Sometimes called Leaf in other variants, Green is the female counterpart of the characters Red and Blue from the Pokemon franchise. Despite appearing in a number of games, there is still a lot that players don't know about this fascinating character. Bubbly, brave, and possibly a few fries short of a happy meal, there are very few challenges this trainer won't try.
She combines an enthusiasm for Pokemon with a competitive spirit and kind heart. The origins of her story in some verses are dark and even sad but don't mistake her for being a villain because that's not the case at all. Learn more about who many consider to be the original Pokemon girl.
10 She Has Never Appeared In Any Pokemon Anime
Despite so many years of anime, Green has yet to show up in any one of them, even the miniseries Pokemon Origins that featured Red and Blue. If the original games were first released today, she most likely would have. She did however make a cameo in Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee.
The tradition of the game's female protagonist being Ash's companion character didn't come into play until the anime was starting its Hoenn arc. The games came before the manga where Green made her initial character appearance and in fact, the first one where she was the female player character sprite came in 2004 via Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green. By that time, the anime was well out of its Kanto region arc so any cameo from her wouldn't have fit the story.
9 Her Absence Was Due To Early Franchise Syndrome
The reason that can probably be attributed to Green's lack of appearance (and possibly Reds') is the frame of time in which she first existed as a character. At that time, Pokemon was still trying to establish itself as a franchise in the world through its many mediums. By shoving too many main characters into one of them (games, anime, manga) it would have made another less interesting for fans to truly focus on. The Pokemon Adventures manga was Green's niche, the Indigo anime was Misty's.
However, once the world got attached to the series that concept was out the window, as game characters almost always play a significant role in the animes now. Except maybe Max, but no one cares about him.
8 She Used To Be A Bad Girl
That's right, Green pulled a Silver and stole her starter Pokemon Squirtle from Professor Oak. To be honest, he probably would have given it to her since she was a new trainer, but the circumstances of her upbringing made her not so socially aware at that time.
When she's being portrayed as Green, she usually has a Venusaur and appears to be a bit more wholesome. While they have the same enthusiastic personality at their core, Green is the one who tends to go off the beaten path more.
7 Her Design Is Based On Drafts Of The Original Lass
Green's design came from early sketches of the Lass trainer, the NPC female players see in pretty much every Pokemon game. They've looked significantly different in every game depending on the region and back in the day used to be brunettes wearing a school uniform of some kind.
It's easy to make the correlation between Green and the Lass because both of them have the same bangs hairstyle, though Green would never be caught dead in a school uniform.
6 Green And Leaf Have Two Very Different Personalities
Leaf is the version of Green who got to have the normal starter trainer routine. She's the wholesome big sister type who is as cute and sweet as her Venusaur. Poor Green in Pokemon Adventures wasn't so lucky with her upbringing and as a result, starts the manga with a far less wholesome personality.
Green went through a lot of character development, making her debut as a thief who scams Red, later becoming his friend, and forming the iconic trio with him and Blue. Later once her personality shifts closer to that of Leaf, she sheds her black dress for the more iconic outfit she wears in the Fire Red and Leaf Green games.
5 Her Favorite Pokemon All Have Nicknames
Pokemon nicknames have never been much of a thing but there are some characters who have them depending on the scenario. For example, in the Indigo anime, the character Ritchies Pikachu was named Sparky in order to avoid auditory confusion with Ash's Pikachu.
On the other hand, it could also be a bonding activity. Green's troubled past and strife she faced in that life could have also been a driving factor in nicknaming her Pokemon since they would have been her only source of comfort at that time.
4 She's A Genius
Something that makes Green stand out compared to other trainers is that she is very very crafty. Using her Ditto to hide her face, she was able to bamboozle many people and use her pretty face to compromise her victims.
Later, her intelligence helped her get her friends out of tight situations many times and in fact, was one of the only people who was able to escape from the tough situation she had fallen into as a child.
3 She Was Stolen Away As A Kid
Most trainers have the same start. They get their first Pokemon from the Professor and head out. Unfortunately for Green, she caught the eye of a wicked villain who was looking for children with powers and was kidnapped by a Ho-Oh that he was controlling.
Raised by the Masked Man, she did his dirty work for him until she managed to escape with a character that might be familiar, Silver. Interestingly, Leaf makes a few references to her troubled past in Pokemon Masters Ex, claiming at one point that "she chooses her own destiny".
2 Silver Is One Of Her Best Friends
Most players know Silver as the grumpy rival from the Pokemon Gold and Silver games. In the context of that story, he's a big jerk, but there is actually quite more to his story that is unknown to many.
While he may be a bit of an edgelord, he considers Green to be a close friend and confidant and even traded Pokemon with her at one point.
1 Evolution Is Her Trainer Specialty
Every single wielder of Pokemon has something they are good at, be it raising a specific type or a specialty when it comes to battling. Green is known as the 'The Evolver' because she's very skilled at getting her Pokemon to evolve quickly.
Green's Squirtle grew pretty quickly, already having been a Wartortle by the time she first appeared and then becoming a Blastoise not long after. She was also able to wield mega evolution with him quickly, which is something that inexperienced trainers canonically tend to have a difficult time utilizing.