Hgss - Blog Posts
mareep and beta mareep, but they’re the shapes and colors of a friend!
love is stored in the mareep!
To celebrate the beginning of the Johto Enjoyer Community (or the JEC), we're starting off strong with a bingo card!
Unlike many other bingos, each square has a task instead of a prompt. The goal here is to encourage everyone to participate in a part of the fandom they might not otherwise---artists can try their hand at writing, fic writers can figure out how to organize moodboards, board creators can practice their drawing skills, and so on! But don't worry, all the minimum requirements (listed at the bottom of this post) are very low, so every task should be accessible to every person regardless of skill level or circumstance!
There's even a prize: a free full-body illustration like styled like Kris above for any pokemon/character (not just within the Pokemon universe) of your choosing, drawn by yours truly! Of course, you can join in without going for the prize, but in order to be eligible, take a look below...
The Rules:
The winner of this event will be chosen by raffle. Every confirmed bingo will earn you one raffle entry. That means that the more bingos you complete, the higher chance you'll have of winning!
To get a bingo, you must complete the tasks of five squares in a row, horizontally or vertically (not diagonally). Each bingo must have five original attempts, even if you've already covered a square in a previous bingo. All task attempts must be centered around Johto in some way, though mentioning other regions is by no means strictly prohibited.
To submit a bingo to the form, you must upload an image of your bingo marked on the card provided below. Then for each task, you can provide either an image (required for the Leave Some Love task) of your attempt or a link to where you've posted it online. You can only submit one bingo per form. Once I've confirmed your bingo, I'll add your entry to the raffle pool!
Not every task attempt has to be posted for the world to see. If you're feeling shy about a particular task, it's perfectly acceptable to submit it directly to the form---remember, you can post privately on Tumblr and no one will be able to see it unless you share the link! However, if you do decide to share it publicly, please use the tag #jec kickoff bingo.
You do not have to be a member of the community to play---This event is open to everyone!
The submission form will close at 2:00 AM CST on March 17th, so you only have two weeks as of posting to participate in the raffle!
Submit your bingo through this link!
The Categories:
(don't worry, all you really need to read here is the colored text. all the plain text is just examples to serve as a jumping-off point!)
Leave Some Love - compliment a blog/piece of work! Try leaving a nice comment under a Tumblr post, other social media posts, or even an AO3 work. Feeling a bit shy? Anonymously message someone who posts regularly about Johto. If you're brave, you might make a public call-out post targeting your some underrated people in the community (as a whole, not just the JEC). There's no one way to do it, but do try to be genuine about your compliments! It's no fun for anyone if you just say is "hey i like your stuff" and leave it at that. Please be mindful of how you submit your compliments---images are required for this task. Also, I can only confirm anon asks before they've been sent.
Draft a Drabble - write a fanfic that is at least 100 words long. For those not in the know, a drabble is a piece of fiction that is exactly 100 words long. Though, it's not a strict definition, as some drabbles may be a little more or a little less. Any subject is allowed as long as it's a creative story---you could write about an event, for example---so don't worry about limiting yourself to characters if that's not your thing!
Dig in the Details - write an analysis on any topic of your choosing. Want to pick apart a character's personality based on their manga dialogue? We'd love to hear it! Got an idea for the best possible competitive team using all Johto pokemon? Go for it! Just really need an excuse to complain about why the level curve is so bad? We've all been there! An essay would likely be the easiest way to do this, but there's no singular best method---you could even make a powerpoint presentation if you wanted!
Pick a Pocket Monster - choose any pokemon to discuss! Whether its your overall favorite, a particular partner you had on one of your playthroughs, or even your most expensive trading card, we want to hear everything that makes this pokemon stand out to you over the rest.
Doodle a Darling - draw a pokemon, character, item, location, or any other subject of your choosing. Drawings do not have to be full illustrations (though they certainly can be), nor is skill/quality a point of judgement here. If you feel like going the extra mile, you could even explain why you chose your particular subject!
Curate a Collection - create a compilation of media based on a certain subject. This might be a moodboard, collage, pinterest board, music playlist, fic rec, or even a gif set! Please keep in mind that as per our community's rules, you may not use any fanworks that you have not created yourself. Make sure to credit the sources of other pieces of media when appropriate.
Fix it with Fanon - share a headcanon/theory/etc. you enjoy! You might know how to fill a plothole from the manga, have an idea on how to fix a weird game mechanic, want to share your favorite AU, or even have a fakemon you designed just for Johto. As long as it's a fandom-original idea, it'll fit the bill!
