From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.

This article is about the character. For the game titled "Pokémon Silver Version", see Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions.

Silver (Japanese: シルバー Silver) is the rival character of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, playing opposite Ethan, Kris, or Lyra. He is the son of Team Rocket Boss Giovanni.

During the first battle against him in HeartGold and SoulSilver, he is given the unique Trainer class Passerby (Japanese: とおりすがり Passerby) with the placeholder name Boy (Japanese: しょうねん Boy).

In the core series

Silver first appears in the Generation II games, lurking outside of Professor Elm's lab, looking through the window. When talked to, he will deny everything and push the player away. During the player's journey to Mr. Pokémon's house, Silver makes his move, stealing one of Elm's two remaining starter Pokémon (coincidentally always the one that is strong against the player's choice). He will meet with the player on the outskirts of Cherrygrove City, battling to get through. A policeman will later ask for the name of the rival, and the rival will be called the name the player gives for the rest of the game.

Silver shows a strong dislike of Team Rocket. He considers them to be weak, and vows to take them, as well as any other weak Trainer, down. He steals a Pokémon from a Trainer in Cianwood City and while Ethan/Kris/Lyra attempts to take down Team Rocket in Mahogany Town and Goldenrod City, he interferes to prove himself. It is in the Mahogany hideout that he meets with Lance, Champion of the Elite Four at Indigo Plateau. Silver challenges Lance and is easily defeated by the dragon Trainer, who then proceeds to berate Silver for his callous ways towards training Pokémon. Though Silver is outraged for losing to someone with such an attitude, the loss and Lance's words ultimately set him on the path to becoming a better person. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, when Team Rocket takes over the Goldenrod Radio Tower, Silver first blows the player's Team Rocket disguise, unaware of the player's plan to sneak in by pretending to be a member of Team Rocket. He later follows the player to the Goldenrod underground and they battle Team Rocket, hoping that Lance will reappear and he can request a rematch.

By the time the player reaches Victory Road, Silver battles against the player not out of malice, but to prove that he is a good Trainer. He is defeated and departs to continue training. The player battles Silver on Mt. Moon, and though he loses he claims he can feel his Pokémon getting stronger, and resolves to train at Dragon's Den.

After the player has become Champion, Silver can indeed be found training in the Dragon's Den on Tuesday and Thursday, where he cannot be battled. On Monday and Wednesday, he will appear at Indigo Plateau and will challenge the player to a battle if they appear there. He does not appear at all on Friday or the weekends, indicating that he may in fact take the day off, resting his Pokémon. When battled this seventh and final time at Indigo Plateau, Silver seems to have finally learned to care for his Pokémon properly, as his Golbat has evolved to Crobat, which only occurs when Golbat is very friendly. This is further expressed in Generation IV when his starter Pokémon starts to follow him around, much like the player's Pokémon; Professor Elm even expressly states that Silver's Pokémon have come to trust him when Silver returns to the lab, presumably to return the starter he stole. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Lance and Clair will appear in the Dragon's Den and challenge the player and Silver to a Multi Battle following the battle at Mt. Moon giving him the chance to avenge his loss from earlier.

In terms of personality, Silver is initially the darkest of the rivals in the series. While most other rivals are generally good-natured, or at least zestful enough to crack a joke at the player, Silver is (at first) cruel, hateful, power-obsessed and even physically abusive, pushing the player character around several times. Even after he starts to become kinder, he remains a rather serious individual. He does, however, express genuine happiness when Elm allows him to keep the Pokémon he stole.

Giovanni and Silver's relationship is first alluded to in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, when Team Rocket Scientist Gideon at the Rocket Warehouse on Five Island asks Red if he is "Giovanni's kid" but concludes he is not, saying that "Giovanni's kid has red hair." More information is revealed in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver when a fateful encounter Celebi is brought to Ilex Forest shrine: Celebi takes the player back in time three years to witness Giovanni abandoning Silver to go into seclusion because of his defeat at the hands of Red. Silver's hate for Team Rocket apparently stems from the failure of his father.

