Kris (game)

The subject of this article has no official name. The name currently in use is a fan designator; see below for more information.

This article is about the female protagonist whose default name is クリス in the Japanese version of Pokémon Crystal. For the male player character in Pokémon Crystal with the same Japanese name, see Ethan (game).

Crystal (game) redirects here. For the game titled "Pokémon Crystal Version", see Pokémon Crystal Version.

Kris クリス Kris
Art from Crystal
Gender	Female
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Teal*, Navy Blue*
Hometown	New Bark Town
Region	Johto
Relatives	Mom
Trainer class	Pokémon Trainer, player character
Generation	II
Games	Crystal, Pokémon Stadium 2
Anime counterpart	Marina
Counterpart debut	The Legend of Thunder!
Manga counterpart(s)	Crystal, Chris

Kris (Japanese: クリス Kris) is the female playable character in Pokémon Crystal. Her male counterpart is Ethan.

She was the first female player character in the core series games, a feature that would be carried on in subsequent game releases.

As she only appears in Pokémon Crystal, she has the fewest appearances by a player character in the core series. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, she is replaced by Lyra.

Storyline in the games

Kris's journey as a Pokémon Trainer begins when Professor Elm asks her to run an errand for Mr. Pokémon, who lives north of Cherrygrove City. Because she may encounter dangerous wild Pokémon along the way, Elm gives her a choice between three Pokémon to protect her: Cyndaquil, Totodile, or Chikorita.

Kris meets a boy watching Elm's Lab from outside. When she tries to talk to him, the boy abruptly shoves her away. The boy, Silver, will become Kris's rival, analogous to Blue in Generation I.

Kris continues onward and finally meets Mr. Pokémon and completes her errand. While there she meets Professor Oak who, upon realizing Kris's bond with her new Pokémon, gives her a Pokédex. On her way back home, Kris again meets Silver, who has stolen one of Elm's remaining Pokémon. After defeating the boy in battle, she learns his name and relays it to the police in New Bark Town. Professor Elm allows Kris to keep the Pokémon she chose earlier, and encourages her to compete in the Johto League.

From there Kris begins on a Pokémon journey in the Johto region, facing off against its eight Gym Leaders, defeating and disbanding the newly reformed Team Rocket, and becoming Pokémon League Champion by defeating the Elite Four and its previous Champion, Lance at Indigo Plateau. Along the way she also teaches Silver to respect Pokémon as living creatures and not just as tools for battle. Kris also uncovered the mystery of the Tin Tower and its legendary Pokémon, Entei, Suicune, and Raikou.

After being declared the Pokémon League Champion, Kris then takes a short trip on a ship, the S.S. Aqua, from Olivine City to Vermilion City in Kanto. Journeying across that region, she battles against its own set of eight Gym Leaders, including two new faces, Janine, who replaced her father Koga on his promotion to the Elite Four, and Blue, who was formerly Pokémon League Champion himself, and replaced Giovanni after the latter fled. Upon getting permission from Professor Oak in Pallet Town, Kris heads for Mt. Silver via Route 28. Her journey comes to a close when she faces the Champion from Pallet Town Pokémon Trainer Red deep in Mt. Silver Cave, who had been training there since shortly after he became Pokémon League Champion three years prior.

Artwork

File:Cryskris.png	File:Game Freak Kris.jpg	File:Kris Portrait.png
Walking	Relaxing with Togepi	Using the PokéGear with Misdreavus	Posing for a portrait

Sprites

Sprite from Crystal	Overworld sprite from Crystal	Back sprite from Crystal	Portrait from the credits in Stadium 2	Unused PokéGear icon from HeartGold and SoulSilver

Optional names

Japanese	English	French	German	Italian	Spanish
クリス Kris チホ Chiho キヨミ Kiyomi サトコ Satoko	Kris Amanda Juana Jodi	Christy Sophie Nicole Jeanne	Krista Sina Mandy Tabitha	Kristy Gaia Cinzia Luisa	Cristi María Susana Yolanda

Counterparts

Marina, Kris's anime counterpart

In the anime

Main article: Marina (Johto)

Marina, one of the main characters in The Legend of Thunder!, is the anime counterpart of Kris. In her debut, Marina is presented as a girl who dreams of becoming famous with the help of her Pokémon. In her latest appearances, she was shown to be a talented Pokémon Coordinator, having won the Grand Festival to become a Top Coordinator. She is friends with Jimmy and Vincent.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Main article: Crystal (Adventures)

Crystal from the Pokémon Adventures manga is based on Kris's design. She is unique among all Pokédex holders in the sense that her primary goal is to fill the Pokédex.

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga

Main article: Chris (Golden Boys)

Chris from the Golden Boys manga is based on Kris.

Trivia

Screenshots of an earlier design for a female protagonist

• Kris is the first playable female character in Pokémon games, a feature included in all traditional Pokémon RPGs since. Despite this, the female choice in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver is Lyra, who was designed from scratch by Takao Unno.
  • However, an unused PokéGear icon in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, resembling Kris rather than Lyra, suggests that this was decided at a later point of development.
• Several pre-release screenshots for Pokémon Crystal show an earlier design for a female protagonist.
• Kris's alternate Japanese names would later be shared with Leaf, Dawn, and Lyra.
• Kris is the only playable character in the core series to be exclusive to a solitary version.

Name origin

Kris does not have an official name due to her lack of name in the internal game data and the fact she does not appear as a non-player character. Instead, the name Kris comes from the back of the American Pokémon Crystal version's boxart. The name Kris is also the first default name.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	クリス Kris	From crystal.
English	Kris	Same as Japanese name.
French	Christy	Similar to Japanese name.
German	Krista	Similar to Japanese name.
Italian	Kristy	Similar to Japanese name.
Spanish	Cristi	Similar to Japanese name.

Player characters
Core series Red • Leaf • Ethan • Kris • Lyra • Brendan • May • Lucas • Dawn Hilbert • Hilda • Nate • Rosa • Calem • Serena • Elio • Selene Chase • Elaine • Victor • Gloria • Rei • Akari • Florian • Juliana Side series Wes • Michael • Nate • Cyndy Spin-off games Mark • Mint • Todd Snap • Lucy Fleetfoot Lunick • Solana • Kellyn • Kate • Ben • Summer Hero • Heroine • Tim Goodman • Scottie • Bettie

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.