Convince the Crowd - try to persuade everyone to agree with you on a certain topic! Maybe there's a pokemon type you believe trumps all others, or maybe you're really passionate about which movie it the best. You can also reply to points other people have made if you have an opposing view. Whatever you choose, be respectful when making your argument!
Knicks and Knacks - make an arts-and-crafts project themed around a topic of your choosing. The sky's the limit here---you could try your hand at little accessories like bracelets or pins, cobble together a short zine, make a paper doll, design cool profile icons or web stamps, stitch together an edit or meme, put on some cosplay, and so much more! As long as it's something you made with your own hands (so to speak), anything goes.
Script a Scenario - portray a situation using a medium other than standard illustration/writing. This could include playscripts, comics, texting fics, or even the photo booth feature in Pokemas! If you need to give a short written description to clarify what's going on, that's fine, but it shouldn't be the star of the show.
Free Space - Choose any of the above categories to complete!
The Minimum Requirements:
Images/GIFs - 500x500 px
Writing - 5-6 sentences or ~75 words
Moodboards/Pinterest Boards - 5 images
Collages - 5 main elements (not including minor decorations)
Playlists - 3 songs with a short explanation each
Fanfiction Recs - 3 works with a short explanation each
Made it through all that and still have questions? Feel free to leave them down in the comments and they'll be answered as soon as possible!
Good luck everyone, and mostly importantly, have fun!
Hi! I cleaned up these icons for personal use and thought I'd share them! No credit is needed if you steal them for yourself :) These are 512x512 px instead of the original 32x32, png format
Silver doesn't need another father. He's already got one of those, technically, but the man turned out to be a weak, cowardly bastard who couldn't face his own problems let alone raise a child. The way he sees it, there's no need to set himself for more disappointment. He's got a roof over his head and food to eat, and that's far more than he could ever depend on in the last... however many years he'd been living on the streets. Lance and Clair are annoying as hell, but while he's training in the Dragon Den, he doesn't exactly have much room to complain. Not out loud, anyways.
Lance doesn't particularly want to be a dad either. He's already got too much responsibility on his plate as Champion, and this kid clearly needs so much more emotional support than he feels like he can provide. Simply convincing him to move into his guest room was enough of a struggle, and it only really worked because Lance had promised Silver he could "earn" his keep. What the hell is up with that, anyways? He's not sure what Silver's past looks like, and he's not about to go prying, but the bare minimum he can do is make sure he doesn't have to rough it out in the woods anymore. At least Clair seems to be having fun training him...
Clair is more than ready to be an aunt. The other two refuse to admit to caring for each other, but unlike them, she's not afraid of something as stupid as her emotions. The brat's slowly but surely been mellowing out during his training, and her idiot cousin has actually been taking care of himself for once in order to be a "good example." Silver has even caught on to calling Lance "old man" like she does, on account of those ugly-ass reading glasses the all-mighty Champion has to wear, and she couldn't be prouder. Best part is, she doesn't have to spend a dime except to treat the kid every so often! That's a win in her book if ever there was one.
johto4 body language notes:
Ethan - very loose demeanor, takes up a lot of space (wide stance, manspreading, hands on hips). uses big gestures to include people in conversation such as pointing or waving at people when talking to/about them. Typically very comfortable with entering others' personal space. Can be touchy with friends/family, especially light roughhousing (punching shoulders, ruffling hair, etc.).
Lyra - a lot of hand gestures, especially hand-to-face (covering mouth when surprised, steepling hands when pleased, resting hand on cheek when touched/embarrassed). Usually clasps hands when not using them. Always moving/shifting in place. Almost all facial expressions include a smile regardless of mood.
Kris - hands usually in front of body (crossed arms, holding something, hands in pockets) but keeps a relaxed (but not loose when in a lab/professional setting) stance. Stands upright but not uncomfortably so. Most nonverbal communication occurs with upper body such as exaggerated expressions, pointing with head, shrugging with both head and shoulders. Gets visibly tense when trying to hold her tongue.
Silver - tight stance, may or may not be tense depending on setting/mood. Either arms are crossed or hands are in pockets, not much variance. Very expressive and aware of it, will often attempt to look away or otherwise conceal his face when trying to hide something. Will puff up when angered (set shoulders, lifting face to look down at people, but still keeping arms close to body). Brows are usually furrowed regardless of facial expression.
