Maxie

Maxie as seen in Pokémon: Ruby and Sapphire Versions
Maxie
Species	Human
Affiliation	Team Magma
Hair color	Red
Voiced by	Jarred Kjack (2021)
Debut	Pokémon: Ruby/Sapphire Versions

Maxie is the leader of Team Magma who was featured in the third generation Pokémon games. He acted as the main antagonist in Pokémon: Ruby Version and its remake Omega Ruby, and he shared the role of antagonist with Archie of Team Aqua in Pokémon: Emerald Version. In Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, he appeared as a helpful side character.

Background

Maxie's basic motives revolved around a desire to expand land masses. He felt that doing so would make the world better by giving mankind more space to advance (and to explore, develop and exploit, as he puts it in Omega Ruby) and making room for new evolutions of Pokémon.

In all versions of the third generation games, Maxie led a group called Team Magma in pursuit of those goals. In all versions save for Sapphire/Alpha Sapphire, he sought out the legendary Ground-type Pokémon Groudon to achieve that end.

Ruby/Omega Ruby

Maxie engineered a variety of schemes revolving around awakening Groudon from its resting place in the Seafloor Cavern. After his men failed to steal the Devon Goods from the Slateport Museum, Maxie stepped in himself and left Brendan/May, the young trainer whom had defeated his men, off with a warning. Afterwards his next plan involved manipulating Professor Cozmo and then stealing a Meteorite from Meteor Falls.

That meteorite was used to power a machine at the volcanic Mt. Chimney, which would cause the volcano to violently erupt and ultimately result in increasing the landmass. Archie and Team Aqua were opposed to this and attempted to battle him to prevent this, although it was ultimately Brendan/May who challenged and defeated Maxie. Maxie decided to give up on this plan and retreated, but he assured his opponent that Team Magma would win in the end. Afterwards, he put the final steps of his plan to resurrect Groudon into motion; by stealing the Blue Orb from Mt. Pyre and then hijacking Captain Stern's new Explorer 1 submarine from Slateport City.

Using the Explorer 1, Maxie entered the Seafloor Cavern where Groudon slept. He arrived at Groudon's resting place just after Brendan/May and then battled them once again, believing that they would have to "disappear" so that he could make his dream come true. He was defeated again, but the Blue Orb acted automatically in awakening Groudon, which then fled. Maxie found to his dismay that Groudon's power was out of his control even with the Blue Orb in his possession, and that Groudon's power was more harmful to the world than he had intended. Seeing the error of his ways, Maxie later returned the orb to Mt. Pyre.

In Omega Ruby, his role was expanded and altered in some places. His goal was not just to awaken Groudon, but to enhance its power through the process known as Primal Reversion, and this plan was known as Project AZOTH. He also learned most of what he knew about awakening Groudon from Zinnia, who posed as one of his grunts. His actions at Mt. Chimney were changed into being an attempt to change the stolen meteorite into a Mega Stone, but he gave the meteorite to Brendan/May after hearing word of the Red Orb. On that note, he also successfully stole the Red Orb instead of the Blue Orb, which turned out to be the key to achieving Primal Reversion. Maxie also played more of a role in helping to prepare Brendan/May to fight Primal Groudon and approved of Tabatha giving them the Magma Suit for that purpose. After the incident was resolved, Archie reached out to Maxie about working together to try to make a better world. Maxie felt unsure about the offer, because he felt that he did not deserve atonement or the chance to start over after the wrongs he had committed. However, Tabitha assured him that it was his duty to atone and try to set things right, and he volunteered to act as his counsel in his journey. Regardless, Maxie went on to advise Brendan/May about using the Blue Orb to help control Groudon.

He also appeared during the Delta Episode, where Zinnia had managed to steal his Key Stone, and so he had Tabatha give Brendan/May a Mega Stone (Cameruptite) to help the trainer in trying to stop her. In the aftermath of the Delta Episode's events, he forgave Courtney for her actions at the Mossdeep Space Center and apologized for his own role in his actions. He saw the importance of paving a new path for Team Magma and so decided to rededicate the team towards finding a way to create rather than destroy.

Maxie also appeared at the Battle Maison, as a potential partner for Multi Battles.

Sapphire/Alpha Sapphire

It is unknown if Maxie still sought to awaken Groudon in this game, but if so he did not actively pursue this goal. Instead, he focused on using Team Magma to foil Team Aqua's plans to awaken Kyogre. He first showed up at Meteor Falls, bringing in Team Magma to prevent Team Aqua from stealing the Meteorite, but failing to do so. However, they were able to track Team Aqua to Mt. Chimney and battled them there in an attempt to prevent Team Aqua from draining Mt. Chimney with their weapon. Although Maxie was distracted by a group of grunts, Brendan/May arrived in time to defeat Archie for him. Maxie showed up later on, after Archie had awakened Kyogre, to scold him for attempting to control its power.

