A lot of details still remain scarce on Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the first truly open-world entry in the long-running Pokémon franchise. However, it's known that the game will take place in the distant past of the Sinnoh region, potentially meaning landmarks and plot points from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl could also appear. So, what does all of this mean for the Sinnoh region's evil organization, Team Galactic?
Mainline Pokémon games (and some spin-offs) typically feature an evil organization that players must regularly contend with. From the originals' Team Rocket to the latest Team Yell in Sword and Shield, these groups have varying degrees of dubious motivations. Team Galactic is arguably the most evil team in the Pokémon franchise. They don't want to just destroy the world - they want to alter the entire universe and remake it in their own image.
Team Galactic's leader is Cyrus, a man who essentially wants to destroy the space-time continuum for his own universe-reshaping purposes. With Pokémon Legends: Arceus already changing how Sinnoh looks and works, it's possible Team Galactic will appear. However, this seems pretty unlikely since Team Galactic is in the present and Legends: Arceus is far back in Sinnoh's past. It may come down to just how much Pokémon lore gets retconned or changed when the new game arrives.
How Pokémon Legends: Arceus Could Include Team Galactic
The Pokémon games have never been afraid to get weird (and even sometimes convoluted). Sun and Moon featured wormholes and other dimensions, and Diamond and Pearl brought up time-travel. Because of this, it's certainly possible time-traveling members of Team Galactic will appear. This is especially plausible when considering the team's motivations (and Cyrus' control over Dialga, depending on which version of the Sinnoh games people played).
Because Pokémon Legends: Arceus is releasing so soon after the Diamond and Pearl remakes, it's possible the two games are connected by more than just region. Perhaps their stories will intertwine in some interesting ways. And even if time-traveling evil organizations are off the table, players may meet up with Cyrus' ancestors or some precursor to Team Galactic.
For now, there's no official confirmation that any evil group will appear in the game. However, since most Pokémon games have some antagonistic team for players to fight against, it's likely Pokémon Legends: Arceus will include one too. The biggest question, for now, is whether or not this will be some iteration of Team Galactic - or if it will be some new group entirely.