Sketchy comic except you can tell exactly where I gave up on life:
Pokemon HGSS: Clair
Main Posts: Headcanons
Mentions: Mini Headcanons Silver/Lance/Clair Dragon Clan aragoto
Art: Doodles (pt. 1)
Pokemon HGSS: Karen
Main Posts: Headcanons
Mentions: Mini Headcanons
Art:
Pokemon HGSS: Lance
Main Posts: Headcanons
Mentions: Strength (Giovanni vs Lance) Silver/Lance/Clair Dragon Clan aragoto
Art: Kitchen Troubles
Pokemon HGSS: Silver
Main Posts: Headcanons Gender Thoughts (plus lots of rambling in the tags) Character/Legendary Matchups
Mentions: Strength (Giovanni vs Lance) Mini headcanons Johto4 body language notes Silver/Lance/Clair
Art: Doodles (pt. 1) Uniform brainstorming Quick bust A Bit Rude... Kitchen Troubles HatSilver Miku
Pokemon HGSS: Kris
Main Posts: Headcanons Character/Legendary Matchups
Mentions: Johto4 body language ref notes
Art: Doodles (pt. 1, pt. 2) Timeskip design
Pokemon HGSS: Ethan
Main Posts: Headcanons Character/Legendary Matchups
Mentions: Johto4 body language ref notes
Art: Doodles (pt. 1) Valentine's Day 2025
Pokemon HGSS: Lyra
Main Posts: Headcanons Character/Legendary Matchups
Mentions: Character Bingo Johto4 body language notes
Art: Uniform brainstorming Doodles (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4) A Bit Rude... Johto4 body language ref notes
I see your mtf and ftm Silver headcanons and raise you a Silver who is both masc and fem:
Silver getting taught that being "strong" is the only way to succeed in life,
Silver being surrounded by toxic masculinity in the people around him, in the media he consumes, etc. and learning that men are supposed to be big and strong and while women are passive and weak,
Silver being forced to "look presentable" and "act like a lady" so he can reflect well on Giovanni while his business partners are around,
Silver running away from home and immediately wearing baggy clothes and speaking in a deeper voice and acting like an asshole because that's what guys do, right?,
Silver never completely passing because of his long hair but not being able to cut it short either (and probably hating himself for being so "sentimental"),
Silver finally finding people who support him and figuring out that both being strong and being a guy isn't all it's cracked up to be,
Silver slowly getting back into the "girly" things he spurned as a kid and discovering that it's not nearly as bad as he remembers (and that he might actually enjoy it),
Silver growing and healing and unlearning all the stuff he learned as a kid by embracing both his feminine and masculine sides,
Silver becoming fully comfortable in his skin for the first time ever and finally feeling satisfied with who he is.
Johto Culture/Worldbuilding Headcanons
Since the New Bark Town kids are out of the way, I figured I'd do some basic worldbuilding stuff before we start covering more characters. There's more I'll cover later on, but to start off with, let's go over the general culture of Johto!
As a whole, the people of Johto lean towards more "traditional" values such as putting family first, a sense of obligation towards their communities (national pride/patriotism is very strong in older populations), an emphasis on respect towards elders, etc.
That being said, Johtonians are also very private---typically, what happens behind closed doors stays behind there for better or for worse. That doesn't mean people aren't extremely nosy, just that they wouldn't actively disrupt the public peace with their gossip.
Joint families are the most common form of family unit, though nuclear families have become more prevalent in cities such as Goldenrod due to limited living space. Houses tend to consist of one main living space (usually living room/kitchen/dining room combined) with bedrooms and bathrooms accessed through either a side hallway or a second floor. Sometimes (usually in downtown areas), a family business may be on the first floor while living/private spaces will be located on the second floor.
Similarly to Sinnoh, Johto's history is considered very important and conservation efforts are taken very seriously across the region. However, those efforts are mostly aimed towards preserving current knowledge instead of actively discovering the past, meaning there is still information that gets forgotten and lost to time.
Due to this (and also because of the burning of Brass Tower), Ho-Oh receives much more reverence than Lugia. Before, they were considered the twin guardians of the region and protected the balance between people and pokemon, but now, Ho-Oh has been deified while Lugia is sidelined and nearly forgotten.
Johtonians have a very distinct accent, mostly since they're a bit more secluded compared to other regions. Goldenrod and Saffron City residents have a stronger mix of Johtonian and Kantonian accents mostly due to tourists and commuting workers on the Magnet Train.
