Silver (Pokémon)
Silver (シルバー, Shirubā) is the red haired rival of the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc of Pokémon Adventures and the son of Giovanni, but Silver was kidnapped by the Mask of Ice as a child and grew up beside Green (Blue in the Japanese version). As the years went by however, the two children escaped and began the lives they have now. Silver traveled to Johto where he stole Professor Elm's Totodile.
Silver is a very silent and cold boy. The only real emotion he seems to show is when around Green, which leads many to believe he may feel more for her than friendship. After the group defeats the Mask of Ice, Silver doesn't appear again except in a special manga short where he gives Green her new FireRed/LeafGreen clothes, but then re-appears on the FR/LLG Saga.
Silver's only appearance in the anime is a cameo in the opening of the Japanese version of The Legend of Thunder, a feature-length special starring the protagonists of Pokémon Crystal. While this is admittedly not much, enough is seen to show that he and Jimmy have an intense rivalry. The first shot shows Silver and his Nidoking glaring down at Jimmy holding a weakened Cyndaquil. After a section showing Jimmy training with Cyndaquil, who evolves into Typhlosion, the two battle again in a stadium. While the outcome is unknown, Typhlosion is depicted to be doing well against Nidoking.
It should be noted that the anime has a tendency to give different names to game protagonists and, as such, Silver would have a different name were he ever to appear. Indeed, a character called Silver in both the original Japanese and English localisation appeared in Pokémon Chronicles. However, the two characters have little in common other than their strong efforts against Team Rocket.
In the games
In the games, Silver is the main character’s rival. As with all the first and second generation Pokémon games, Silver's name depends on the game being played. If, when playing Gold and Crystal, players pass up the chance to name their rival, he is given the default name Silver. If the player is playing Pokémon Silver, he is given the default name Gold.
Silver is caught spying into Professor Elm's lab at the start of the game. If you try talking to him before you set of on Professor Elm's errand, he maliciously shoves you away from the window. While the player is off running an errand, he sneaks into the lab and steals a Pokémon. The Pokémon he steals depends on the type chosen by the player. If you chose Cyndaquil, your rival has a Totodile. If you chose Totodile, your rival has a Chikorita, If you chose Chikorita, your rival has a Cyndaquil. He also steals a pokemon (a Sneasel to be exact) from a collector in Cianwood City. The collector then tells you to take his Shuckle before Silver comes back.
Silver is shown to possess a hatred of Team Rocket. Silver claims he despises weak trainers and Pokémon, and that while the Rockets act big and tough in a group, they're weak and pathetic when you get them alone. He is shown sneaking into a warehouse occupied by Team Rocket, indicating he is trying to bring the organization down. He is also seen in the Rocket hideout in Mahogany Town. However, he and the player never ally, in the game, even though they are fighting for the same cause.
As with all rivals in the games, he frequently battles the player, each time gaining new Pokémon and his old ones becoming stronger. However, he is the first rival to indicate he has battled with other trainers. He claims to have battled Lance in the Rocket hideout, and was amazed by Lance's power. He is frustrated, however, by Lance's accusation that Silver doesn't care enough about his Pokémon. This marks the beginning of Silver's turn to a kind-hearted trainer. Ironically, the leader monk of Sprout Tower mentions similar advice to him when he first starts out and defeats him in battle. The leader tells him he battles too roughly and should not treat his Pokémon like tools of war.
After being beaten several times afterwards, he appears one final time in Mt. Moon. Silver claims that he has taken Lance's words to heart, and learned from his losses, and that he now values the relationship he has with his Pokémon. After being beaten, he does not express anger or frustration, but instead concedes that the player is better, and he must train harder. He can then be found for a rematch at Indigo Plateau on Mondays and Wednesdays, and at Dragon's Den on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Presumably he is learning patience and skill from the Dragon's Den, but this is not confirmed.
Silver's Pokémon evolve and grow throughout the game, but his final team at Mt. Moon consists of the following: Sneasel, Alakazam, Gengar, Crobat, Magneton, Feraligatr/Typhlosion/Meganium. The final Pokémon depends on the player's starting Pokémon. Choosing Cyndaquil gives Silver Feraligatr, choosing Chikorita gives him Typholosion, and choosing Totodile gives him Meganium. Interesting to note is that it is only when he is fought at Mt. Moon that Silver's Golbat evolves into Crobat. Because Golbat only evolves when it is very friendly with its trainer, this does seem to indicate that Silver truly values his Pokémon now. (Also interesting is his possession of both an Alakazam and a Gengar, both of which only evolve when traded to/from another trainer.)
Throughout the games (although never officially confirmed), it is hinted that Silver is Giovanni's son. A character in the game says that Giovanni has a son the player's age, with red hair. Furthermore, in FireRed and LeafGreen, a Team Rocket scientist on Island 5 confuses the protagonist for Giovanni's son, correcting himself by revealing that Giovanni's son has red hair, and inadvertingly states that Giovanni's son also directly opposes Team Rocket.
In the Pokemon Adventures/Special manga, Silver is revealed to be Giovanni's son.
It is finally said in the FireRed and LeafGreen arc that Silver is Giovanni's son. Storc remarks that it is the Pokémon Deoxys which embodies the powers of space, and that the man giving commands is their leader, Giovanni. She then narrows her eyes, and with a wicked smirk, addresses Silver by his name, before stating that the man is also his very own father. Silver instantly feels as if the air has been knocked out of his lungs. His body begins to tremble and his immediate response is denial. He refuses to believe that the evil Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket which he has been fighting for so long, is actually his father, someone he has been searching for all these years.
External links
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
