The net charges of elemental nickel, iodine, and gold are ZERO

The net charges of elemental nickel, iodine, and gold are ZERO.

Matter of course is electrically neutral. For every positive charge, there is a corresponding negative charge. To be sure, CAN FORM ions, by the loss or gain of electrons. Metals tend to lose electrons to form cations, and non-metals (to the right of the Periodic Table) tend to gain electrons to form anions.

Common ions of the given elements are ##Ni^(2+)##, ##I^-##, and ##Au^+##, and ##Au^(3+)##. You can supply the on each.

Why can't an element lose a positive charge (i.e. a nuclear proton) to form a negative ion?