| Gold
(ゴールド Gōrudo) | |
|---|---|
| Biographic Information | |
| Name: | Gold |
| Japanese Name: | ゴールド Gōrudo |
| Hometown: | New Bark Town |
| Region: | Johto |
| Family: |
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| Class: | |
| Preferred Type: | None (various types) |
| First Appearance: |
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'Gold' (Japanese: ゴールド, Hepburn: Gōrudo) Is the protagonist of the Pokémon Gold and Silver games and one arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga.
Characteristics
In the Pokémon Adventures manga Gold is immature and mischievous, and likes playing billiards, but sometimes he may use his Pokémon to cheat. He often listens to the radio because of his idol, DJ Mary from the Goldenrod Radio Station. He usually wears a pair of goggles and travels on a scooter. Instead of throwing or kicking his Poké Balls, he uses a billiard cue to shoot them out. Gold's hobbies include gambling, skateboarding, and trying foods from different cities. Professor Oak noted that while Red had some odd habits, Gold is much more immature and mischievous. Gold's special skill, as described by Prof. Oak, is Pokémon hatching and is known as the "Breeder". He has the ability to draw out the largest potential of a baby Pokémon, having lived with Pokémon his whole life.
Appearances
In video games
Gold is a young trainer from the Johto region, who sets out to prove himself three years after Red became the League Champion. Gold is the male protagonist in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Gold's journey as a Pokémon trainer begins when Professor Elm asks him to run an errand for Mr. Pokémon, who lives north of Cherrygrove City. Because he may encounter dangerous wild Pokémon along the way, Elm gives him a choice between three Pokémon to protect him: Cyndaquil, Totodile or Chikorita.
Gold meets another boy his age watching Elm's Lab from outside. When he tries to talk to him the boy abruptly shoves him away. The boy, Silver, will become Gold's rival, analogous to Blue in Generation I. Gold continues onward and finally meets Mr. Pokémon and completes his errand. While there he meets Professor Oak who, upon realizing Gold's bond with his new Pokémon, gives him a Pokédex. On his way back home, Gold again meets Silver, who has stolen one of Elm's remaining Pokémon. After defeating the boy in battle, he learns his name and relays it to the police in New Bark Town. Professor Elm allows Gold to keep the Pokémon he chose earlier, and encourages him to compete in the Johto League.
From there Gold begins on a Pokémon journey in the Johto region, facing off against its eight Gym Leaders, defeating and disbanding the newly reformed Team Rocket, and becoming League Champion by defeating the Elite Four and its previous Champion, Lance at the Indigo Plateau. Along the way he also teaches Silver to respect Pokémon as living creatures and not just as tools for battle. After being declared the League Champion, Gold then takes a short trip on a ship, the S.S. Aqua, from Olivine City to Vermilion City in Kanto. Journeying across that region, he battles against its own set of eight Gym Leaders, including two new faces, Janine, who replaced her father Koga on his promotion to the Elite Four, and Blue, who was formerly League Champion himself, and replaced Giovanni after the latter fled. Upon getting permission from Professor Oak in Pallet Town, Gold heads for Mt. Silver via Route 28. His journey comes to a close when he faces the legendary trainer Red deep in Mt. Silver's cave, who had been training there since shortly after he became League Champion three years prior.
In the manga
Gold is the first new trainer featured in the Gold and Silver arc of Pokémon Adventures. Hailing from New Bark Town, the boy is incredibly athletic and lives in a house full of various Pokémon. Because of this, the neighbours have dubbed him “The Pokémon boy”. He started with the Pokemon Cyndaquil.
As one gets to know Gold better though, one finds he’s a kind-hearted but very hot-headed young man who doesn’t seem to think things over well. When he first met [Bugsy]], he mistook him for a female and asked him out for tea. He also asked Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader out on a date once. He also touched Green's buttocks,saying "Who is this pretty lady?" igniting Silver's anger. He can be compared to Fukuyama Kazuharu of Girls Bravo in terms of personality. For some reason when he first met Crystal he did not get along with her and when Crystal took the burnt food that he gave to her, he said that the blackness of the food matches her personality. Also at the end of the saga he flirted with Yellow, not knowing that she was a year older, until Crystal showed him the information about Yellow.
Along with the new protagonists, his rival Silver and Crystal, they fight with Red's team against the Mask of Ice, and in the end, was able to cure Pryce (the true identity of the Mask of Ice) of his sadness with the help of Celebi. After Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Silver are petrified into stone by the after-effects of the energy blast caused by Deoxys, Gold and Crystal re-appear in the Battle Frontier saga, where the new protagonists Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire are battling against Guile Hideout, in hopes of achieveing a goal that the current main characters are clueless about; reviving their old companions, who are statues trapped at the end of the top room of the Battle Tower.
In the anime
Gold appears in the spin-off Pokemon Chronicles, but is renamed as Jimmy (Kenta). In the anime, Jimmy is a travelling Pokémon trainer from the Johto region. In New Bark Town, Jimmy's hometown, he received his first Pokémon, Cyndaquil, from Professor Elm. From then on, Jimmy set out on his journey becoming a Pokémon trainer, traveling the World of Pokémon, competing in many challenges, and catching newer Pokémon along the way.
Jimmy is portrayed as a gutsy yet impulsive trainer, charging recklessly into situations without forethought. As such, his offensive battle style mimics this behavior, as his Pokémon are trained to withstand attacks than evade them while fighting, preferring to face an opponent head-on. His primary goal is to become a strong Pokémon trainer, and ultimately rise to Pokémon Master. Jimmy became very determined and dedicated to winning many battles with his team and made a promise to them that they would travel and win every competition together.
Of all his Pokémon, Typhlosion is Jimmy's most trusted and closest companion. Since the beginning of their journey, the two have since faced many challenges and obstacles together. After suffering a humiliating loss to Silver, Jimmy's archrival, Jimmy and Cyndaquil worked hard on their progress and soon Cyndaquil became the strong Typhlosion it is now. Jimmy has shown that not only is he a great trainer, but his bond with his Pokémon runs very deeply and they will all do whatever it takes to get things done.
Jimmy's notable trait is his signature catchword "You rock, you rule!", a quote repeatedly expressed to his Pokémon with a thumbs-up victory pose after winning a battle. In the Japanese version, he uses the phrase "Okay! Perfect!". He has a noticeable crush on Marina, though refuses to admit it out loud. Both he and Marina participated in the Silver Conference a full year ahead of Vincent. It is presumed he is now traveling in Kanto.