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.

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.

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.

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.