Silver (Pokémon Game Series)

Character
Name:	Japanese: シルバー (Shirubā) English, French: Silver Spanish: Plata Korean: 실버 (Silbeo) Chinese (Mandarin): 小銀 (Xiǎo Yín) Chinese (Cantonese): 小銀 (Síu Ngàhn) (more on Bulbapedia)
Occupation:	Pokémon Trainer
Relationships:	Giovanni (Pokémon) (father)
Fandom:	Pokémon
Other:	Silver (Pokémon Special) (manga counterpart)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Silver is a Pokémon Trainer from Pokémon Gold and Silver. He's the rival to the player character, which may be Gold, Kris or Lyra depending on gender and what game is being played. Silver is a fan favorite and the focus of many fanworks. He also makes appearances in Pokémon Masters. Silver (Special), his Pokéspe counterpart, is a distinct enough characters that he won't be discussed here.

While he's always been known in Pokéspe as 'Silver', his Gameverse interpretation was unnamed at first. Fans often called him Black, Silver or Kamon, the later was based off of one of Pokémon Gold and Silver's default names for him. The name 'Silver' for Gameverse!Silver was only canonized in 2020 with Bandai's Pokémon Scale World collection.

The idea that Giovanni was his father was also fanon for some time, from 1999 to 2009. It was canon in Pokéspe and hinted at in Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green before a special event in Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver confirmed it.

The Pokémon he is most associated with are Sneasel, Houndoom and Feraligatr.

Canon Overview

[characterization, story role, further important appearances]

Relationships

M/M

• Silver is most commonly paired up with Ethan, forming HunterShipping, which is Male/Male, aka yaoi. In Japanese, this is most often called シルヒビ (Shiruhibi), meaning Silver is the seme and Ethan is the uke in the coupling.
  • The opposite is also commonly shipped and is written as ヒビシル (Hibishiru).
  • Another way of writing it is ライヒビ (Raihibi), meaning Rival x Ethan
  • ライ主♂ (Rival x Male Protagonist) and 主♂ライ (Male Protagonist x Rival) also work.

F/M

• Silver is also shipped with Kris, forming RedemptionShipping, which is Female/Male, aka NL. In Japanese, this is called シルクリ (Shirukuri) or 元祖ライ主♀ (Original Rival x Female Protagonist)
  • シルクリ is shared between Gameverse and Pokéspe. In English, Crystal/Silver is known as SilverCrystallineShipping and/or SpecialJewelShipping.
• Silver is also shipped with Lyra, forming SoulSilverShipping, which is Female/Male, aka NL. In Japanese, this is tagged as ライコト (Raikoto), シルコト (Shirukoto), or 初代ライ主♀ (First Rival x Female Protagonist).
  • It had its own section on Bulbapedia, seen here, ^{Archived version}.

Gen

• Lance & Silver is common, particularly in western PKMN fandom.
• Giovanni & Silver is also common and called サカキ親子, meaning Sakaki Parent and Child, in Japanese.
• Together, Ethan, Silver and Kris/Lyra make up the Johto Trio.
  • In Japanese, their gen (combi in Japanese) relationship is called 城都トリオ, meaning Johto Trio.
  • This is not to be confused with ジョウトリオ, which is this same group but for Pokéspe.
  • ジョウト組 may also be used, though that just translates as Johto Group, so it includes any large group of Johto characters.
• Ethan & Silver is also popular on its own.

Less Popular Relationships

• with Ethan and Silver - SamisenShipping
• with N - ChristmasColoredShipping
• with Red - IsolationShipping, レシル (Reshiru)

Coined Ship Names

• AapertureShipping - Sidney & Silver
• AbhorsenShipping - Silver & Phoebe
• AbsolutionShipping - Silver & Mew
• AdvancedSoulSilverShipping - Silver, Lyra & May
• AltMethodShipping - Silver & Wally
• AmbivalentShipping - Silver & Ursula
• ApathyShipping - Cyrus, Paul, Silver & Pokéspe!Silver
• ApoldaShipping - Silver & Houndoom

More can be found on Neverending Romance, a community-created relationship name list.

Popular Tropes & Fanon

In Silver-centered works, it's common for Lance to be portrayed as either a father figure or a straight-up adoptive father to Silver. Ethan is also commonly portrayed as fun-loving and bright to contrast more with Silver in friendship & M/M fic. This is inspired by his portrayal in Pokémon manga, as seen in Pokemon Masters' own interpretation of the character for that game.

Early works did not always have Giovanni be Silver's father, as that was only canonized after the release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver. Early fanworks may also call Silver Kamon, based off of a default name the games gives him.

Subjects of Fannish Interest & Meta

[discourse, trivia, popular memes, character analysis, fan reactions, really anything]

Example/Notable Fanac

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.

Hau, Silver, Bede and N fan art by pirra (2019)

Fan Communities/Fan Events

• newbarkheroes, ^{Archived version}, a general shipping community for any combination of Ethan/Silver/Kris/Lyra fanfiction on LiveJournal.
• Silver-kunFC, ^{Archived version}, a club on DeviantArt
• Rival-SilverFC, ^{Archived version}, a club on DeviantArt
• SilverFC, ^{Archived version}, a club on DeviantArt
• pokemon-silver, ^{Archived version}, a community on Fanpop

Fan Mixes

• composer but never composed by hatchergold, ^{Archived version} (2014)
• You are not a robot by trainerrgreen, ^{Archived version} (2013)

Wikis

• Silver (game) on Bulbapedia
• シルバー(トレーナー) on PixivEncyclopedia
• Silver on Shipping Wiki

Forum Threads

• G/S Rival Discussion, ^{Archived version}, a thread discussing him on Bulbagarden circa. 2001.