Johto exports a large amount of artisanal and handmade goods, especially woodcrafts such as cabinets or other large furniture (it's much more heavily wooded compared to other regions), but the region also has a very successful maritime industry that could almost rival Hoenn's.
Johtonians receive their ID card on their 13th birthday. At that point, they may opt in to take the gym challenge. If they do, they will receive a trainer card that contains information pertinent to the gym challenge on the back, which is then updated with every gym the trainer beats. They will keep the same ID their entire life regardless of whether they complete the challenge.
On a similar note, the age of majority is 20, which is a bit older than most other regions (Sinnoh/Kanto are 18, Hoenn is 17, etc etc.)
Children typically get their first pokemon (also referred to as their starter pokemon) at a very early age. This is to help teach them responsibility and respect for pokemon, and it provides them protection when they're unsupervised.
Public schooling is free up to 13 years age, at which point they can choose to pay to go to secondary school, take a break to go on a pokémon journey and take on the gym challenge, or quit altogether.
Far more often than not, children will take about a year to go on their journey and then go back to school. Upon their return, they generally have the option to skip certain classes (both the ones they missed and future classes) if they're able to put together a decent report detailing their experiences and what they learned on their journey. If not, they may have to catch up and even be forced to graduate a year later than their peers.
Nontraditional scenarios include students returning from their journey earlier or later than a year, students going on their journey and not returning to school, or going on their journey/dropping out of school at older than 13 years (there is technically no upper age limit at which the gym challenge can be started).
Crime rates are pretty low (especially major crimes such as assault, burglary, kidnapping etc.), which is part of the reason why children are allowed to roam the region unsupervised. This is mostly due to heavy restrictions on which/how many pokemon are legal to own, with and without certain permits. Additionally, the maximum number of occupied pokeballs a person is allowed to carry at once is six, although the average person will own at most three pokemon. Such laws are common in other regions, but Johto is more strict about their regulations.
Additionally, since taking care of children is often a community undertaking ("it takes a village to raise a child"), many adults will keep a close eye on nearby kids and keep them out of trouble regardless of whether they're related.
Honorfics are pretty much mandatory, the more so the younger you are. In a casual context, everyone older than the speaker is refered to as Aunt/Uncle no matter their actual age or relation. However, this can be seen as rude if said to someone of a similar age to the speaker. When speaking to strangers and/or people of an unknown age, it's safe to just refer to them as Ma'am/Sir. Grandma/Grandpa is a highly respected honorfic and is reserved for family-use only unless the speaker is invited (the same goes for Mom/Dad, just to a less strict degree). There are other honorfics in common use, but they're usually used in workplace/formal contexts (such as refering to coworkers, public employees, and even hosts if you're staying at someone's home).
Since traveling trainers can’t hold down a steady job, a common way to earn money is just to pop into local businesses and ask if they need help. It’s not guaranteed to work, but most businesses will either find something small for them to do or recommend a different business to ask.
Hospitality is a huge source of pride for most households, especially out in rural areas. It doesn't matter if the visitor is family or a complete stranger, they're to taken care of to the absolute best of a household's abilities. In return, guests treat their hosts with the upmost respect and will often leave tokens of their gratitude. (it's not uncommon for trainers to randomly show up at your door looking to spend the night if you live out in the middle of nowhere)
Live performance tends to be the most popular form of entertainment across the region, including traditional/ceremonial productions, theater, and music. Historical enactments are also very popular during festivals. This is in part because oral storytelling used to be the region's main form of chronicling its history. (There are a few exceptions, such as the Dragon's Den containing extensive records of the Dragon Tamers and the local area, but unfortunately, access to those records is generally very limited.)
Slowpoke tails are somewhat of a local delicacy, but because Slowpoke farms are few and far between (there's strict laws on humane treatment such as how many Slowpoke can be kept on one farm, the space and amenities required to keep them, harvesting methods, etc.), they tend to be quite expensive and typically have to be sourced from the farms themselves. Trying to export them in large enough quantities is even more expensive, especially before the shipping methods are modernized, so for a long time the tails remain purely a Johtonian cuisine.
Couldn't resist giving it a shot :)
hello artists i’d like to present an idea.
Silver but with this hair. i can’t get it outta my head now save me…
Headcanons are going slow but I did manage to get my tablet working long enough for some doodles :) I was just going to do a rendered headshot of Lyra and then it got out of hand. so.
