Editing Ethan

{{Character
| name=Ethan
| image=[[Image:Gold2.jpg|150px]]
| caption=Ethan as seen in ''[[Pokémon: HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions]]
| bgcolor=#660000
| fgcolor=#FFFFFF
| real name=
| height=4'11"
| weight=88.2 lbs.
| species=Human
| hair=Black
| eyes=Black
| relatives=Mother (as protagonist)<br />Daycare Couple (as NPC - grandparents)
| base=New Bark Town
| affiliation=
| voiced by=Ted Sroka (2019)
| debut=''[[Pokémon: Gold and Silver Versions|Pokémon: Gold/Silver Versions]]''
|}}

'''Ethan''' (previously known as '''Gold''' in fan circles) is a character who was introduced as the main character of ''[[Pokémon: Gold and Silver Versions]]'', the second generation games of the ''[[Portal: Pokémon|Pokémon]]'' series. In ''[[Pokémon: Crystal Version|Pokémon: Crystal]]'', ''[[Pokémon: HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions|HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions]]'', the player can choose between playing as a male or female character. Ethan is present as the male protagonist, and if the female protagonist is selected instead in ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'', then Ethan instead exists as a non-playable supporting character. He has two female counterparts: [[Kris]] in ''Crystal'' and [[Lyra]] in ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver''.

=Background=

==As Player Character==

Ethan originally lived in New Bark Town with his mother. He occasionally performed favors for his neighbor, [[Professor Elm]], which eventually led to the beginning of his career as a Pokémon trainer when Professor Elm sent him to visit Mr. Pokémon and find out about his latest discovery. Professor Elm entrusted him with one of three newly discovered Pokémon (either [[Chikorita]], [[Cyndaquil]] or [[Totodile]]) to serve as his partner. In ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', Elm had Ethan let the Pokémon follow him around instead of putting it in a Pokéball to study the effect on the Pokémon. At Mr. Pokémon's house, Ethan received Mr. Pokémon's discovery, Pokémon Egg, and also met [[Professor Oak]], who saw great potential in Ethan and gave him a [[Pokédex]].

However, he then found out that someone had broken into Professor Elm's lab and stolen one of the Pokémon. He stumbled upon the culprit, [[Silver]], and battled him. Silver had picked a Pokémon with a type advantage over Ethan's. Regardless of whether or not he won the battle, Silver then left, and Ethan learned his name in the process. Upon his return to Elm's lab, Elm was cheered from the robbery by the news of the Pokémon Egg and Professor Oak. Elm than suggested that Ethan set out to take the Pokémon Gym challenge. After saying goodbye to his mother (who offered to save part of the money he earned in battles for him), Ethan left New Bark Town to travel Johto.

Ethan traveled from town to town and defeated all eight of the gym leaders to earn their badges. Along the way, he also held onto the Pokémon egg until it hatched into a [[Togepi]], met with his childhood friend [[Lyra]] several times in ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'', had several rematches with Silver (who eventually learned the errors of his ways through his battles with Ethan) and also had several battles with [[Team Rocket]], who were trying to reform themselves despite [[Giovanni]]'s retirement and subsequent disappearance. In those battles with Team Rocket, Ethan was aided by the famed dragon trainer [[Lance]]. In order to earn his last gym badge, he became the first dragon trainer since Lance to win the dragon user's challenge of Blackthorn City (in the ''Crystal'' version as well as ''HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver''). Ethan then became the champion of Johto and the neighboring country of [[Kanto]] after defeating the [[Elite Four]] and Lance, who was the reigning champion.

This was not the end of Ethan's journey, as Professor Elm had another gift for him in the form of an S.S. ticket, which Ethan used to travel to Kanto on the S.S. Aqua, which sailed from the port of Olivine City in Johto to Vermilion City in Kanto. There, Ethan encountered many more Pokémon creatures and also battled through the eight gym leaders of Kanto. Professor Oak was astonished by this feat and arranged for Ethan to have permission to travel to Mt. Silver, which was filled with dangerous Pokémon. There, he found one final challenge in the heart of Mt. Silver, in the form of the former champion [[Red]]. Ethan was able to best Red in battle. His later exploits remain unknown, although in ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'', there were still more Pokémon for him to pursue, as well as a Battle Frontier that he could challenge.

==As Non-Playable Character==

Ethan was the grandson of the Day-Care Couple who lived on Route 34, and he lived in New Bark Town with his parents. When Lyra began her Pokémon journey, he confronted her and showed her how to catch Pokémon, and he gave her several Pokéballs. He then showed up when she reached Route 34 and introduced her to his grandparents. Ethan gave his Pokégear number to Lyra, because he said that was what trainers did, denying his grandparents' assumptions that they were a couple. 

He also met Lyra in Goldenrod City's underground tunnel, where he gave her a fashion case. Ethan was mostly found at New Bark Town during the game, where he would  provide Lyra with a star for her trainer card after she completed a challenge of collecting five shining leaves. He also showed up at Celadon City to talk about the Gamefreak floor of the Pokémon Mansion and could possibly appear as a fan of Lyra's at the Battle Hall. He also played a part in the [[Celebi]] event, in which he was teleported back in time with Lyra.

His only known Pokémon are [[Marill]] and a [[Rattata]] that he catches during the tutorial, as well as several Pokémon that he mentions during [[Pokégear]] calls: [[Tauros]], [[Bulbasaur]], [[Porygon]] and [[Tangela]].

