From those tired of Ash Ketchum to those hoping to see a little bit more life in the mute protagonists of the series, ThePokemon Adventuresmanga is the answer to all aPokemonfan desires. With a cast of characters ripped straight from the original games, all of the player-insert characters are given new life… andthe rivalsare made that much more irritating. Just as Silver harassed players working their way throughPokemon GoldandSilver, the adventures ofPokemon trainer Goldare often interrupted by the actions of his rival Silver as he journeys across the Johto region. Sometimes an enemy, sometimes an ally, and always where he’s least expected, Silver always seems to be a step head when catching his own powerhouses.
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For the purposes of accuracy, “caught Pokemon” in this case will only count the Pokemon that Silver caught or hatched during his adventures in the Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc. Pokemon he had been given prior to the start of his journey (like his Sneasel or Tyranitar) will not be included in the tally, which only includes Pokemon acquired during his journey across the Johto region. No trainer worth their salt would give credit for Pokemon not properly caught, after all.
5Totodile: Maybe Not “Caught”, Per Say…
Wait, does this one count? Well, might as well! As the first Pokemon that Silver “acquired” during the Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc, this particular entry would make most proper Pokemon trainers shudder. Instead of catching Totodile, which had been theoriginal game’s Water-type starter, Silver swiped the croc from Professor Elm’s lab during his very first appearance.
Normally, such thievery wouldn’t count as a caught Pokemon, but Totodile seemed to grow quite attached to the young trainer ever since its “kidnapping”. This perhaps-misplaced attachment has led him to snap at trainers attempting to return the purloined Pokemon to Professor Elm, forcing them to abandon their noble intentions. For better or worse, Totodile is fiercely loyal to his trainer, even if the reason for their original team-up leaves something to be desired.
4Ursaring: Caught The Bear, Fair And Square
Nowthisis a good old-fashioned Pokemon catch. In one of his (surprisingly frequent) team-ups with his rival gold, the pair found themselves cornered by two looming Normal-type bear Pokemon,Ursaring and Teddiursa. With Gold struggling to catch even the smaller Teddiursa and Silver having lost his only suitable Pokeball, the situation seemed dire for both trainers. However, a clever Pokeball throw from Gold and a valuable suggestion from Silver allowed for both trainers to retrieve their proper Pokeballs and hurl them at their targets.
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The result was a victorious double-capture, and, while Gold would hand over the Teddiursa to a friend, Silver kept his prize as the newest member of the team. After all, Ursaring was afairly strong Pokemonin the Johto region. Perhaps it was not the most charitable move, but at least he caught the Pokemon fairly!
3Murkrow: Well, He Certainly HAS It?
How Silver obtained theDark/Flying-type PokemonMurkrow is undoubtedly an interesting story. Except… no one has a clue how he did it. Perhaps the Murkrow was stolen, like his Totodile. Or maybe Silver actually caught Murkrow fair and square, since he’s proven he at least knows how to do so. But the origins of this Murkrow are cloudy. Readers are left confused and bewildered when Murkrow makes his first appearance flying Silver over the ruins of Ecruteak City.
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Pokemon that Silver has already owned would normally be excluded from a tally of acquired Pokemon. After all, no one can prove he wasn’t simplygiventhe Murkrow by some well-intentioned passerby, or perhaps he owned it before the start of the series and just kept it hidden away. However, since it can’t be proven that Silverdidn’tcatch Murkrow of his own (since manga readers know that Silver certainlyhasthe ability to catch Pokemon fairly), Murkrow must be considered a caught Pokemon. It seems like Silver induces headaches in more people than just his rival.
2Gyarados: Another Successful Team-Up
The legendary Red Gyarados, a staple ofPokemon GoldandSilver, wound up a member of Silver’s Pokemon crew. Fortunately, this was a case of Silver catching the Pokemon fair and square. Whena battling Silver and Goldare suddenly ambushed by a horde of Gyarados that come surging out of the nearby lake, both trainers discover that all of the lake’s harmless Magikarp are simultaneously evolving into the devastatingDragon/Flying-Type Gyarados. To make matters worse, the cause of all this trouble (an unusual blast of radio waves) has damaged both trainers' PokeGears, preventing any calls for help.
As the pair fight their way through the horde of Gyarados, Gold’s and Silver discover a rare red Gyarados, which appears to be generating the catastrophic radio waves. With Gold’s help, Silver manages to capture Gyarados in a PokéBall, cutting off the radio waves and stopping the rampage. It seems like Silver’s go-to tactic for catching Pokemon requires Gold to do half of the work. Well, he can’t be faulted if it’s a working tactic (although it seems a bit underhanded).
1Kingdra: There And Back Again
Okay, maybe this one shouldn’t count. But, as one of the few Pokemon that Silver neither stole nor received as a gift, Kingdra deserves at least an honorable mention. This Water-Type Pokemon was originally a Horsea that Silver had acquired during his early childhood, but it was later traded away to Pokemon Trainer Green after she helped him escape the Masked Man. However, due to the Kingdra reappearing on Silver’s team midway through the Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc, there undoubtedly existed some point where the characters reunited to exchange Pokemon once more. This is solidified through the explanation that the Silver had briefly owned the Pokemon as a Seadra, before temporarily trading it to Gold in order to evolve it into a Kingdra.
Despite the fact that most of this shuffle occurred “off-screen”, Kingdra remains one of the few Pokemon that Silver acquired during the Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc that is undoubtedlyhisto battle alongside. As such, it’s worth throwing him the bone; after all, Kingdra proved itself a valiant fighter in Silver’s battles against Gold, and any trainer can respect the dedication of a Pokemon.
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