Proton

Proton
Species	Human
Affiliation	Team Rocket
Hair color	Green
Eye color	Green
Voiced by	Clifford Chapin (2022)
Debut	Pokémon: HeartGold/SoulSilver Versions

Proton is one of the four Rocket Executives who appear as antagonists in Pokémon: HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions and are based on the nameless Rocket Executives from the original Gold, Silver and Crystal.

Background

Proton was a high-ranking member of Team Rocket during the three years after Giovanni's disbandment of the team and subsequent disappearance. He seemed to be an angry man who was aware that he was often labeled as the scariest and cruelest guy in Team Rocket. When Team Rocket began operated in Johto, Proton was in charge of one of the first operations at Slowpoke Well, where they captured the local Slowpoke and cut off their tails to sell for profit. Some of his underlings questioned the morality of this issue, but they were too scared of Proton to object and rationalized that the Slowpoke could regrow their tails. However, Ethan/Lyra was able to defeat Proton and his minions. He admitted that Team Rocket officially broke up three years ago and continued to work underground, warning Ethan/Lyra that a small obstacle like them would not stand in their way and that they should be very afraid of what was to come.

He did not show up again until later on, after Team Rocket had taken control of Goldenrod City's Radio Tower. Proton recognized Ethan/Lyra as they ascended the Radio Tower and accused them of doing all of this just to get him angry. Promising to show them a Team Rocket Executive's wrath, Proton engaged the trainer in battle again and wound up losing. After being defeated, Proton admitted that Gold won, but had only increased Team Rocket's wrath. He did not appear again afterwards.

Pokémon Roster

In Gold, Silver and Crystal, the Rocket Grunt at Slowpoke Well had just a Koffing, while the Executive at Radio Tower had Golbat as his sole Pokémon. Proton combines these rosters, using Koffing and Zubat at Slowpoke Well, and Golbat and Weezing at the Radio Tower.

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Masters EX, Proton and Golbat appeared as a playable sync pair that could be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature starting in September 2023, after having previously made appearances in some of the game's story events. In the game's Main Story, he appeared with the other executives in multiple chapters of the Villain Arc, starting with them joining up with Giovanni after arriving at Pasio in the Johto chapter. Over the course of that chapter, Proton tried to follow and stall some of the trainers, and at another point he fought with Petrel against Whitney and Bugsy until they were overwhelmed by reinforcements. During the Hoenn chapter, a grunt under Proton's command manipulated Matt of Team Aqua as part of Team Rocket's plan to pit Team Aqua and Team Magma against each other. He also appeared in the Kalos chapter, where he worked to distract the trainers at a Team Rocket hideout they had discovered, and he was joined by the other executives. During the final chapter of the Villain Arc, Giovanni used Hoopa's power to give Legendary Pokémon to his subordinates. Proton and Petrel were shown using Reshiram and Zekrom in a battle against Brock, Misty and Erika. They later tried to ambush Scottie/Bettie, Paulo and Tina, only for Maxie and Archie to arrive to battle them instead. Outside of the Main Story, Proton in Part 2 of "Trainer Files: Kanto Elite Four" in which he was causing trouble with Petrel and a tardy Ariana, only for them to end up facing Kanto's Elite Four.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Proton appeared in the Pokémon Adventures manga during the HeartGold/SoulSilver arc, where he and the other executives worked together on a plan to summon and control Arceus to earn Giovanni's favor. Proton was assigned to search for the Sinjoh Ruins. Later on, he hid during the climactic battle and left with Giovanni.

Trivia

• Following the HeartGold/SoulSilver theme of naming Rocket members after real-life rockets and missiles, Proton was named after a Russian launch system. His Japanese name was "Lance" (a name that was already used for a prominent character from the first two generations in English localization) after the MGM-52 Lance, which was the name of a US Military missile system.
• As indicated above, his role is a combination of two previously unrelated Rocket trainers from Gold/Silver/Crystal: the last Rocket Grunt faced at Slowpoke Well and a Rocket Executive from the Radio Tower who referred to himself as "the fortress".
• At one point in the Radio Tower, one of the Rocket Grunts accidentally praises Proton instead of Giovanni over the airwaves. He is the only Executive this happens to, so he is either that popular or that feared.