In Alpha Sapphire, his characterization and goals were altered to be closer to his villainous counterpart. He simply focused on trying to stop Team Aqua instead of advancing Team Magma's own goals. After Primal Kyogre was awakened and got out of Archie's control, Maxie brought Archie and Team Aqua back to Sootopolis City to try to help figure out a solution. He also apologized to Brendan/May for letting them down as an adult, and he mobilized his team's members to help people and Pokémon during the disaster. In the aftermath of Groudon's defeat, Archie reached out to Maxie and suggested that they work together to make a world where everyone could coexist together, one that they could pass on proudly to the next generation.

Afterwards, Maxie traveled to the Battle Resort. There, he ran into Brendan/May again. Thinking back on recent events, he mused about the possibility that, in another world, it could have been he and Groudon who Brendan/May had to stop, though he quickly dismissed the idea as a fantasy. Maxie had Courtney pass a Mega Stone (Cameruptite) onto the trainer as a gift and then moved along.

Emerald Version

In this version, Maxie's plans were somewhat different due to Groudon instead being entrapped within Mt. Chimney They formed their own base within Mt. Chimney, do that Maxie could personally watch over the sleeping Groudon and attempt to awaken him. Maxie first had Team Magma steal the Meteorite from Meteor Falls and used it in a special device which amplified its power, which would in turn intensify the volcano's activity. However, Brendan/May engaged him in battle (at Archie's urging) and defeated him. Maxie conceded to this defeat and decided to pull back for the time being.

He instead sought the Blue Orb next. After stealing it from Mt. Pyre, Maxie brought it to Mt. Chimney and used it to rouse Groudon from its slumber, only for Groudon to retreat. Maxie was confused by this and seeing Brendan/May nearby, thought they were somehow responsible and battled them again. After being defeated again, Maxie retreated. With Groudon not heeding to his demands and having no more use for Mt. Chimney, Maxie led several Team Magma members in a raid on the Mossdeep Space Center to steal rocket fuel for use in igniting the volcano. However, this time Brendan/May and Steven Stone were able to defeat Maxie and Tabitha in a double battle. After being defeated, Maxie began to think that he was misguided in his notions of attempting to expand the land mass, and that Team Aqua was equally misguided in their own quest, so he left to think this new epiphany over.

Immediately after Archie awakened Kyogre with similar results, Maxie showed up with several Team Magma grunts to confront him at the Seafloor Cavern. He scolds Archie heavily for his mistakes, while admitting that he himself was guilty of a similar mistake. However, Maxie said that Groudon and Kyogre were his and Archie's responsibility, but also noted that the balance of nature had shifter and that there was little they could do. They both wound up in Sootopolis, where they observed the battle between Groudon and Kyogre in futility, and Maxie attempted to call out to Groudon asking for forgiveness. After Rayquaza broke up the fight, they noted how easily it had ended the fight and both left to return their orbs to Mt. Pyre.

Ultra Sun/Utlra Moon

During the post-game Episode RR storyline in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Giovanni used the technology of the Aether Institute to pull over villains from other dimensions so that they could serve him as part of Team Rainbow Rocket. He specifically pulled them from worlds in which they were successful in their goals. This included a version of Maxie who had summoned Groudon and without any signs of remorse. While he intended to return to his own world eventually, he found that he enjoyed the experience of this world (aside from finding Faba to be annoying) and intended to unleash Groudon upon this world first.

He and Archie were the first bosses to be faced within the castle. He was defeated by Elio/Selene and wondered what made them adept enough to beat him. Maxie then left them with a clue about how to progress through the castle. Later on, Maxie ran into Archie and argued with him. Each of them remembered defeating the other in his own world, and they decided to have a battle to decided who would take over the Alola Islands. But before this battle could commence, they both vanished as Colress had them sent back to their original worlds.

Pokémon Roster

Maxie uses the following Pokémon in Ruby, Omega Ruby and Emerald:

• Mightyena
• Zubat/Golbat/Crobat - Maxie uses a Zubat in the Emerald Mt. Chimney battle, or a Golbat in the Ruby and Omega Ruby Mt. Chimney battle; it is a Crobat in all later battles in both games.
• Camerupt - Maxie Mega Evolves his Camerupt during the second battle in Omega Ruby.
• Weezing - In Omega Ruby, Maxie adds a Weezing to his team for the second battle.

As a Multi Battle partner at the Battle Maison in Omega Ruby, he uses Camerupt (with Mega Evolution) and Crobat. For Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, Maxie uses the same roster as the second Omega Ruby battle, except that he also has Groudon on his team, and his Camerupt does not Mega Evolve.

In Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire, Maxie does not partake in battle, but he is seen accompanied by a lone Poochyena when confronting Team Aqua grunts at Mt. Chimney.

