Here's a breakdown of the common types of flashlight batteries and the metals they use:

* Alkaline batteries: The most common type, these batteries use zinc as the anode (negative electrode) and manganese dioxide as the cathode (positive electrode).

* Carbon-zinc batteries: These older batteries also use zinc as the anode, but carbon is used as the cathode.

* Lithium batteries: These are becoming more popular for flashlights due to their long lifespan and high energy density. They use lithium as the anode, and the specific cathode material varies.

So while other metals might be involved, zinc is the most common metal found in flashlight batteries.