Lance is one of the most famous trainers from the Pokémon games. He was the final member of the Elite Four in Pokémon Red and Blue and the Champion in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Known as one of the strongest Dragon-type trainers in the series, Lance has left his mark on the fans and the franchise.
There is a lot more to Lance than just being a member of the Elite Four, though. Thanks to game details, the anime, and manga, Lance is more than just a player's obstacle. Here are 10 facts about Lance that you may not have known.
10 HE CAUGHT THE RED GYARADOS
Those who played through any of the Johto games will remember the iconic battle with the red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage. In the games, it ends with trainers either defeating or capturing the Gyarados.
In the anime, the result was a different story. Ash, Misty, and Brock helped Lance to stop Team Rocket, but it was Lance who ultimately battled and captured the red Gyarados. This Gyarados was extremely powerful and seemed to have greater potential than regular Gyarados. Lance would later use this Gyarados in the anime as a way of letting Ash and the audience know that he was on the scene.
9 HE'S CLAIR'S COUSIN
The final Gym Leader in Pokémon Gold and Silver is Clair of the Blackthorn City Gym. Clair is known for being a powerful Dragon-type trainer, so she puts up quite a fight. As it turns out, Dragon training runs in the family.
Lance is actually Clair's cousin, hinting at why they both are so good at raising that type. In the anime, though, Lance trained at the Blackthorn Gym to become the best Dragon-type trainer in the world. Because of this, Clair is more like a test that signals a much greater battle to come later at the end of the games.
8 HE BATTLED PROFESSOR KUKUI
Professor Kukui is laidback, but he is also quite the trainer. With a powerful Incineroar at his disposal, Kukui knows how to defeat most opponents. It seems that Professor Kukui has a long history regarding Pokémon battles as well. He's battled some fierce trainers, and that includes Lance.
As strong as Professor Kukui is, though, Lance proved to be too much for the Alolan Pokémon Professor. Lance won the battle, though it's unclear how easy that battle was for the Kanto Elite Four member. Regardless, Professor Kukui doesn't seem too broken up about it, as he still keeps his upbeat attitude.
7 HE'S A DRAGON TRAINER WITH FEW DRAGONS
Lance's first appearance dates all the way back to Pokémon Red and Blue. Being a Dragon-type trainer, you may remember that the Kanto Region only has three Dragon-types: Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite. While Lance did use some Dragonair and Dragonite, he also used Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Gyarados, and Charizard.
While these Pokémon resemble dragons in their own right, none of them have the Dragon typing. The only one who got it later was Charizard with one of its Mega Evolutions. It wasn't until Gen IV that Lance received a good number of Dragon-type Pokémon on his team.
6 HE STOPPED TEAM MAGMA
Lance didn't appear in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and only played a major role in Gold and Silver. That's why it came as a surprise in the Pokémon Advanced anime when he showed up to help out in the Hoenn Region. Lance was once again meeting up with Ash and Brock to stop an evil team.
When he caught wind that Team Magma was trying to raise a Pokémon like Groudon, he knew they had to be stopped. When Groudon and Kyogre enacted their legendary battle, Lance was right there with his red Gyarados trying to put a stop to it all.
5 HIS POKÉMON HAVE MOVES THEY CAN'T LEARN
More observant players of Pokémon will have noticed that some of Lance's Pokémon had attacks that they normally couldn't learn in the games. For example, Lance's Dragonite had the barrier move, which was impossible to teach. A Dragonite with that move was later given out as an event Pokémon, as a tribute to Lance and his shady ways.
It doesn't stop there, though. Lance's Aerodactyl could use Rock Slide, which was an attack that the Pokémon couldn't learn at that point. Whether this was an oversight when designing the game or a hint at Lance's strength as a trainer, it was a noteworthy addition to the games nonetheless.
4 HE TRIED TO CREATE A UTOPIA
Lance had a different goal in mind when it came to the Pokémon manga. In it, he realized that the world was full of corrupt and awful people. As such, he resolved to essentially rebirth the world from its own ashes by destroying those he deemed harmful to Pokémon.
There were only a few people he felt would be fit to survive. His entire goal was to create a utopia where Pokémon could once live in harmony without being seriously disturbed by those who would seek to use them for ill purposes. Of course, this put him in direct confrontation with the main character of the manga.
3 HE WAS THE VILLAIN IN THE MANGA
Pokémon fans are so familiar with Lance for being one of the strongest trainers. After all, he commands attention whenever he's on screen, thanks to his imposing design as well as his love of Dragon Pokémon. The manga has been known to tell a much different story, though, and the case of Lance is no exception.
Lance is still a powerful Dragon-type user, but he takes the role of the villain rather than the hero. In his desire to cleanse the world of awful people, Lance takes what he wants and removes anyone who gets in his way. He's a serious threat.
2 HE HAS A DRAGON ARMY
One would think that someone trying to create a peaceful world for Pokémon wouldn't use Pokémon to see his will done, but Lance is as wicked as they come in the manga. To attack various cities in the Kanto region, Lance put together an army of Dragon-type Pokémon to get the job done.
He had numerous Dragonair at his disposal, as well as a Dragonite and Aerodactyl to round out his numbers. With Dragon-types being so powerful, it was difficult for anyone to find a way to defeat him whenever he tried to invade. Lance didn't need to worry about opposition specifically because of this army.
1 HE'S A POKÉMON G-MAN
While Lance is primarily known as a member of the Elite Four, his job goes beyond that in the anime. On top of being a strong trainer, Lance is also a member of the Pokémon G-Men. Strangely, Lance is the only member ever discussed in the anime, and not much else is known about the organization.
It's explained that the G-Men are sent out into the world to investigate any people that are supposedly treating Pokémon improperly. With such powerful Pokémon at his disposal, Lance made for the perfect G-Man. However, it would've been nice to see more of the organization or even more members.