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Masters EX, Maxie (the Omega version) and Groudon were made available as a playable sync pair that could be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature during limited time periods, starting at the end of May 2021. Maxie was also shown using his Mightyena and Torkoal. Maxie and Groudon were featured as an opponent in special events, and Maxie was also featured in the "Masters of Land and Sea" Story Event. In that event, Brendan and May were trying to warn Maxie to behave himself on Pasio. After learning that Archie was planning to destroy Pasio with Kyogre, Maxie convinced them to let him go after Groudon so that he could stop him. He still planned on using Groudon to fulfill his ambitions at the same time. However, Groudon and Kyogre got caught up in battling each other. Ultimately, Maxie and Archie worked together with the other trainers to stop the two Legendary Pokémon. Maxie hypothesized that the Legendary Pokémon were influenced by them and followed them to Pasio, and he accepted Groudon as his sync partner. Afterwards, Maxie and Archie's followers arrived, and they decided to declare a temporary truce for the time being.

Both Maxie and Archie were later featured in the Villain Arc chapter "Hoenn: Deltas of Land, Sea and Sky". It was shown that Maxie had chosen to focus on continuing research of Groudon instead of trying to take on Team Aqua, although Courtney seems to think that what he truly wanted was Team Aqua's defeat. Soon after that, a dramatic increase in energy near Pasio caused both Groudon and Kyogre to go into a rage and battle each other against Maxie and Archie's orders. Zinnia's Rayquaza was able to break up the battle, but the Legendary Pokémon proceeded to wander off on their own. Maxie and Archie both deployed search teams to find them. While they awaited information, Looker questioned Maxie about the rumors that he and Archie used to be on the same team, and he wondered why the two of them could not work together. Maxie explained that the two of them had a mutual understanding that there is 'justice' in fighting an old friend in pursuit of one's ideologies. The Legendary Pokémon were soon found, but it turned out that Courney and Matt had been tricked into forming bonds with them which caused the Pokémon's rampage to amplify the two trainers' negative feelings. Maxie and Archie ultimately decided to work together, and they talked down their respective followers, with Maxie warning Courtney that paperwork was the minimum punishment for disobeying his orders. They ultimately succeeded in reaching out to them enough to contain the damage they caused until the rampage was ended through Zinnia and Steven Stone taking care of what caused the rampage: an incoming meteor and a device planted by Team Rocket that amplified the natural energy. Maxie also helped to coordinate the meteor's destruction by providing Zinnia with a suit that she could use to go after the meteor. In the aftermath of that incident, Maxie and Archie officially formed a truce to work together and with Pasio's trainers to go after the true masterminds of the incident.

During the Galar chapter, Maxie sided with Rose in his attempt to take control of Pasio, because he believed that he was seeking the betterment of humanity. So Maxie and his Team Magma followers took part in the tournament that was held to decide the fate of the island, and Maxie himself ended up fighting alongside Rose and Colress in the final battle of the tournament, against Lear, Leon and Victor. Maxie later met with Archie in "Paulo Interlude: The Last Evil", in which they met to discuss the growing threat posed by Team Break under Paulo's command, and they came to see Paulo as being misguided as they used to be. During the Final Chapter of the Villain Arc, Maxie and Archie showed up to help fight off a group of Team Rocket members led by Petrel and Proton.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Maxie appeared in the two episodes of the Pokémon anime's Hoenn season centered around the revivals of Groudon and Kyogre with a similar goal as in the games, although his role is considerably minor as he is never even shown using any Pokémon. He eventually saw the error of his ways by the end of the latter episode.
• Maxie appeared in the Ruby/Sapphire arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga, where he led Team Magma like a gang of barbarians. His team steals the Scanner and both orbs, although Team Aqua is able to steal the Blue Orb from them. They also stole the submarine, both as Team Aqua had the fuel, Maxie forced a meeting with Archie which led to them forming an alliance to reach the Seafloor Cavern together. After awakening Groudon and Kyogre, they are both possessed by the orbs and become insane even after being separated from them. Even after Groudon and Kyogre are driven away, they remain deranged and reclaim the orbs, then brutally attack Wallace and Winona, as part of their new mission to destroy all potential threats until only the two of them would remain. However Ruby and Sapphire are able to defeat them and entrap them within Wallace's aircar, and Ruby's Celebi takes the orbs from them. In a chapter of the Emerald arc it is shown that Sird freed them from this and offered an armor that could save them from the potentially fatal after-effects of the orb's possession, but Archie won the armor in the ensuing battle with Maxie implied to have been killed in the process. Maxie and Archie later returned for the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire arc, where they regained control of their teams and worked to revive Groudon and Kyogre in their primal forms. It ultimately turned out that they had been brought back to life by a mysterious force for the sake of stopping Grand Meteor Delta and briefly merged together beforehand, which also explained their altered appearances. Following its destruction, their bodies disappeared, and they entrusted their subordinates with the world's protection.

Trivia

• His Japanese name is Matsubusa, in reference to the Japanese name for the schisandra nigra plant and the word 'magma'. His English name may have been chosen to sound similar to that, and possibly because of the word 'maximum'.
• Maxie was redesigned for Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire by giving him a more intellectual appearance, including a pair of glasses. In Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, his design was instead based on his appearance from the original versions of the third generation games.
• In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, his Key Stone is somehow contained within his glasses, which are known as Mega Glasses.