Lance (Team Rocket)

Lance ランス Lance
Artwork from HG/SS
Gender	Male
Eye color	Green
Hair color	Green
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Johto
Relatives	Unknown
Class	Rocket Executive
Generation	IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver
Team	Team Rocket
Rank	Executive

Lance (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

Lance's VS sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver

Lance 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.

In Generation II he appeared only once, in the Goldenrod Radio Tower, with an ordinary Grunt originally taking his place in Slowpoke Well.

Lance has existed since Pokémon Gold and Silver. However, his existence was easy to miss because all Rocket Executives used the same sprite (which showed Apollo's canonical design), making it seem like there was only one Executive. Lance stayed without a canonical design until Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. His name was also revealed in those games (for other three Executives as well). The same situation happened to Lambda.

Pokémon

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

First battle

560 Team Rocket Grunt Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal Slowpoke Well

Koffing ♂ Lv.14  Poison  Held item: None Moves Tackle Normal Smog Poison -- -- -- --

Second battle

5184 Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal Goldenrod Radio Tower

Golbat ♂ Lv.36  Poison  Flying  Held item: None Moves Wing Attack Flying Confuse Ray Ghost Leech Life Bug Bite Dark

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

First battle

480 Rocket Executive Lance HeartGold and SoulSilver Slowpoke Well

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

Second battle

1320 Rocket Executive Lance HeartGold and SoulSilver Goldenrod Radio Tower

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

Trivia

• The fact that all male Executives were unnamed and used the same sprite in Generation II was very confusing for fans. It has led many to think that Lance and Lambda are two new characters, introduced in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. However, closer research has proven that Lance has existed since then, appearing in the same place in Goldenrod Radio Tower and training Golbat, just like his Generation IV counterpart. However, a Weezing was added to his team, which he had during his mission in Slowpoke Well (originally, a Grunt appeared there).

Names