Thinking about Giovanni vs Lance... ground-type vs dragon-type specialist... the ability to stand your ground against any opposition regardless of if you're right or wrong, to be anchored and weathered down and yet to withstand it until you prevail or you're worn to dust... and the ability to take those same struggles but to fly past them instead, to remain sturdy in your beliefs and yet flexible enough to adapt and overcome, to take every hardship as a new scale to add to your armor... two very different versions of strength that Silver is influenced by on his journey to not only become the strongest trainer but also to discover what that means in the first place...
As much as I absolutely adore Dad Lance content, I feel like there's not nearly enough stuff about Clair and Silver! Give me the crazy aunt/weird nephew dynamic, the shift from stubborn grudge to genuine affection and respect, the constant heated bickering that seems serious to most people when it's really just harmless fun, the quiet moments of understanding each other as trainers who will never not have something to prove, the domestic scenarios where they're grabbing lunch after a match in the Dragon’s Den or trying to wrangle some especially rowdy dragon pokemon or working together to pick out a birthday gift for Lance!!!
I've currently got nothing else to share right now. so. take this I guess??
This is just a very rough draft of what Silver and Lyra's gym leader/champion uniforms might look like. It's far from final but idk, I think it looks cool so far! :)
Kris (Pokemon GSC/HGSS) Character Headcanons
And last but certainly not least, it's time for the third of the New Bark Town kids, Kris!
Here's my list of headcanons for her:
Her name is actually Crystal, she just goes by Kris because she likes it better (she spells it with a K because when they were kids, Ethan said it was "cooler" and she thought it was amusing so it stuck)
Her pokemon are Furret, Dunsparce, Slowpoke, and Tauros.
She's four years older than Lyra and Ethan more or less, making her about 20 by the time HGSS rolls around. She's friends with both of them, but because of the age gap and some other stuff I'll cover more in a later post, she becomes more of a tired older sibling figure. This does become a slight point of contention, but once her friends leave on their journeys and mature a bit, they're able to reunite on equal ground and much better terms.
She's super chill most of the time but can be incredibly dry and sarcastic. Despite this she's genuinely and openly supportive of her loved ones a lot and would probably kill for them. (unfortunately for them, she's also not afraid to turn her fury on them too if necessary. Sometimes tough love is valid if your friends are risking their lives by being idiots :D )
She's just a little tiny bit of a know-it-all (like the "erm actually ☝️🤓" kind of know-it-all). She's not afraid to speak up and debate with someone about the subjects she's educated in, and while she always tries to stay civil about it, she can't help the occasional snide comment that slips out. Of course, even though she cares more about being correct than "winning", she can't help but feel a bit smug whenever she's right and sulky when she happens to be wrong.
She's also pretty snarky and even a bit judgemental sometimes, but she was raised to be very polite, so she tries her best to keep it on the down-low. Still, lying to anyone about something shallow always leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, so when she's trying her best not to be rude (usually around strangers---she lets loose more around her friends), she'll get really vague or just refuse to say anything if it's really bad.
She's already been on her own journey when she was around 13-14, during which she managed to get most of the badges and dominated the Battle Tower (which has expanded into the Battle Frontier by the time HGSS rolls around. She likes to visit from time to time when she needs to blow off steam). She probably could've gotten all of the badges if she hadn't gotten tired of it. She's a very family-oriented person, so being away from home for so long wore on her nerves.
She doesn't battle often anymore, mostly just to exercise her pokemon, but she can still hold her own even against ace trainers. This is mostly because she uses a lot more strategy compared to most people, as she's able to come up with plans on how to defeat an opponent even if she's never seen their team before thanks to her extensive knowledge of pokemon. However! if her plans happen to get knocked off track, it's much easier to overpower her team.
She takes over the lab from Elm, though it doesn't happen until he's basically forced to retire (the man loves his work, ok?). He still hangs around though especially since his home is literally on the second floor.
She also specializes in evolution, but instead of focusing on breeding like he did, she's more interested in requirement-based evolution (like why some pokemon will remain in their first stage of evolution despite being old enough/having the experience to evolve. or why some pokemon need certain items to evolve. or why some pokemon evolve with trading. stuff like that. it's definitely a wide field but she enjoys the variety a lot).
She has this habit of flicking people's heads if she's annoyed with them. Light flick? she's being lighthearted. Painful flick? she's actually upset. Oftentimes she'll flick herself if she's particularly stumped on something, usually to do with her research.
She owns a bicycle her parents bought from Goldenrod and takes it absolutely everywhere---girl could probably ride across the entire region if she wanted to.
