Lance: the Dragon master who finally took the League

He's the only Elite Four member to move up a rank. Lance champions the Dragon type in the Indigo League, and he ends up running it. Between official battles, he turns up where you least expect him — undercover in a Team Rocket hideout, without a word about his rank. He's the most tight-lipped Trainer in the series about who he really is.

Contents

• A Dragon specialist who mostly fields Flying types
• The Mahogany Town raid, where he keeps his identity to himself
• Dragon's Den and his cousin Clair
• In the manga, the exact opposite
• Lance at a glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

A Dragon specialist who mostly fields Flying types

Lance is billed as the Indigo League's Dragon master, and his Dragonite remains one of the most memorable opponents in Gold and Silver. The reputation is deserved; the label, less so.

In practice, most of the Pokémon he fields are Flying: Aerodactyl, Gyarados and Charizard. Gen II simply had too few true Dragon types to fill out a whole team.

Later generations finally give him what he needs to live up to his title: Salamence, Flygon, Hydreigon and Garchomp all join his roster. His team grows as the type fills out.

🐉 The Dragons have a shelf of their own: browse our Pokémon figures.

The Mahogany Town raid, where he keeps his identity to himself

The character's most interesting scene isn't a League battle. Lance shows up alongside the player to storm the Team Rocket hideout in Mahogany Town, without revealing anything about his status.

He backs the player up in a Multi Battle against an Executive and a Grunt, with a level 40 Dragonite — a far stronger ally than the player is at that point in the adventure.

That discretion is a deliberate part of who he is. The player only learns his rank when they meet him again later, holding court at the Indigo Plateau.

Dragon's Den and his cousin Clair

Once the League is beaten, Lance reappears in Dragon's Den to take on the player and Silver in a Double Battle, alongside his cousin Clair, the Blackthorn City Gym Leader.

The whole family is devoted to the same type. Dragon's Den is their shared territory, and both of them act as examiners there.

The anime keeps the family tie. Lance first appears in episode 235, returns in two later series, and makes the top 8 of the World Coronation Series.

In the manga, the exact opposite

The manga adaptation takes him somewhere unexpected: there, Lance is the main antagonist of an entire arc, and his goal is to wipe out humanity to give Pokémon a better world.

His plan hinges on controlling Lugia. After it fails, he vanishes for a whole year without a trace, to the point that only one character knows he's still alive.

He later resurfaces on the investigators' side, helps identify a kidnapper and reveals that the Masked Man's goal is to control the flow of time. The manga gives him the fullest arc of any Elite Four member.

Lance at a glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Lance the League Champion or an Elite Four member?
  Both, one after the other. He first sits on the Indigo League's Elite Four as its Dragon specialist, then takes over as Champion.
• Why does Lance use Flying-type Pokémon?
  Because Gen II had too few true Dragon types to build a whole team. Aerodactyl, Gyarados and Charizard round out his Dragonite; later generations finally bring him Salamence, Flygon and Garchomp.
• What does Lance do at the Team Rocket hideout in Mahogany Town?
  He sneaks in and lends the player a hand in a Multi Battle, with a level 40 Dragonite, without ever revealing his status in the Indigo League.
• How are Lance and Clair related?
  They're cousins, and both specialize in the Dragon type. You can battle them together in a Double Battle in Dragon's Den once the League is beaten.

In short

Lance is the Elite Four member the series has treated best, because it gives him a life beyond his seat. He fights Team Rocket without saying who he is, tests young Trainers in Dragon's Den with his cousin, and ends up at the head of the League. The manga goes as far as making him an enemy of humanity — no one else in that role has been given that much.