=In Other Pokémon Games=

Ethan was featured in ''[[Pokémon Puzzle Challenge]]'' as the protagonist of the Challenge Mode, which covers his quest through the Johto League. In ''[[Pokémon Go]]'', pieces of Ethan's ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' outfit were made available as free Style options during the Johto Festival in August 2018.

In ''[[Pokémon Masters EX]]'', Ethan appeared with a Cyndaquil as a playable sync pair that could be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature. His Cyndaquil could be evolved into Quilava and Typhlosion through Sync Pair Stories in which he battled [[Kahili]] and [[Blaine]], respectively.  A Sygna Suit variant of Ethann paired with Lugia was also made available during limited time periods starting at the end of May 2022. He was depicted as the protagonist of the second generation games in this appearances.

Ethan also played a role in the Legendary Event "Pure Hearts and Golden Wings", where he and Silver searched for Ho-oh together, with the Legendary Pokémon ultimately choosing Silver as its partner. He was later featured in the Johto Chapter of the Villain Arc, in which he joined in the efforts against Team Rocket. Ethan, Kris and Lyra each obtained a Legendary Pokémon and a matching sygna suit for the occasion. Once they took on Team Rocket, Kris and Lyra stayed behind to battle [[Ariana]], while Ethan and Silver went on ahead. Ethan defeated [[Archer]] and then joined in on Silver's battle against [[Giovanni]]. Although Silver had warned Ethan not to get involved, he ultimately accepted Ethan's help, and together the two of them were able to drive Giovanni back. Afterwards, Silver acknowledged Ethan as his rival, and Kris and Lyra assured Ethan that this was their way of becoming closer.

=Other Appearances=

==Other Media==

[[image:Gold.png|150px|right|thumb|Ethan as he appeared in the original games]]
*In the ''Pokémon'' anime, Ethan's counterpart was named Jimmy. His starter Pokémon was [[Cyndaquil]], and he was featured in a ''Pokémon Chronicles'' episode with two other trainers. One of the other trainers is an anime version of Kris (the original female counterpart to Ethan), known as Marina, whose starter was a Totodile. Jimmy, Marina and Vincent later made a cameo appearance in the ''Pokémon Journeys'' series, where they were seen watching [[Lance]] and [[Diantha]]'s battle during the Masters 8 tournament on television. A character using Ethan's ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' design also made a cameo appearance fighting Ash during the opening of the thirteenth ''Pokémon'' movie.
*Gold was featured in the ''Pokémon Adventures'' manga, starting in the ''Gold''/''Silver''/''Crystal'' arcs. He is shown to come from a family which already has a group of Pokémon as pets, although he only takes one Pokémon from his family home with him (not counting his [[Poliwag]] which he loses, but returns to him in time to evolve into a [[Politoed]]). He sets out with a [[Cyndaquil]] as his starter Pokémon initially to hunt down Silver after catching him steal [[Professor Elm]]'s [[Totodile]], but as he progresses he sees that Silver is not so bad and winds up entangled in the plans of the newly revived Team Rocket. They go missing after a battle with [[Pryce|the Mask of Ice]] in which they are believed dead, but they are rescued and kept safe by [[Entei]]. Gold later plays a vital role in the final battle against the Mask of Ice, being trapped in the time portal with him and using a newly-hatched [[Pichu]] to free [[Celebi]], trapping Pryce in time while Gold is able to escape safely. He later appeared in the ''Emerald'' arc, complete with armor that is an imitation of [[Archie]]'s Guile armor, to fool him as part of Crystal's plan to use [[Jirachi]]'s wish to revive the trainers whom had been petrified in stone. After they are revived, the ten Pokédex trainers unite to defeat Archie and the imitation [[Kyogre]]. He later starred in the ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' arc. Among the Pokédex trainers, Gold's specialty is described as Pokémon breeding, as shown in his hatching of [[Togepi]] and Pichu (which was born to [[Pikachu]] owned by Red and Yellow). He is shown as being more immature then Red and with quirks such as wearing goggles, riding a scooter instead of the standard bicycle and using billiard cues to launch Pokéballs.
*In the ''Pokémon Generations'' anime, he made small appearances in one episode about his and Lance's battle with Team Rocket by the Lake of Rage.
*Ethan made a cameo appearance in the ''Pokémon Evolutions'' anime, in which he was seen from behind walking through Ecruteak City.

=Trivia=

*Like all of the playable protagonists in the main ''Pokémon'' games, his name is selected by the player. 'Gold' was originally assumed to be his name by fans, following the precedent of [[Red]]'s canon name, but ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' later introduced 'Ethan' as a canon name for the character, as it was used as the set name for his his non-playable incarnation. Ethan has since been used as his name outside of those games, such as in his ''Pokémon Masters EX'' appearance.
**He is called 'Hibiki' in Japanese, which matches a Japanese word that can mean "echo" or "sound". This matches Lyra, whose English and Japanese names both reference musical instruments.
*Ethan is the only male player character of the series to have two different female counterparts: Kris was the original counterpart featured in ''Crystal Version''. ''HeartGold''/''SoulSilver'' instead featured Lyra, who had a different design.
*In ''Pokémon Crystal'', Ethan does not appear when playing as the female player character, but his sprite is used to represent other players who the player links up with and trainers at the Trainer House in Viridian City.
*According to an early pamphlet for ''Gold''/''Silver'', Ethan was intended to have an older brother at some point in development.
*In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', one of the Pokémon Trainer's alternate costumes uses a color scheme that seems to be based on the color scheme of Ethan's clothing from the original versions of the second generation games.

{{Pokemon Characters}}

[[Category: Pokémon Characters]][[Category: Pokémon Protagonists]]