Her pokegear is horrendously outdated, and the screen is so cracked it's a miracle it still works. Regardless, she refuses to get a new one because "it turns on just fine."
She has the worst handwriting known to mankind, but she still insists on scribbling everything down herself. It's like a rite of passage for every new researcher to try and decipher her notes well enough to transpose them into the lab's computer system.
Her love language is sending pictures to her friends. except. most of the time it'll either be motion-blurred pics of random pokemon with captions like "good find today👍" or the world's most incomprehensible memes.
Despite teasing her friends about talking too much, she can be just as bad when talking about any vein of pokemon science, especially with fellow colleages/researchers. She's much more of a nerd than she likes to let on.
Pokemon HGSS: Post Masterlist
Anything on this list that does not have a hyperlink is something I plan on covering in the future! please be patient in the meanwhile :)
Characters: Lyra Ethan Kris Silver Lance Elite Four (Will, Koga, Bruno, Karen) Gym Leaders (Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Jasmine, Chuck, Pryce, Clair) Team Rocket
Main Lore: Pokemon/Indigo League Basics Johto Culture Character/Legendary Matchups
Art: Doodle requests (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3) Mixed character doodles (pt.1, pt. 2 ) Lyra/Silver League uniforms? Lyra/pokemon doodles Silver bust More Lyra doodles Timeskip Kris doodle HatSilver Miku Eye reference chart Valentine's Day 2025
Misc Posts: Mini Headcanons (pt. 1) Voidpunk Sabrina Strength (Giovanni vs Lance) Clair and Silver content?? Linguistics are hard Johto4 body language ref notes Silver/Lance/Clair Alignment charts Dragon Clan aragoto Just for Fun: Character Bingo Pinterest Board (you can infer a lot of stuff here that i haven't covered in posts btw ;)c wink wink)
Ethan (HGSS) Character Headcanons
Continuing with the New Bark Town trio headcanons!
Starring Ethan next:
So unlike Lyra, Ethan doesn't really do anything in the main storyline (same as the games, really, if you choose Lyra as the player character).
I thought maybe it would be cool if he had some kind of connection to the legendary beasts? since I associate Silver with Ho-Oh and and Lyra with Lugia. So basically, he experiences the Suicune/Eusine subplot instead of Lyra
I think the way it would go is that while he's out on his journey, he happens to encounter one of (or all of) the legendary beasts but it's scared off by the arrival of Eusine. Ethan asks what in the world just happened and Eusine starts explaining the ✨lore✨. He ends up accompanying Eusine on his quest in the hopes of another legendary encounter (though he doesn't really care about Eusine's reasons. he's used to just nodding along to Lyra's infodumping and Eusine isn't really any different. so). Slowly though, he starts to warm up to Eusine, genuinely getting invested in his efforts to bring back the legendary beasts and learning a bit about maturity/empathy on the way. It ends at Cerulean Cape like in the games, except Ethan doesn't catch Suicune and the event is left on a hopeful note that the beasts can in fact regain their trust in humanity.
His maternal grandmother was very hard on his mom during her child, so he ended up getting raised with much more relaxed rules. Unfortunately, rarely getting in genuine trouble, he kind of got used to getting away with more than he really should've. He ended up a little too confident and even a little self-centered at times as a result, though he's never intentionally mean-spirited.
A huge part of his character arc involves figuring out what he wants to do with his life. Living in a tiny town such as New Bark, he was always convinced that he had to go out and do Big Things™ with his life---and he kind of does while he's out with Eusine and later competing in the Pokelathon. But while doing so, he ends up overlooking what really matters: the people (and pokemon) close to him. And eventually he learns that not only is it fine to have an "average" life, it's actually kinda preferable in some ways.
(unfortunately the exact timeline/story beats are still very much undecided. so. can't elaborate on the specifics for now :/ )
After Lyra chose Totodile and Silver stole Chikorita, he was left with Cyndaquil. He already had a starter pokemon (Marill) but since Cyndaquil was left by itself, Elm decided to offer it to Ethan and he was like "yeah why not." His third pokemon is a Pichu, specifically the spiky-eared Pichu (how'd get it without already having a shiny Pichu? Great question, moving on---).
He was the first person to really bring Lyra out of her shell when they were kids. Back then, she had the impulsive ideas but he was the one to actually go through with them. Some of their antics included climbing the windmills in New Bark Town, sneaking into the pen of a very wild pokemon Elm was studying, and sailing down the river on Route 27 all the way to the ocean on a poorly made raft, none of which were very successful. Kris tried to do damage control when she could, but as a research assistant there was no way to keep an eye on them at all times.
