Favorite Rival

[TheKantoKid]

There they are...this guy has been giving me problems since I started this journey and I'm going to take em down!

I'm sure we've all thought this while battling our in game rival. I think over the years each rival has become more and more unique, special, and very hard to forget. My favorites have to be Green (Gary or Blue to some),Hugh, and Barry (Jun, Pearl). Green was the first. He was the bar that set the standard and no other rival has really come close. His story, design, and pokemon are amazing. So much in fact he became champion and then a gym leader. The only one of his kind to have multiple types! How awesome is that! Hugh's design is amazing! I fell in love with it the first time I laid eyes on him. And the back story he has is great. I felt compelled to find that lost Purloin for him. Barry was by far one of my favorites to battle. His team had great pokemon. This sort of made up for his weird and quirky personality. So I ask you all who is (or who are) your favorite rival(s)?

 

[Magikarp From Hell]

Gary MF Oak because he is perfect as a rival. He's cocky, good,
pokémon look pretty badass and doesn't stall you unless he wants to fight.
Straight-to-the-point Gary gets my vote for sure.

 

[MaskedDJ]

Gary!~ cus he the noobest and the most freaking cocky that margikarp juz said it <3

 

[Sheep]

Gary and Silver because the arrogant rivals always tend to be amusing. Gary especially since he provided the game with a pretty big challenge and wasn't as weak as other rivals (lookin' at you, Mary/Brendan).

 

[Puddle]

Smell ya' later!

Gary for sure. Recently, you haven't really had rivals. You've just had friends who help you with things as well. They were never rivals.

Weirdly, Emerald is the best game with the worst Rival. May gave up really early into the game which was a shame, because I love going against the other starters and stuff.

 

[Alfabusa]

While I really liked Gary for his act, I must say Silver struck me as the more badass and conniving rival over all when I first played through my Gold game as a kid. And together with that theme and the pink hair you just can't go wrong with him.

However, I have some very distant but lingering memories from when I was 6 of the hardest Rival battle I have ever had, which was against Gary and his nightmarish Pidgeotto on the Nugget Bridge, losing over and over against to him. I also remember getting very frustrated over it so I sat and healed my pokémon at the pokémon center over and over and over again because I thought that'd somehow help my cause. It didn't.

 

[Brendino]

If we're talking about the anime, my vote goes to Gary without question. At the beginning of the series he's that jerk that you love to hate, and he always seems to be a step ahead of Ash no matter what he's doing. And every time they seemed to battle Ash would never win, which made their battle in the Johto League that much better when Ash won.

As for the games, Gary's inspiration (Blue) and Silver we're my two favorite rivals. Again, two characters that you loved to hate, and always felt good about defeating in battle. I find that since the newer "rivals" are more your friends than anything else, I don't really care when I defeat them in battle, and wish they'd bring back a character like Blue or Silver in the future- one who really feels like a rival.

 

[Hiatus]

Due to the same reason as Sheep, I really liked Silver; he had quite an arrogant personality. Alongside him, I also like Barry. Some people may find him to be a bit annoying, but at least he's a good friend; he helps you out throughout your journey plenty of times in D/P/Pt. d:

 

[moon]

Silver was cool, not just because he's arrogant but because he seems genuinely malevolent for a while. Almost throughout the game, actually. Later rivals wanted to help you and were all friendlyfriendly and I got bored of that before I had even finished Ruby. I liked the animosity between the protagonist and Green or Silver. And yes, I'll be calling the Gary-person Green because in my mind Blue is the girl even though many call her Leaf ;) I come from the manga-verse.

So Silver and Green probably are my favorites because of that. But also Paul in the anime, since he has a lot of that evil going on, which brings something interesting to the otherwise so nice and cute show.

Jun/Pearl/Barry deserves a mention though. He's not as evil as the other ones that I like, but he's sure got a unique personality and he's darn cute.

 

[TheKantoKid]

Silver was cool, not just because he's arrogant but because he seems genuinely malevolent for a while. Almost throughout the game, actually. Later rivals wanted to help you and were all friendlyfriendly and I got bored of that before I had even finished Ruby. I liked the animosity between the protagonist and Green or Silver. And yes, I'll be calling the Gary-person Green because in my mind Blue is the girl even though many call her Leaf ;) I come from the manga-verse.

So Silver and Green probably are my favorites because of that. But also Paul in the anime, since he has a lot of that evil going on, which brings something interesting to the otherwise so nice and cute show.

Jun/Pearl/Barry deserves a mention though. He's not as evil as the other ones that I like, but he's sure got a unique personality and he's darn cute.

Paul is a HUGE favorite of mine. He trains and battle almost exactly like I do. I wish he was a rival in the fourth gen games.

 

[Ponyta]

Anime-wise, Paul. He's so smug, and a bit unmoral than most. Dude throws away pokemon like they grow on trees! Also, his team is really good.

In game has to go to Green. Pops up anywhere for a battle, hus team was well rounded, and he gets props for being first rival

 

[Rothometapratis]

That's easy. Gary by far, due to the anime. He has attitude, he's not political correct, he's fun.

 

[TheFattestSnorlax]

Serena is the perfect rival by far to date. She's always battling me when she feels like it and is so confident like me. Why, I may have just been friend zoned by her!

 

[リザードン☆]

Blue Oak (Gary/Green)
I'm a huge fan of first gen and love that he becomes the Champion even if it's short lived!
He also becomes Viridian City's Gym Leader in HG/SS although he isn't your Rival in these games ;]

 

[Pikachu Live On Stage!]

No one can be as iconic as Gary/Green or Silver. They really pushed a lot of people to train harder. As for the later games, the rivals didn't really feel much like rivals at all

 

[Atomic Pirate]

Silver. This guy was an actual rival. Nowadays, you don't have rivals. You have friends. And these friends are, just like the player character, are do-no-wrong Lawful Good Mary Sues and Gary Stus. Meanwhile, Silver's stealing Pokemon from labs and training them to be killing machines. This guy was a villain through and through, and the fact that he might have been Giovanni's son makes him even more badass.

Blue's obviously a good rival as well, especially with the Champion battle. I'll also put Wally up there for his backstory (started off a weak, sickly kid, got a Ralts, got obliterated in a battle with the Ralts, took the defeat as a learning experience rather than giving up, trained his Ralts and caught a team, and ended up with a kickass team of Pokemon).

 

[Kikaito plush]

Silver because he was not just an pain in the butt to you like Blue was.

 

[Elincia]

I liked the Bianca and Cheren combination for rivalry.
That was a refreshing change of pace for me, each with a different goal.
Sure, you fought them almost every step of the way, but we got to see them grow so much throughout the journey.

It wasn't as well done in X/Y though. :\

 

[Super Bling]

Hugh was easily one of the best rivals. He was a real friend, not some people who meet you at the beginning of the game. He also was the only one who seemed to have an anger problem lul.

He also realllllyy wanted to beat you.