Proton

Proton ランス Lance
Artwork from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Gender	Male
Eye color	Green
Hair color	Green
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Johto
Trainer class	Rocket GruntGSC ExecutiveGSCHGSS
Generation	IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver
Member of	Team Rocket
Rank	Executive

Proton (Japanese: ランス Lance) 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, Proton is first seen and battled in the Slowpoke Well, where Team Rocket is trying to cut off Slowpoke tails to make a profit. Later, the player meets and battles him for the second time in Goldenrod Radio Tower.

Proton is labeled as the scariest and cruelest of Team Rocket, yet also remains one of the more popular Executives. A Grunt in the Radio Tower admits to how she admires him. Proton seems to be very easily aggravated.

In Generation II, the character of Proton is, in reality, two characters: an ordinary grunt originally taking his place in Slowpoke Well and a Rocket Executive encountered in the Goldenrod Radio Tower. These two are amalgamated into Proton for Generation IV, who shares both their single Pokémon.

Proton's position has existed since Pokémon Gold and Silver. However, his existence was easy to miss because all male Rocket Executives used the same sprite (now adopted as Archer's canonical design) and were not identified by name, making it seem to some like there was only one male Executive. The Rocket Executive (as well as the grunt) Proton 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. Petrel's case is the same.

Pokémon

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

First battle

Rocket Grunt Slowpoke Well Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $560
Type: Poison Unknown Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.14 Tackle Normal   --       Smog Poison   --       Poison Gas Poison   --       Struggle Normal   --

Second battle

Rocket Executive Goldenrod Radio Tower Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $2592
Types: Poison Flying Held item: None Golbat♂ Lv.36 Wing Attack Flying   --       Confuse Ray Ghost   --       Leech Life Bug   --       Bite Dark   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First battle

Executive Proton Slowpoke Well HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $480

Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: None Zubat♂ Lv.8 Leech Life Bug Physical   --       Supersonic Normal Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --       Type: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Koffing♂ Lv.12 Poison Gas Poison Status   --       Tackle Normal Physical   --       Smog Poison Special   --       SmokeScreen Normal Status   --

Second battle

Executive Proton Goldenrod Radio Tower HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $1320

Types: Poison Flying Ability: Inner Focus Held item: None Golbat♂ Lv.28 Wing Attack Flying Physical   --       Confuse Ray Ghost Status   --       Leech Life Bug Physical   --       Bite Dark Physical   --       Type: Poison Unknown Ability: Levitate Held item: None Weezing♂ Lv.33 Sludge Poison Special   --       Double Hit Normal Physical   --       SmokeScreen Normal Status   --       Smog Poison Special   --

Quotes

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

Slowpoke Well

• Before battle

"What do you want? If you interrupt our work, don't expect any mercy!"

• Being defeated

"You did OK today, but wait till next time!"

• After being defeated

"Yeah, Team Rocket was broken up three years ago. But we continued our activities underground. Now you can have fun watching us stir up trouble!"

Goldenrod Radio Tower

• Before battle

"Stop! I'm known as the Team Rocket fortress! You're not taking another step!"

• Being defeated

"The fortress came down!"

• If talked to after battle

"You've earned my respect, so here's some advice. It's not too late. You can still turn back."

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Slowpoke Well

• Before battle

"What do we have here? I am often labeled as the scariest and cruelest guy in Team Rocket… I strongly urge you not to interfere with our business!"

• After sending out last Pokémon

"It doesn't matter where we go, there's always someone that doesn't agree with us…"

• Last Pokémon low on health

"Are you serious? Did you come here thinking you could mess with our plans?"

• Being defeated

"Grr… For a kid to be this good… I didn't see it coming."

• After being defeated

"Humph… Team Rocket was indeed broken up three years ago. But we continued our activities underground. A small obstacle like you won't be much of a problem for our mission. I advise you to be very afraid of what is to come!"

