Petrel

Petrel ラムダ Lambda
File:HeartGold SoulSilver Lambda.png Art from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Purple
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Johto
Trainer class	Rocket Executive
Generation	II, IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver
Member of	Team Rocket
Rank	Executive

Petrel (Japanese: ラムダ Lambda) is one of the four Team Rocket Executives introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. However, his true identity wasn't revealed until Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

In the games

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Petrel is apparently Team Rocket's master of disguise. He is first seen dressing as Giovanni and then battled in the Team Rocket HQ. In Goldenrod Radio Tower he appears again, using his disguise skills again, this time dressed as Radio Tower Director.

Petrel's motives on Team Rocket are more mild-mannered, as he freely gives out information such as passwords and the location of the Director. He even considers himself a "nice guy" and hands over the key. In fact, it is his giving out of this information that leads to many of Team Rocket's defeats, despite his opinion that the player can't use the information anyways.

Petrel's position has existed since Pokémon Gold and Silver. However, his existence was easy to miss because all Rocket Executives used the same sprite (now adopted as Archer's canonical design), making it seem to some like there was only one Executive. The Rocket Executive that Petrel is based on was then given a canonical design and an official name in HeartGold and SoulSilver, along with the other three Executives, to distinguish them as individuals. Proton's case is the same.

Pokémon

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

First battle

File:GSC Rocket ExecutiveM.png Rocket Executive Rocket Hideout Gold, Silver, and Crystal Rocket and Professor Executive Oak Rocket Hideout Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $1584

Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Zubat♂ Lv.22 Leech Life Bug   --       Bite Dark   --       Supersonic Normal   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.22 Smog Poison   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --       Types: Normal Unknown Held item: None Raticate♂ Lv.24 Hyper Fang Normal   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Scary Face Normal   --       Tail Whip Normal   --

Second battle

File:GSC Rocket ExecutiveM.png Rocket Executive Goldenrod Radio Tower Gold, Silver, and Crystal Rocket and Professor Executive Oak Goldenrod Radio Tower Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $2160

Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Selfdestruct Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Weezing♂ Lv.32 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Explosion Normal   --       Types: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 SmokeScreen Normal   --       Tackle Normal   --       Sludge Poison   --       Smog Poison   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First battle

File:LambdaHGSS.png Executive Petrel Team Rocket HQ HeartGold and SoulSilver Executive and Professor Petrel Oak Team Rocket HQ HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $880

Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: None Zubat♂ Lv.22 Astonish Ghost Physical   --       Bite Dark Physical   --       Wing Attack Flying Physical   --       Confuse Ray Ghost Status   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.22 Smog Poison Special   --       SmokeScreen Normal Status   --       Assurance Dark Physical   --       Selfdestruct Normal Physical   --       Types: Normal Unknown Ability: Unknown Held item: None Raticate♂ Lv.24 Hyper Fang Normal Physical   --       Sucker Punch Dark Physical   --       Scary Face Normal Status   --       Crunch Dark Physical   --

Second battle

File:LambdaHGSS.png Executive Petrel Goldenrod Radio Tower HeartGold and SoulSilver Executive and Professor Petrel Oak Goldenrod Radio Tower HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $1200

Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 Selfdestruct Normal Physical   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 Sludge Poison Special   --       SmokeScreen Normal Status   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 Sludge Poison Special   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 Sludge Poison Special   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Weezing♂ Lv.32 Tackle Normal Physical   --       Sludge Poison Special   --       SmokeScreen Normal Status   --       Explosion Normal Physical   --       Types: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.30 Tackle Normal Physical   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --       Unknown Unknown   --

Quotes

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Team Rocket HQ

• Disguised as Giovanni

"Muhahaha, we've been waiting for you. So, you are <player>... Me? You don't know who I am? It is me, Giovanni. The majestic Giovanni himself! Wahahaha! ...Huh? I don't sound anything like Giovanni? I don't even look like Giovanni? How come? I've worked so hard to mimic him!"

• Before battle

"I am a Team Rocket Executive! You must be trying to sneak into the radio-transmitter room. Well, that's not going to happen. That room is protected with a special password. The password is "Hail Giovanni". Surprised to hear it from me? Knowing the password won't help you though. The door won't open unless I say the password. It only reacts to my voice."

• After sending out last Pokémon

"Hey, you're good!"

• During battle

"Wow, strong!"

• When defeated

"I... I couldn't do a thing... Giovanni, please forgive me..."

• After being defeated

"Since disbanding Team Rocket three years ago, our Giovanni has been missing. But we're certain he's been waiting for the right time for our revival... Wahahaha! Losing to you won't change the fact that you are unable to get in the radio-transmitter room! You need my voice to unlock it!"

Radio Tower

• Disguised as the Director

"Ahem, do you hear me? ...I am the Director. We have decided to broadcast wonderful shows to praise Team Rocket! Everyone, I don't want to hear you complain. Just do a good job to... Yikes! I am busy impersonating the... Who are you? ...Oh no, it's you again, <player>?"

• Before battle

"No, no, no! I was pretending to be the Director to influence the entire region to support Team Rocket! This time I won't hold back! Give me all you've got!"

• After sending out last Pokémon

"What? Am I losing?"

• During battle

"Hey, wait, are you serious?!"

• When defeated

"OK, OK. I'll tell you where he is."

• After being defeated

"Listen carefully. We stashed the real Director in the underground warehouse. It's at the far end of the Goldenrod Tunnel. I am a nice guy. I will give you the Basement Key to get to the underground warehouse. Take it with gratitude!"

"Hahaha... I doubt a child like you'll get that far."

Sprites

File:LambdaHGSS.png
Petrel's sprite from Generation IV	Petrel's VS sprite from Generation IV

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

File:Petrel HGSS Special.png

Petrel in the manga

Petrel appears in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc alongside the other three executives. They appear at the end of the first round to take over control of Team Rocket from Carr, saying that they will stay true to Giovanni's intentions.

He later attacks Silver and Eusine in the Johto Safari Zone to recover the plate the former acquired, using his Koffing's horrible stench to gain the advantage.

Pokémon

Koffing (multiple)

Raticate (multiple)

Trivia

• In Generation II, all the Rocket Executives (male and female) went unnamed. In the case of the male Executives, they all shared the same sprite, which eventually led to some confusion among the fans when Proton and Petrel were revealed. It was believed by many that they were introduced in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. However, closer research proved that the Executive role Petrel is filling has existed since Gold and Silver, having same role and Pokémon as his Generation IV counterpart. The only addition to his role is his masquerading as Giovanni, which no other character did in the original versions. Although Proton and Petrel's designs, names, and personalities weren't fleshed-out until Generation IV, they have both technically existed since Generation II.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ラムダ Lambda	From Lambda, a type of Japanese rocket.
English, Spanish	Petrel	From Petrel, a type of British rocket.
French, German	Lambda	The same as Japanese.
Italian	Maxus	From Maxus, a sounding rocket.
Korean	람다 Lambda	Same as Japanese name.