Pokémon

The starter Pokémon that Silver has will depend on which Pokémon the player chose to bring on Professor Elm's errand at the beginning of the game. As with most rivals, it will be the Pokémon whose type weakens that of the player's starter.

For Silver's Pokémon in Gold, Silver, and Crystal Versions, see here.

First battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Second battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Third battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Fourth battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Fifth battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Sixth battle

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

Silver in the Dragon's Den

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

If the player chose Chikorita:

If the player chose Cyndaquil:

If the player chose Totodile:

In the side series

Silver also appears in Pokémon Stadium 2, where he's simply called "Rival". He can be battled in White City once the player has cleared every Stadium Mode and the Gym Leader Castle, acting as the final opponent of the game. His party consists of three Legendary Pokémon with a base stat total of 680, which the player is allowed to face with a full party of six Pokémon. Defeating Silver ends the game, and, in Round 1, also unlocks Round 2.

Round 1

Round 2

In spin-off games

Artwork

Sprites

Quotes

Counterparts

In the anime

In the main series

Silver only appearance in the anime was a brief cameo, in the original Japanese opening of The Legend of Thunder! (A New Oath). In this opening, he was shown defeating Jimmy with his Nidoking, only to be defeated later on when Jimmy's Cyndaquil fully evolved into Typhlosion.

Pokémon





Young Silver in Pokémon Generations

In Pokémon Generations

Silver appeared in The Legacy. He was seen meeting up with Looker outside the Indigo Plateau, discussing his relationship and last meeting with Giovanni that ultimately led to their estrangement. During the conversation, Silver asserts that he decided to stay out of his father's affairs, and he tells Looker that it is his job to find Giovanni before going off to face the Elite Four.

Voice actors

Language Voice actor Japanese 逢坂良太 Ryōta Ōsaka English Lucien Dodge European Spanish Ángel de Gracia

In the manga

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga

Silver in Pokémon Adventures

The character Black who appears in Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga is based on Silver.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Silver's counterpart in the Pokémon Adventures manga is also named Silver. They share several similarities, such as stealing a starter from Professor Elm, in the manga's case, Totodile, owning a Sneasel, and being Giovanni's son.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga

Tsubaki from Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure is based on Silver.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

Silver has a counterpart in the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga named Silver.

Trivia

Paul's official art in the anime

Names

Silver is used as the official name for this character in Bandai's Pokémon Scale World collection[1][2][3] and in Pokémon Masters. It is also his default name if the player provides a blank name for him in Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Crystal, although his default name differs on other games, which call him "Gold" (ゴールド Gold)S, Soul (ソウル Soul)HG, or "Heart" (Japanese: ハート Heart)SS.

Until the reveal of his official name, "Silver" (Japanese: シルバー Silver) was almost universally used in fanon as the name for this character. Some fans instead called him "Kamon" (Japanese: カモン Kamon) to discern him from his Pokémon Adventures counterpart and an unrelated anime character. This name is taken from the suggested names for Ethan in both the Japanese and English versions of Pokémon Silver; this is similar to some fans calling Blue "Gary", since the name is found as one of the options for the player in international Pokémon Blue and for the rival in international Pokémon Red.

Language Name Origin Japanese シルバー Silver From Pokémon Silver English, French Silver From Pokémon Silver German Silber From Pokémon Silberne Edition (Pokémon Silver) Spanish Plata From Pokémon Edición Plata (Pokémon Silver) Italian Argento From Pokémon Versione Argento (Pokémon Silver) Korean 실버 Silver Transliteration of his Japanese name Chinese ( Mandarin ) 小銀 Xiǎo Yín From 銀 yín / ngàhn (silver) Chinese ( Cantonese ) 小銀 Síu Ngàhn

Passerby Boy

Language Title French Passant Garçon German Passant Junge Italian Ragazzino Passante Korean 나그네 소년 Nageune Sonyeon Spanish Transeúnte Chico

References





Rival characters Blue • Silver • Brendan/May • Wally • Barry • Cheren • Bianca • Hugh • Calem/Serena

Shauna • Tierno • Trevor • Hau • Gladion • Trace • Hop • Bede • Marnie • Klara • Avery

Ronald • Paulo







