3rd Gen May/Brendan

[Palamon]

What are your opinions on May/Brendan from the R/S/E games? I find them to be the most disappointing rivals of any main series Pokemon game to ever exist. For one thing, they quit halfway through your journey, and don't evolve their starter to its finals stage. (Which is fixed in the remakes). I can understand them knowing what they want to be doing w/their Pokemon life, but at least evolve your starter to the final stage!

I'm really glad the remakes gave us that battle after the credits, truly. But, it doesn't change the fact they were disappointing rivals in the gen iii games.

 

[Dragon]

Mmm, as friendly rivals go, I think they were solid -- I would of loved to learn a little bit more about them though... ORAS did fix that to an extent, but, I always feel like they're missing some development or sorts?

 

[Rivvon]

I don't view them as rivals too much which is probably why I don't feel much disappointment with their "incomplete" teams; Wally fits the bill of rival far more, despite him starting with Ralts instead of one of the "first partner trio." I can't speak much on May, as I always pick the female avatar, but I think Brendan is much better in RSE simply because I find him utterly insufferable in ORAS.

 

[Sydian]

i think they're pretty boring rivals. i have nostalgia for them, but they don't really develop or grow more, except in the case of brendan where he acknowledges the female player as being a strong trainer more towards the end. i think the remakes did more for him in terms of this development, though. may didn't get the same treatment in return, though. she largely stays the same...but this ain't about ORAS. they're okay in the original RSE. just. okay. i consider wally more of a rival than them, but i would have liked for him to be in the game more so even there it's hard to consider wally as such.

 

[moon]

I always considered Wally the real rival of RSE. Brendan/May were more annoying and too friendly without actually really being your friend like the rivals in Sinnoh.

 

[Sirfetch’d]

They are definitely better in the remakes but still pretty boring rivals as a whole(and gen 3 is my favorite gen!). They feel so out of place in comparison to other rivals from other games :(

 

[Taste of Tea]

I didn't mind them, but I was upset that Wally practically replaced them at Ever Grande. I still think May/Brendan deserved to be our Victory Road opponents instead of Wally randomly showing up.

 

[Percy]

i like wally more as a rival. that last battle in lilycove city is actually sad. i felt sad for may (since my character was Brendan), she looked so helpless :<
wally posed more of a challenge than may/brendan. will never forget that battle under the cycling road though. spent a few hours of my childhood trying to beat their darned starter haha

 

[Mr. Slowpoke]

I feel like Wally was the better rival but we really didn't see much from him. Neither rivals really mattered to me.

 

[colours]

The opposite-gendered character as a "rival" never really left that much of an impression on me if I'm going to be honest... .__.

There's quite the stark difference between RSE and ORAS in that regard. I suppose Game Freak wanted to push the opposite-gendered protag in the latter more instead of having them being as forgettable as they originally were.

 

[Resolve]

they're so bland that's literally the only quality i remember

 

[shab]

I like them decently. Admittedly, I mostly like them out of nostalgia, but I think they're pretty good at being the player's friends along the way. I didn't realize they never fully evolved their starters in the originals (I never got that far), but that is...really strange of a thing for them to do.