He's actually the weaker battler compared to Lyra and Kris, but what he lacks in skill he makes up for in sheer willpower. by which I mean he likes to act big and cocky and tough when he really isn't. Dude loves his pokemon but just has no idea how to battle, he just does whatever feels right in the moment.
He still loves competition though, so when the chance came to compete in the Pokeathlon he was absolutely pumped. He and his pokemon are later considered one of the best teams, and he kinda becomes a celebrity---not necessarily mobbed on the streets, but definitely a well-known name to anyone who keeps up with the sport.
While he's competing, he lives with his grandparents in Goldenrod and helps out around their daycare. They don't initially approve of his participation, but he gets money for winning and he promotes the daycare every chance he gets so they can't really complain.
Partially due to the advertising, business at the daycare blows up and Ethan eventually "retires" to focus on it. He doesn't bother announcing it or anything, he just kinda stops showing up to the Dome. When interviewed about it, he responds "oh yeah, I'm actually done competing lol. anyways if you need any top-tier daycare services---"
He ends up taking over the daycare for his grandparents once they're older and it's too much for them to handle. He occasionally helps Elm with his research since he deals with pokemon eggs and evolutions so often.
Between the Pokelathon and helping out at the daycare, Ethan gains a decent amount of muscle. It gets to the point where he can just throw his friends over his shoulder without warning and parade them around, and it's his favorite thing ever. Kris will just hang there chilling, Lyra will burst into laughter until she's set down, and Silver will either quietly sulk or cuss Ethan out depending on the mood he's in.
He's cousins with Red on his dad's side! They both know the basics of Kantonian Sign Language because sometimes, it's easier to sign than miming or pulling out their pokegears to communicate when Red goes mute (though it's not their main form of communication). He really looked up to Red as a kid, so when his older cousin goes missing, he takes it as best as he can even though it's still really hard on him.
He cuts his own hair because it "looks cool." Eventually he figures out how to do it well, but for a while his hair just looks like he put it under a weed eater and called it good.
Despite getting flak from his friends for occasionally lacking common sense, he actually grows to be very emotionally intelligent. He's easily able to pick up on what other people are feeling and works around that during conversations, which is part of the reason he gets along with almost everyone (helps that's he's super charismatic---not in an attractive way necessarily, just a big lovable dork kind of way)
He's naturally extremely friendly, but he also returns exactly the attitude he's given. He and Silver's friendship has a very rocky beginning, with the two of them tolerating each other for Lyra's sake until they manage to find common ground (and Silver becomes a little less of an ass)
He's the kind of guy to wear shorts no matter the weather. It's fine when he's living in New Bark Town, but unfortunately for him Goldenrod tends to be a bit more chilly. Not that he'd ever actually admit to being cold, of course---he's too cool for that (pun intended)
He hands out nicknames left and right---Crystal, Lyra, and Silver are Kris, Ly, and Silv respectively. The more he dislikes someone, the more outlandish (and/or insulting) their nickname tends to be.
Ok fine I caved.
Not a headcanon, just pointing it out: I feel like soulsilvershipping tends to be "I can fix him" while preciousmetalshipping is "I can make him worse."
Just... just imagine all three of them in a relationship, Lyra and Ethan pulling Silver in opposite directions in an endless battle of tug-of-war.
Not a headcanon, just pointing it out: I feel like soulsilvershipping tends to be "I can fix him" while huntershipping is "I can make him worse."
Just... just imagine all three of them in a relationship, Lyra and Ethan pulling Silver in opposite directions in an endless battle of tug-of-war.
Lyra (HGSS) Character Headcanons
HGSS character headcanons that no one asked for? Hell yeah let's go!
Starting off strong with Lyra:
Lyra is the "main" protag mostly because she's who I played as a kid. She's the one who collects the badges, fights with Silver, becomes Champion, confronts the legendaries, etc etc.
She ends up choosing Totodile at the beginning of the game, and her final team ends up as Feraligatr, Togekiss, Ampharos, Umbreon, and Skarmory (who's her sixth pokemon? no idea :] but I'm open to suggestions)
She and Ethan are childhood friends, and Kris is kind of like a cool older friend/sibling figure to them both (though this dynamic equalizes as they get older)
I like to think she's around 15-16 years old by the time she goes on her journey?? old enough to be a mostly independent person but young enough to find herself in wacky scenarios and get away with it. It is a bit older than the average age kids on Johto will start their journey though (about 13)
She's not naturally the most outgoing person but is very friendly and even a little overeager sometimes---she tends to leave a very strong impression on the people she meets. She can also be very talkative/loud, especially when she gets excited. She keeps it to a minimum a majority of the time but sometimes she just can't help herself.
