RIVALRY

[moon]

"image removed"*pokemonelite2000 image removed*

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In all the pokémon games, there has been a rival or two who is not a playable character and who is sometimes a friend of the player and sometimes a douche a more aggressive rival. Except for the Hoenn games, so I chose to count Wally as a rival there but you can do as you wish. In the manga, he even gets the Sceptile from Professor Birch.

Which is your favorite rival overall? What is your favorite incarnation of that rival character? Most of them appear in the Pokémon Special manga and some of them appear in the anime (Silver has a little cameo buut).​

Manga images:

Spoiler:

Anime images:

Spoiler:

 

[CliCliW]

Gary/Blue, in spite of his annoyingness is kinda cool I guess.

I love Silver and the whole "connection to Giovanni thing". It's really cool how he goes from "pokemon are tools to be used" to actually trying to understand and form relationships with his pokemon. He's got a cool Rival story.

I'm not pushed about Wally, but I do like his Ralts :)

Barry (DPP rival?) is pretty annoying though - that "I'll fine you one million for being late" thing is just annoying.

I love the different paths that Bianca and Cheren take from the Playable character in Black and White - it really comes to show how you can really do what you want with pokemon in the game world. While Bianca decides that she'd much prefer the befriending and studying side of Pokemon (it seems to me anyway), Cheren thinks that the only way to use pokemon is to get stronger. I like Cheren's development over the course of the game though.

Would it be ok to mention N too? I really like his part in BW too - the whole "I'm going to be a pokemon saviour" thing - it's cool :)

 

[moon]

It's okay to mention other characters you think of as rivals ^^ I think of N as something like Steven from Hoenn or Eusine from Johto; a recurring character who, okay, is a bit more rival like than many others but not quite in the same way as the others. I guess he is as viable for the rival title as Wally or more even, though.

I loved Silver as a rival, in the game and in the manga especially. His backstory is really cool in the manga and if you squint, the same story holds up for the game too. Being Giovanni's son and all. And he was the only really evil-feeling rival! It was such a contrast to come to Hoenn and have Brendan/May kiss your butt (pardon the expression) as soon as you met and battle so darn friendly. Haha :]

Wally's story is cool too, though. Overcoming his weakness and becoming an independent, strong trainer.

 

[Elaitenstile]

Possibly Silver. For some reason I like that douche. Maybe because... I don't know, Lance gives him a good lessons?

In the manga: SILVER IS MOI FAVVVVVVVV OMGOMG
He is... so cool, si. His history and how he escapes with Green, and still working with her, and he's more of a cool and calm character in contrary to the other mupslap of a trainer. And the way he steals off the Totodile... O-O

Silver is the son of Giovanni... I cried when I heard that. That explains everything, yes? (Apart from his hair colour)

 

[XeroNos]

I never liked Rival Silver in Johto. So rude and cruel and that. My favorite was Rival Green in original games and then when he became the Viridian Gym leader. His style, the calmness all fits him into a perfect Rival of old Red.

 

[Zeffy]

Silver is the most bamf rival ever period.

 

[moon]

I think Gary/Green was an okay rival too, except for being so... Gary-ish, haha. Smell ya later and all that. He and Red were childhood friends and turned into rivals when they became trainers because they had different ideas on how to train pokémon (since Red is all noble and "pokaymon are me pals, not me servants" no matter what you as the player really want) and that turned them into rivals.

I really didn't like Green's clothing in FR/LG. Always loved how they depicted him in the PokéSpe manga; even his FR/LG style didn't seem fully as lame as the game counterpart's.

 

[Brendino]

I would say that Blue and Silver felt like the biggest two rivals in terms of the games, whereas your other rivals are more like friends training at the same time as you.

If I had to pick between the two aformentioned choices, my vote would go with Silver. He has arguably the best character development out of the rivals (going from a kid that broke into a Pokemon Lab to steal a Pokemon, to actually loving and caring for them). Being the son of Giovanni and hating him for all he does with Team Rocket is a really interesting story, too, giving him not only the drive to be a stronger trainer than you, but to take down Team Rocket himself.

 

[XeroNos]

Yes The rivalry between Red and Blue was the best. Red being a childish yet brilliant trainer who in a grave situation always comes out with a strategy. While Green was a high pride fellow later became an awesome trainer