Archer

Archer
Species	Human
Affiliation	Team Rocket
Hair color	Teal
Eye color	Teal
Debut	Pokémon: HeartGold Version/Pokemon: SoulSilver Version

Archer is one of the four Team Rocket Executives featured in Pokémon: HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, based on unnamed executives from the original Gold, Silver and Crystal.

Background

Archer was a high-ranking member of Team Rocket during Giovanni's reign. He made an unofficial appearance in FireRed/LeafGreen as one of two Rocket Admins (the other likely being Ariana) in control of the Rocket Warehouse on Chrono Isle. These Rockets were unaware that Giovanni had been defeated by Red and disbanded Team Rocket until Red arrived at the warehouse to challenge him. The admin refused to believe Red's claims about Giovanni until Red defeated him, and he saw that Red had an Earthbadge from Giovanni. This was enough to confirm the story for him and he departed, but not before swearing to find Giovanni and resurrect Team Rocket. It was also shown on a nearby computer screen that they were researching radio waves that could force Pokémon evolution.

Team Rocket operated underground for the next three years, with Archer and Ariana being the highest-ranking members. They orchestrated a series of schemes three years later in Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/SoulSilver. After experimenting with using radio waves to force the Magikarp of the Lake of Rage to evolve into Gyarados, they took control of Goldenrod City's Radio Tower to send out a message calling Giovanni back to regain control of Team Rocket. Ethan/Lyra eventually confronted him at the top floor of the Radio Tower and battled him. The young trainer was able to defeat him, leaving Archer disappointed that they were unable to reach Giovanni and that their dreams were in vain. Archer proceeded to officially disband Team Rocket like Giovanni before him and disappeared.

Let's Go!

Archer made an early appearance in the Let's Go! games, which were an alternate version of the first generation games. Archer first appeared at the Rocket Hideout in Celadon City, where he presented the Silph Scope to Giovanni as an example of the technology that they could gain on Silph Co. Giovanni was unimpressed with the Scope itself, but he still considered the company to be valuable and ordered Archer to continue his plans to conquer the company building for Team Rocket. As Archer was leaving the meeting, he came across Chase/Elaine and engaged them in a Pokémon battle after realizing that they had listened in on his conversation with Giovanni. Archer was defeated and felt ashamed at having lost to a child.

Regardless, Team Rocket managed to invade Silph Co. and took over its building in Saffron City. There, Archer was confronted by the same trainer again, as well as their friend Trace. Archer and a grunt took them on a in a double battle, only to lose again. Archer reappeared later in an attempt to keep the trainers to getting to Giovanni, and Trace stayed behind to battle him while Chase/Elaine went ahead. Ultimately, Giovanni was defeated and eventually disbanded Team Rocket.

After the main storyline was completed, Archer could be found at the Team Rocket Hideout. Seeing Chase/Elaine again, he claimed that he did not feel emotional, but he wanted to make the trainer feel the way he did about Team Rocket's disbandment and tried to battle them again. After being defeated, he admitted that he wanted the trainer to arrive, because he had written a letter to them. In it, he announced that he did not bear any ill will towards the trainer for what they had done and announced his intentions of creating a stronger Team Rocket. He said that he would be leaving the Kanto region and wished for Chase/Elaine's continued success in that region. With that and a gruff farewell, Archer departed.

Pokémon Roster

In Gold/Silver/Crystal as well as HeartGold/SoulSilver, the Pokémon he has are Houndour, Koffing and Houndoom. In FireRed/LeafGreen, he has Golbat, Weezing and Houndoom.

In the Let's Go!, games, he has a Weezing and Golbat in all battles. He gains an Electrode for the second battle and a Magmar in the third one.

Other Games

The Excecutive who Archer was based on appeared as a boss in the Johto Gym Leader Castle in Pokémon Stadium 2. In Round 1, his Pokémon consisted of Houndoom, Golbat, Persian, Misdreavus, Victreebel and Wobbuffet, while in Round 2 he had Houndoom, Octillery, Wobbuffet, Hypno, Parasect and Tyranitar.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the character of Carl was initially introduced based on the second generation's nameless Rocket Executives. He and the female executive, Sham, were shown to be among those who were abducted by the Mask of Ice as children and raised as his brainwashed slaves. They were used to take control of Team Rocket during the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc, but they were defeated in battle with Gold and Crys near the arc's end after they achieved their goal of hacking the magnet train. The actual Archer is later included as part of the HeartGold/SoulSilver arc, which opens with Archer (with the other four Executives) taking control of Team Rocket from the ineffectual manga-exclusive character Carr. They seek out Arceus, and Archer uses its power to create a Dialga, Palkia and Giratina to serve them. Archer was obsessed with fulfilling what he saw as Giovanni's will, only to break down when Giovanni actually chose to attack them and challenge their plans. He is ultimately knocked out while trying to control Arceus.

Trivia

• He is named after the A-11 Archer, a Soviet missile; this follows the HeartGold/SoulSilver scheme of naming Rocket Executives after real-life rockets and missiles.
• His first official appearance as a character is in HeartGold/SoulSilver. In the original Gameboy games, all Executives were nameless and represented by the same sprite. FireRed/LeafGreen similarly does not name him and also shows him in a Rocket Grunt uniform, although the foreshadowing of the second generation's story as well as the similar rosters indicate that they are intended to be the same character.