Lance (anime)

Lance is a character appearing in the anime series, who is the Champion in the Johto region and was a member of the Elite Four in the Kanto region. He had a cousin named Clair who is the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City.

Appearance
Lance is a tall, thin man with bright scarlet red spiked hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. He wears a medieval-looking navy blue tunic with red-orange trim, a brown belt around his waist, and large black boots with orange two rings around the top of each boot. The cuffs of his long sleeves are black with orange zigzagging trim separating the cuff from the navy blue part of the sleeve. He sports a long, flowing cape around his neck which is black on the outside and crimson red on the inside.

Personality
Lance is a honorable man, who fights against criminal organizations and will not let innocent people getting involved, fearing they would be in danger. Lance also wears disguises and tries his best to fit into the group to learn more about the plans.

Biography
Lance trained with his cousin, Clair, in Blackthorn City. Eventually, Lance grew stronger and surpassed Clair as a Dragon-type Pokémon Trainer.

Season 5: Master Quest
Lance had his Dragonite defeat Tyson's Fearow with Thunder Wave while defending Ash, Misty and Brock from Team Rocket and told them to get back from the woods. As the heroes escaped to safety, Team Rocket attempted to chase them, but they were knocked away from Dragonite's Whirlwind. Lance escaped while mounting on his Dragonite to fly away. Lance met up with the heroes, while Brock and Misty noticed that Lance is an undefeated Champion of Elite Four and the unbeatable Dragonite trainer. Lance also worked as one of the Pokémon G-Man to investigate the foul play in Lake of Rage, much to their surprise. He knew Team Rocket did an experiment on Pokémon, such as the Red Gyarados they saw in the lake. Ash decided to help Lance, but he refused, due to the danger in the forest; Lance let them point at the right path lead to Mahogany Town. Lance managed to subdue one of the Team Rocket grunts as he disguised himself up to pose as one of the grunts. Later, he saw Ash and his friends return to rescue the unconscious Red Gyarados, who was captured from a Team Rocket's boat. Lance was surprised to hear from Professor Sebastian to activate the evolutionary wave to make the Pokémon weak from the waves. When Ash and his friends were captured, Lance finally knew their plot when Professor Sebastian explained their plans about the evolution inducement wave, which made the Pokémon forcibly evolve within the waves, including the Red Gyarados, who evolved from a Magikarp. As the Red Gyarados was put on a sealed truck to advance on the laboratory, Lance continued to pose as one of the grunts to know more of their motives.

Lance returned to save the heroes, by using Dragonite to take down Jessie's Arbok with Thunder Wave. Lance finally removed the disguise to reveal himself to the trio and eventually blasted them off by Dragonite's Twister. Lance scolded the heroes for not listening to his warning. After the heroes apologized, Lance had his Dragonite destroy the laboratory with its Hyper Beam. As he pursued with the heroes to stop Team Rocket by heading to Mahogany Town by a car, Jessie informed Tyson about Lance and the laboratory's destruction. By the time the Red Gyarados began to transport, it soon awakened and managed to destroy the chopper. Lance was forced to fight Tyson with two Fearow, as he used Dragonite to fight in an handicap. Regardless, it managed to defeat two Fearow with a single Twister, causing Tyson to lose and to be apprehended by Officer Jenny and the other police. Later, Lance used Dragonite to battle the enraged Red Gyarados by paralyzing it with Thunder Wave and defeat it with its Hyper Beam, despite the heroes warning him not to hurt it. Since Lance wanted to save it, he used a Poké Ball and successfully caught the Red Gyarados. With Mahogany Town saved, Lance parted ways with the heroes, thanking them for the help. He also told them he would take care of his red Gyarados, stating he is its friend as he flew off on his Dragonite.

Season 8: Advanced Battle
Lance returns in the episode Gaining Groudon as he takes undercover as one of the Team Magma guards. He also confronts Shelly the commander of Team Aqua and Archie's right-hand woman who releases the ancient Pokemon Kyogre at Maxie's hands.

Later when Ash was captured and Pikachu which is bonded within Team Magma's Blue Orb inside of its body causing to lose control. Lance arrives to see him in his disguise form and he explains to him that he is here to stop both Team Magma and Team Aqua for misusing both Ancient Pokémon such as Groudon and Kyogre and he tells Ash to wait and goes to find how to remove the Blue Orb inside Pikachu's body. Therefore, he also uses the red Gyarados to rescue Brock, May and Max and takes them to Monster Island.

In The Scuffle of Legends, where the last episode left off, Lance finally reveals himself when he warns the leader of Team Aqua, Archie about Kyogre's rampage while controlling the red orb. Therefore, he meets up with Brock, May and Max who knows his appearance while removing his disguise and he points out that Ash was there and reunites with his friends. Upon seeing the tidal wave, Lance releases Dragonite to use Dragon Claw to free Ash as he needs to take care of things while Ash and his friends need to find Pikachu who is still bonded by the Blue Orb.

Lance faces off against Archie and angrily tells him to give up the Red Orb he possesses but he refuses and orders Kyogre to attack them. But to his dismay, the Red Orb is soon bonded by Archie. As two Ancient Pokémon us about to clash, Lance finally tells Ash about Groudon's power to stop Kyogre's Tidal Wave is to protect the island and its reason why Pikachu was bonded by the Blue Orb is to help it to protect the island. Brock and May uses both Beautifly and Mudkip to distract Archie long enough allowing Groudon to knock Kyogre with a Solar Beam causing Archie lose control and the Red Orb takes out on his body even Pikachu as well finally takes out the Blue Orb on its body as Ash jumps down to the sea to save Pikachu and was carried by Kyogre who is now freed from the Red Orb's control. They watch both Orbs are now finally shattered and two Ancient Pokémon are now gone to their separate ways.

After Team Magma and Team Aqua are finally disbanded, Lance finally tells Ash and his friends about both Ancient Pokémon are trying to protect the land and the sea. Therefore, humans are controlling both the Blue and Red Orbs towards both Pokémon and it returns to destroy the Orbs. Lance was last seen with Ash and his friends watching the sunset.

Trivia
Lance was the first Champion who appeared in two different regions and met Ash when he got stuck up with a problem. The second Champion to appear in two different regions was Cynthia.