Proton

Proton ランス Lance
Art from HeartGold and SoulSilver by Takao Unno
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, Masters EX
Member of	Team Rocket
Rank	Executive
English voice actor	Clifford Chapin (Masters EX)
Japanese voice actor	Shō Okumura (Masters EX)

Proton (Japanese: ランス Lance) is one of the Team Rocket Executives introduced in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. In Generation II, Proton's role was filled by two separate characters: an ordinary Grunt in the Slowpoke Well and an unnamed Executive in the Goldenrod Radio Tower.

In the core series 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.

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   --

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Main article: Proton (Masters)

Proton forms a sync pair with Golbat in Pokémon Masters EX. Proton became a playable sync pair on September 6, 2023.

Proton first appeared as an NPC during the Johto chapter of the Villain Arc. He also made notable appearances later in the Villain Arc.

Dex	Trainer		NDex	Pokémon		Type	Weakness	Role	EX role	Base potential	Availability
#180		Proton	#0042		Golbat♂	Flying	Ice			★★★★★☆EX	Variety Sync Pair Scout

Gallery

Sprites and models

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

Quotes

Main article: Proton/Quotes

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Proton and his teammates in Pokémon Adventures

Proton appears 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 Executives arrive on the scene. Suddenly, Arceus appears in front of them and Crystal attempts to capture it, shocking the Executives in the process. Despite her tenacity, Crystal ultimately fails in capturing the Pokémon and is sent flying into a tree.

The Executives 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 Executives 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 Executives 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. He was used to help restrain and pull Arceus into the Mystri Stage. Later, he 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.

Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Proton in Jō'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 Jō battles the grunts in Team Rocket's hideout in Mahogany Town.

Pokémon

Zubat

Debut	The Revived Team Rocket

Zubat was sent out to battle Jō'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 Jō'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 Self-Destruct.

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's name was changed in the English, Spanish, and Italian localizations of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, presumably due to his original name matching that of Lance, who is present in the same games.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ランス Lance	From MGM-52 Lance, a surface-to-surface missile system used by the US Army
English	Proton	From Proton, an expendable launch system used for commercial and Russian government space launches
German, French, Vietnamese	Lance	From his Japanese name
Spanish	Protón	From his English name
Italian	Milas	From Milas, anti-submarine variant of the Italian Otomat missile
Korean	랜스 Lance	From his Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin)	蘭斯 / 兰斯 Lánsī	Transcription of his Japanese name
Chinese (Cantonese)	蘭斯 Làahnsī

Related articles

• Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

Team Rocket in Pokémon Adventures Boss: Giovanni • Masked Man (formerly) Executives: Carl • Sham • Archer • Ariana • Petrel • Proton Notable members: Ken, Al, and Harry • Carr • Orm Lower members: Team Rocket Grunts Former members: Koga • Sabrina • Lt. Surge • Blaine Will • Karen • Sird Locations: Rocket Game Corner • Team Rocket Hideout Silph Co. • Viridian Gym • Team Rocket HQ Rocket Warehouse • Trainer Tower • Cliff Cave Related: Neo Team Rocket • Team Rocket airship See also: Games • Pokémon the Series

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.