Gold grew up in a home full of baby Pokémon. His neighbors in New Bark Town refer to his family as the "Poké House". He usually wears a pair of goggles and travels on a scooter. Instead of throwing/kicking his Poké Balls, he uses a billiard cue to shoot them out, allowing for tactical maneuvers and deployments of his Pokémon. Gold's hobbies include gambling, skateboarding, and trying foods from different cities. His favorite idol/DJ is DJ Mary from the Goldenrod Radio Station.

Professor Oak noted that while Red had some odd habits, Gold is much more immature and mischievous. He likes playing billiards, but sometimes he may use his Pokémon to cheat. Gold's mother has described him as "careless". Gold also tends to lie or exaggerate at times, in a bid to make himself seem more impressive, and other people around him notice it. He also seems to exhibit a one-track mind at times, being an ardent fan of pretty girls like DJ Mary, Jasmine and the Kimono Girls, but failing to recognize Morty or the Johto Elite Four.

Despite his negative traits, Gold is also noted for his moments of ingenuity, formulating plans and executing them spontaneously while appearing to slack off. Ultimately, Gold cares extremely for those around him and won't hesitate to sacrifice everything for their sake.

Gold's special skill, as described by Professor Oak, is Pokémon hatching and is known as the "Hatcher" (孵す者 Hatcher), known as Breeder in Chuang Yi's translations. He has the ability to draw out the largest potential of a baby Pokémon, having lived with Pokémon his whole life. Togebo and Pibu are testaments to that title.