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That's just the opening. That doesn't mean that they're rivals. I though that the trainers shown in the beginning are just trainers that Ash had hard battles with.
Oh, and being rivals doesn't mean you can't be friends. Just... not in battling in this case.
There are such things as friendly rivals, which Richie is but the funny thing about the visual part of the Rival opening is that we see all these rivals but beyond Gary and Richie, we never see them again in the series. I laugh at this.
I was half tempted to lock but I'll let the issue mull over for a couple of days. Heh.
It made more sense to place Richie as Ash's main rival in that opening because he actually got to bettle him in the league. Gary, while he was Ash's 'official' rival, didn't even get to face him until the end of the Orange league, by which time he had adopted his "I'm a nice guy now! =D" attitude.
Ash has really poor rivals in my opinion. I mean, he doesn't even really have one now... I guess Masamune, but he's kinda... blech. And Ash only saw the guy like twice. I would really like it if he had a rival that forced him to his limits, was as frequent or more frequent with his/her appearances as Drew is, and had some under-represented pokemon in their team. Not another shoulder-sitting Pikachu and similar clothing to Ash. *coughRichiecough*
Richie is just a clone Ash. From his clothing to his pokemon. But later Richie just becomes a side thing and never seen again expcept for those Speacials with Celebii and Moltres. Richie could have been something big but he just a clone. Ash needs a new rival. Give Mr. I-unbeatable a challenge before he goes up to the whatever-insert-here Leauge.
I think that's what Hazuki was supposed to be but he was there one day, gone the next day and never got the best characterization as to empathy. I didn't care for him much whereas Richie and Gary definitely made an impression. I think that's the difference.
As for the new guy, Masamune? Ask me in May.
I like this direction we're going in. Let's keep this going.