Goldenrod Radio Tower

• Before battle

"Now, wait just one second! Aren't you the one who got in our way at the Slowpoke Well? I see… You're doing all this because you want to make me angry. Be careful! But since you seem to wish it, I'll show you the full extent of a Team Rocket Executive's wrath!"

• After sending out last Pokémon

"Seriously, you'd chase me this far?!"

• Last Pokémon low on health

"Ugh… What are you?!"

• Being defeated

"Phew…"

• After being defeated

"You may have won this time… But all you did was make Team Rocket's wrath grow…"

Sprites

Grunt sprite from Generation II	Sprite from Generation II	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	VS sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Overworld sprite from Generation II		Overworld sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Proton and his teammates in Pokémon Adventures

Proton appears in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc alongside the other three Executives. He, along with his teammates, take control of Team Rocket from Carr, saying that they will stay true to Giovanni's intentions.

While Petrel is tasked on finding the Plates related to Arceus, Ariana is tasked on stopping intruders from stopping them, Proton is tasked with finding the Sinjoh Ruins. While Ariana battles Crystal on Route 38, he and the other Generals arrive on the scene. Suddenly, Arceus appears in front of them and Crystal attempts to capture it, shocking the Generals in the process. Despite her tenacity, Crystal ultimately fails in capturing the Pokémon and is sent flying into a tree.

The Generals chase Arceus down and find it battling Gold at the Ruins of Alph. Once Arceus uses its powers and transports them all to the Sinjoh Ruins, the four Generals restrain Arceus and force it onto the Mystri Stage. Using its great powers, they force Arceus to create the legendary Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.

Believing they have pleased their boss, Giovanni, Proton, Ariana, and Archer begin tearing up. However, Silver distracts them by flying towards the Pokémon so Gold and Crystal can finish off the other legendary Pokémon. Once they do so, Arceus, now freed from its restraints, uses its powers to send Proton and the other Generals flying. During the final battle with Arceus, Proton stayed away from the fight by hiding behind a rock with his teammates. After the battle had ended, Proton left with the other Team Rocket members and Giovanni.

Pokémon

Zubat

Debut	Fortunately for Feraligatr

Zubat is Proton's mode of flight transportation. It was used to help restrain and pull Arceus into the Mystri Stage. Later, it fought Gold's Sudobo.

None of Zubat's moves are known.

Weezing

Debut	Fortunately for Feraligatr

Weezing was seen alongside Proton when he was communicating with the Rocket Grunts about the Plates.

None of Weezing's moves are known.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jou's Big Adventure manga

Proton in Jou's Big Adventure

Proton appears in The Revived Team Rocket where he arrives with some Team Rocket Grunts by the Slowpoke Well where they rob some Slowpoke in order to profit their tails. He cameos later on where Jou battles the grunts in Team Rocket's hideout in Mahogany Town.

Pokémon

Zubat

Debut	The Revived Team Rocket

Zubat was sent out to battle Jou's Totodile. It was simultaneously defeated in the end along with Koffing.

None of Zubat's moves are known.

Koffing

Debut	The Revived Team Rocket

Koffing was sent out to battle Jou's Totodile. It had the upper hand after Zubat gave piercing damage to Totodile. However, it got defeated along with Zubat in the end, not before being commanded to use Selfdestruct.

Koffing's only known move is Selfdestruct.

In the TCG

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Proton in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Team Rocket's Trickery	Su	Undaunted		78/90	Reviving Legends		076/080
					Tyranitar Constructed Standard Deck		018/019

Trivia

• Proton shares his Japanese name with Lance.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ランス Lance	May be a reference to the MGM-52 Lance, a surface-to-surface missile used by the US Army.
English	Proton	From Proton, an expendable launch system used for the Russian government as well as commercial uses.
French, German	Lance	From his Japanese name
Italian	Milas	From Milas, an anti-submarine variant of the Otomat, an Italian-built missile.
Spanish	Protón	Same as English name.
Korean	랜스 Lance	From his Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin)	蘭斯 Lánsī	From his Japanese name

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.