Part 42: Omni's Asides - Green
EDIT: I couldn't wait for a new page. Also I accidentally hit post.Pokemon Special Differences: Green
Gary. Oak. Gary motherfucking Oak. If there was ever a character who was more of a smug little shit always there before you ASSHOLE then they'd eventually find that they were a loser and Gary was there first. Fuck him. Fuck Gary Oak!
So I guess it's a good thing that Green Oak is nothing like Gary. Where Gary was smug and condescending, surrounding himself with pomp and circumstance, Green is very focused and serious. At the beginning of the manga, we see Green battling Mew with his Charmander, immediately realizing he can't win he returns his Pokemon, something the hot blooded Red considers cowardly, before getting his own ass kicked by Mew. Green tells Red that he needs training if he ever wants to be a real trainer, and winds up kicking off Red's journey, as the boy was content being the top shit of Palette town before that.
Green's ultimately TOO analytical and focused, he continues to attack a Kangaskhan who he cannot capture, not realizing that it was defending its sick child and not focused on fighting him, however in meeting Red the barriers he put up and his emotional distance disappeared. He's very much both Piccolo and Vegeta, minus the outright villainy of the latter. A competent, composed trainer who's interactions with the emotional almost childish protagonist open up his heart and emotions. As time goes on, Green becomes much more open to his Pokemon as well as other people, and in fact the major statement made in his final battle with Red is "He's become much more like Red" mostly in his ability to adjust for things that happen outside of his knowledge base.
In our comparisons of the characters as RPG classes, Green is very much the Wizard. Very smart, and very powerful, but rigid, and without proper preparation they'll be taken down a notch. And, really, it helps that despite Green's cold demeanor, he has a very good heart. The first real vision of this we see is when Red learns he's disappeared on his travel to Pokemon Tower, having learned that Ghosts have forced the townsfolk out and denied Pokemon their graves, he seeks to solve the problem to help people even if he doesn't say as much. There he winds up mind controlled by Koga along side his army of Zombies. No seriously.
Green however shows off his mind when breaks free of the control, and make no mistake, Green is an excellent trainer. Oh right and he's a stone cold fucking killer.
Backstory wise, Green was trained by Chuck, the fighting Gym Leader from the Johto region, and Green was an angry shit because everyone considered him just Oak's grandson Chuck let him know that wasn't going to be a problem, because as far as Chuck was concerned Green was just a student, and he was going to teach him to not just be a good trainer by battling, but a good trainer because he himself was strong.
When it comes to Pokedex holder abilities, Green is the aptly named Trainer which in practice refers to Greens Pokemon being a higher level than his compatriots and this is very in line with Greens character. During a small story where Green and Red trade pokemon by accident, Greens Pokemon are so well disciplined they carry on with their own training without him, and he takes the time to train Red's pokemon while he has them. In the Yellow arc, Green would serve as Yellow's teacher, training her to become strong enough to face the Elite 4 and save Red and in the GSC arc he takes the role of Viridian Gym Leader when Red proves unable to take the job himself. Green naturally leads himself to training, becoming stronger himself and training others.
What's most likable about Green is that he's not just a dick head who's there to give Red someone to beat. He's his own character, and honestly he's quite respectful of those around him, never coasting by on what he is and always focusing on improving. Protective of his friends and his hometown and always determined no matter how the situation stacks against him.
In the Yellow arc, beyond serving as Yellows mentor, he finds himself facing off against Agatha along side Koga, having previously fought her before. He's able to overcome her with Koga's seeming death, and eventually reunites with Red. That reunion is what lead him to search for Mount Silver, as he said when Red finishes his Gym Leader exam for the position of Viridians Gym Leader. Red NEVER healed from the frost bite and suffering inflicted upon him by Lorelei, and had been walking wounded for the past two years.
His suggestion then, is to act in Red's stead until Red has healed enough to take the position (Though he winds up taking it full time), also his sister Daisy starts dating Bill at this time, which pisses him off to no end. As the Viridian Gym Leader he winds up facing Chuck in the Gym Leader vs Gym Leader tournament and defeats him with his Rhydon.
In the FRLG arc, He and Red are travelling together (and he's left a robot and a team of Pokemon to manage the gym for him) when they are ordered to relinquish their Pokedex's and through the battles on the isle, Green serves as the voice of reason to Red, more cautious although still as quick to lose his cool the moment his family is in danger. In the Pokemon Tower, Green trades Red his Charizard for Venusaur, so that Red has a healthy flyer to take him to the final battle vs Giovanni. It is then that Mewtwo makes the observation of them being FireRed and LeafGreen and for that ONE SHITTY PUN I will always call him Green.
At the end of the arc, He, like the other Dex holders who took part, are frozen in stone until the Emerald Arc, where Jirachi is used to heal them. Beyond that, he's played a mostly tertiary role...
UNTIL HE SHOWED UP OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE IN XY. Talking with Diantha and dropping hints at "Z" existing, He's also now hanging around with X, so yeah, pretty fucking stoked, since usually the old protagonists don't show up again until they have to.
Now lets go over Greens team.
Charizard - His starter, seen as the 'Hardest' pokemon to start a RGB playthrough with, it fits with his overall demeanor as the rival character, and of course it has a type advantage over Red's starter. Though like before, starter does not mean FIRST pokemon in Adventures.
Scizor - THIS is Green's starter pokemon, his Scyther, the pokemon who trained with him as he fought Chuck and eventually evolved in the GSC arc. Overall it's another pokemon that just fits the cool 'Rival' design.
Porygon 2 - Green got this Porygon from the slot machines, and it was the build up to him and Red switching teams for a chapter, eventually he evolved it to Porygon 2, and most likely he'll evolve it to Porygon-Z in XY if it comes to that.
Golduck - Surfer, ability to use Psychic powers to see through the Pokedex, Lets Green communicate without speaking? These are the reasons I love special, Pokemon have so many different applications. Anyway, Golduck is a fine Pokemon.
Machamp - So the funny story with Machamp, the event we've mentioned with the parties switching? this was the main reason his Machoke ever evolved into Machamp. Regardless if we're looking at team composition, it gives him a nice power house to use, which really fits his overall character.
Rhyperior - His token Ground type so he still gets that sweet sweet Earth Badge money. More seriously it was due to Giovanni's previous specialization in Ground types and writing the LITERAL BOOK on Rhydon (as well as how to power it up to Rhyperior) that Green even took up the Pokemon. It's an interesting take since he's obviously using his enemies tactics and knowledge to fill the slot in his party. Also tends to be a Go-To pokemon these days.