Her stubborness and optimism is absolutely relentless. No matter how many times she's knocked down, she'll get up again and wipe the blood from her face with a smile even if she's lowkey dying inside.
She can be a bit of a pushover, but in the sense that she'll put up with way more bull than she really needs to. Not because she's too afraid to stand up for herself or anything, she just has a hard time recognizing when enough is enough sometimes.
She absolutely adores pokemon, and she probably would've become a researcher under Elm or worked for Ethan's grandparents at the daycare (she's basically their adopted granddaughter). When she was younger, she was out of the house a lot, so whatever time wasn't spent with Ethan usually involved her hanging around the lab (even if she wasn't allowed to actually do much).
Combine her love of pokemon with an impulsive nature, general lack of fear, and absolutely no self-preservation, and you get someone who has casually approached actively dangerous pokemon just to check them out and say hi on multiple occasions (this is basically what happened at the Lake of Rage. She just happened to see the red Gyrados and sprinted at it full speed).
Growing up in a small rural town away from any gyms, she didn't get to meet many trainers until she started her journey. As a result, she doesn't understand the concept of actually training her team until she befriends Silver at the Dragon's Den. She's just like "training? oh you mean like when I run around and play with my pokemon and give them treats n stuff?" and Silver responds with "how the hell have you made it this far"
That's not to say she's bad at battling! Quite far from it actually, considering the fact she literally beats the E4/Lance, some of the strongest trainers in Johto and Kanto. It helps that she takes the time to really talk to and understand her team, so their communication skills (both spoken and nonverbal) in battle are almost unmatched. Paired with quick reactions and adaptability, she's a trainer who can still give more experienced opponents a challenge.
Once she becomes Champion she spreads herself all over the place. She can't stand to stay still for too long, so once she's done with one project she'll leap right into the next one. This would be fine if she could actually tell when she's starting to overwork herself, so she often has to be dragged away from her work if she's burning out too bad.
One of her many projects includes the restoration of the Brass Tower (the Burned Tower in HGSS). The idea had originally been an offhand comment from Morty, but she ended up hopping fully on board and it became a joint effort. Once reconstruction is complete, she opens the first floors of both towers to the public---it took a lot to convince the sages of the Tin Tower to allow people in but Morty has a lot of influence as both a gym leader and avid preserver of local culture---and it serves as a way for Johtonians to learn about and connect to their history.
As Champion, her reputation is basically "will crush your entire pokemon team with a smile on her face." She's nowhere near cruel or harsh---if anything, she's actively supportive of her challengers---but she also refuses to go easy on anyone.
She'll keep her team in their balls while traveling or in busy areas, but she loves to let them out at every possible opportunity. Once she gets her own home
She grew up in a lake town (I imagine the river on Route 45 opens up into a small lake east of New Bark Town before continuing down Route 27 to the ocean), so she knows how to swim and loves the water.
On the other hand, she despises flying. She can fly on her pokemon in an emergency, she'll just have her eyes squeezed shut and hold on for dear life the entire time. It's one of the very few things she's genuinely afraid of even if she'd never admit it.
She also hates cold weather, being naturally cold-blooded herself. It wasn't too bad in New Bark Town since the weather there is fairly pleasant, but once she travelled north it became more of a problem. She very rarely complains out loud, but when she does, it's usually about the cold.
She loves warm savory foods, especially anything with rice. Curry is one of her favorites (if she ever visits Galar she'd have the time of her life).
Her knee gets a little messed up from all the dangerous fun stuff she gets herself into (though both knees are already scarred up from her childhood adventures). As it turns out, constantly hurting the same joint isn't very good for you! She gets a knee brace sometime in her twenties but often forgets to wear it until her knee starts to Hurt or her friends nag her about it.
School was Not A Good Time for Lyra. Even if she couldn't tell she was audhd, the people around her definitely could. Combine constant nagging from teachers with alienation from her peers, and by the time primary school rolled to a close, Lyra was almost glad her mom couldn't be bothered to pay for secondary school.
So I got a new style awhile ago
early 20s ?? mostly lyras so i can force myself to learn how to draw braids