at Terminus Cave!.

In A Meeting of Two Journeys!, Xerosic and two Team Flare Admins conducted a test of a prototype weapon powered using Zygarde and the Mega Evolution energy.

They infiltrated Prism Tower in Kalos League Passion with a Certain Flare!, and executed their scheme after the conclusion of the Lumiose Conference in XY131, using Zygarde to slowly destroy the Kalos Region, starting with Lumiose City. Starting from XY132, Ash and his friends try to stop Team Flare, with Ash himself getting captured so that Lysandre could closely observe the Bond Phenomenon between Ash and Greninja. During the next episode, Ash broke free, and Alain, shocked by the results of his actions, defected from the team, with the duo facing Lysandre. Meanwhile, Xerosic successfully captured Squishy, while Clemont and Clembot were able to infiltrate the Lumiose Gym, capturing Aliana and Bryony in the process. During the events of XY135, Lysandre was defeated by Ash, Malva, and Alain and seemingly committed suicide, while Celosia and Mable were defeated and imprisoned by Team Rocket. Lysandre Labs was then destroyed when the Megalith transformed into a giant copy of Zygarde. During XY136, Lysandre was revealed to have survived and used the Megalith Zygarde to battle Ash, Alain, Malva, Steven, Professor Sycamore, Diantha, and all of Kalos' Gym Leaders. Eventually, the Megalith Zygarde was destroyed when Squishy and Z2 transformed into a complete Zygarde and attacked it with Core Enforcer. Lysandre was engulfed by the attack and seemingly died as well. Afterwards, Malva promised to hunt down the other Team Flare members and afterwards turn herself in as well.

Unlike the games, where Team Flare hunts down Xerneas or Yveltal, Zygarde is their main target in the anime. Instead of stealing Poké Balls or electricity to further their plans, they utilize energy collected from Pokémon undergoing Mega Evolution.

In the manga
Team Flare appear as the main antagonists of the X & Y chapter. The four Scientists first appear seeking to steal X's Mega Ring with various schemes, but are thwarted several times. Lysandre also made an appearance with Professor Sycamore, acquiring a video file of Xerneas and Yveltal for his research.

Members

 * Lysandre (Leader)
 * Team Flare Admins
 * Countless Team Flare Grunts
 * Evil Malamar (possible ally)

Scientists

 * Xerosic
 * Mable
 * Celosia
 * Bryony
 * Aliana

Former Members

 * Malva

Trivia

 * The Flare scientists share their initials in both the spanish and english versions: Amapola, Begonia, Caléndula, Melia and Xero. The first three have an ABC pattern.
 * The female grunts have a near-similar hairstyle to Gauche from Tales of Vesperia.
 * In Pokemon X they want to keep the world beautiful by establishing a fascist regime that forces everyone to uphold their views. They have the vision of making the world "beautiful and young" in a way quite reminiscent of the Nazis. In Pokemon Y Lysandre wants to bring back the world to its former natural state by destroying everything not part of Team Flare.
 * Even though they're called Team "Flare", the grunts and scientists tend to use Fighting, Electric, Poison, or Dark Pokemon. Also, their only Fire-type would be Houndour & its evolution Houndoom, while some of its elite members owns Pyroar.
 * Many of Team Flare's targets share notable similarities with Team Rocket's targets: a cave where a regional Fossil can be obtained (Glittering Cave and Mt. Moon), a Poké Ball-producing facility where the Master Ball can be obtained (Poké Ball Factory and Silph Co.), a Pokémon burial ground (Route 10 and Pokémon Tower), the regional Power Plant (Kalos Power Plant and Kanto Power Plant), and a location where experiments involving in agitating a certain Pokémon are conducted (Frost Cavern and Lake of Rage).
 * Team Flare goal is similar to the Elite Four's in Pokemon Adventures. Both desire a perfect and plan on using a Legendary Pokemon to eliminate almost every human on the planet.