The Rivals

SH60 said:

Why is that to me that makes the rivalry boring and pointless because the same thing is always going to happen then whats the point of hyping their final battle if Alain was always going to win.

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Yeah, I agree.
I still remind when they clickbaited us with the episode title about Ash winning the Kalos league.

I'd be okay if Ash loses to Alain in the Kalos league but Ash should've beat him at least once previous to Kalos league.

Makes me remember of how Dawn didn't beat Zoe not even once. What a pointless character and rivalry.

The title was never clickbait. Fans got themselves overexcited for no reason. The title did not say Ash would win and it did not implied that he would.

It was obvious Ash was not going to win the league. Ash does not win leagues that exist in regions that is in both games and anime. That is why he was allowed to win orange islands league since it was anime exclusive.

Alain was meant to be a rival that Ash wouldn't be able to beat this time. Ash already beaten past rivals. This time in kalos, Ash has a rival that is simply too good. It was time for Ash to have a rival that he can't beat.

This is my opinion though.

Kuzehiko said:

Yeah, I agree.
I still remind when they clickbaited us with the episode title about Ash winning the Kalos league.

I'd be okay if Ash loses to Alain in the Kalos league but Ash should've beat him at least once previous to Kalos league.

Makes me remember of how Dawn didn't beat Zoe not even once. What a pointless character and rivalry.

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And this is why I don't get why some people say this is a good rivalry. To me a good rivalry is when both side are somewhere near the same level of power or at the very least have one side learn from the other and get better that way.

SH60 said:

And this is why I don't get why some people say this is a good rivalry. To me a good rivalry is when both side are somewhere near the same level of power or at the very least have one side learn from the other and get better that way.

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Well, that's what you like to see in a rivalry but not the true definition of rivalry instead. Even if a trainer does not beat an opponent in several times they've faced each other it does not mean it is not a rivalry just because the other can't beat him.

On the other hand I agree if either rival is unbeatable then it makes such rivalry boring and pointless.

Ash never beating Alain didn't surprise me since Alain was essentially at E4 level while Ash was an inconsistent mess.

Yep.

Ash was an experienced trainer, no doubt about it but Alain was E4 level who beat straight 10 Mega Evolutions.

Alain's M.Charizard X could've taken down Ash's whole Pokemon team easily imo.

Gary was always my favorite rival. I liked watching the episode where Ash went up against him in the Johto League.

Trip was okay but his team were not all fully evolved. They should have done better with him.

I still take Trip over Cameron. There is no way Cameron would be Ash's rival.