If there's any truth to the idea of Alan being Satoshi's "strongest rival", then it's pretty likely that Alan and Mega Lizardon will defeat Satoshi and Gekkouga in their first battle (XY&Z013). That's how these things usually go. And then Satoshi may defeat Alan in a second, more important battle later down the line after he and Gekkouga have come to understand what this new form is and how to use it effectively. As for my general thoughts on the whole thing, it's pretty interesting for a couple of reasons:
One is that unlike Satoshi's other rival, Shōta (or any of the others rivals Satoshi has had in the past, e.g. Shinji), Alan has other purposes in this series and doesn't only exist to fight Satoshi. The Strongest Mega Evolution mini-series has given Alan his own story, his own relationships to characters like Platane and Fleur-de-lis, and his own goals (to become the strongest Mega Evolution trainer with Lizardon; to find a cure for Manon's Harimaron). Alan isn't going after Gym Badges and isn't trying to enter the Kalos League. Satoshi isn't on a quest to become the strongest Mega Evolution trainer.
Really, when you get right down to it, Satoshi and Alan don't have a lot to do with each other – save for the fact that both possess a Mega Evolution/Mega Evolution-equivalent. And yet, if marketing is to be believe, the series is still positioning the two as rivals. I want to see how that works out: is Alan going to play a substantial role in the Satoshi-Gekkouga arc, even as just the primary antagonist that Satoshi and Gekkouga have to overcome? Is Satoshi going to have something to do with Alan discovering the kind of person Fleur-de-lis truly is? Are the two going to learn anything substantial from one another that moves them forward in their journeys? I'm interested in seeing how that plays out, and I imagine XY&Z013 will hold some indication as to what the answer to those questions will be.
Another reason I'm interested in this is really simple. Clearly, the series is well-aware of how strong Alan is – since they're calling him "Satoshi's strongest rival", and all. The Strongest Mega Evolution: Act IV had Alan defeating Pachira, a member of the Elite 4, as well as nine other Mega Evolution trainers. Should Satoshi actually succeed in defeating Alan at some point during XY&Z, what would that say about his strength (assuming, of course, that it says anything at all)?
