Pokémon Rivals from Worst to Best · 1:15am May 19th, 2018
Hi. It's me, that guy who posts rarely. Welcome to my list.
It's no secret that I'm a Pokémon fan, but did you know I've been a Pokémon fan for almost 11 years now? Since my first experiences with Pearl back in 2007, I've loved this series with all of my heart. I've experienced some tremendous ups and some terrible downs throughout its history, but I'm proud to say that I won't be leaving the franchise anytime soon, if ever. So as someone with tons of knowledge under his belt, I sure have seen some incredible rivalries throughout the ages. So today I'm gonna tell you who my favorite are and least favorite are. Not in that order though. Actually, it's reversed. Read the title.
Rules! I'm including as many rivals as possible, but only ones from the games. The criteria of being a rival is they have to fight you throughout the game, have a motivation as to why they're fighting you and also be listed on Bulbapedia in the "Rival" section. Yes, I know, that's technically cheating since I'm using Bulbapedia to form this list, but I don't care. Also if there are multiple rivals I will be including them all in a single part, save for a few exceptions. Finally, this is my opinion. I mean, that hasn't REALLY stopped anyone from criticizing me before (actually, I encourage it), but just a fair warning in case you hate me afterwards.
Okay, let's begin! Here are my thoughts on ever rival from my most hated to without question the best one. Fuck you.
Hugh
Black 2 & White 2
Before we begin, I want to tell you guys that Black 2 & White 2 were really disappointing games. That's not to say I hate them, in fact I still enjoyed my time playing them! Challenge mode was cool, the new areas were interesting and Pokéstar studios, as worthless as it was, was pretty cool. However with Black and White being my favorite entries in the franchise, I had high hopes for the sequels and what new things they would bring to the table, and when I FINALLY got my hands on Black 2 I was pumped! The first few hours in Aspertia to Virbank were great, but then I got to Castelia City and realized I was going through the same song and dance again, still with Team Plasma and still with Iris.
I can save my thoughts on B2W2 for a different blog so I'll spare you the details, but for now let's go over my least favorite part about the games: your rival, Hugh. Without a shred of doubt in my mind, I LOATHE Hugh with every fiber of my very being. Allow me to explain why, to all you Hugh fans out there.
In other games, douchebag rivals like Blue and Silver you could hate lovingly. Blue was a pompous dick who attempted to one-up you at every corner, and he was endearing because of that. Silver was an edgy teen who tried way too hard to sound cooler than he actually was, and everyone loves him for that. Hugh is a Qwilfish and he really hates Team Plasma. That's it. Oh, my apologies, he does have actually one other character trait: he loves his sister. Nothing develops from this and his sister isn't given a name so what's even the point, but I guess it counts for something!
But if his one-note personality doesn't turn you off from him, his battles might. You see, you don't fight Hugh very often. In fact, excluding the PWT battle, you fight him four times throughout the story. I wouldn't usually have an issue with this if these battles were spaced out evenly. You fight him once in Aspertia City at level 5, once again at Floccesy Ranch at level 8, and then once again in Undella Town at the late 30's early 40's. WHAT?! Where the hell were you, huh?! And I know he does help you fend off Team Plasma multiple times, but if he's considered my rival then I want him to actually be my rival for a majority of the game!
BUT! If his one-not personality and his infrequent battles don't turn you off from him, this simple fact will. Hugh, not once in the entire fucking story, EVER learns from his mistakes. Throughout the game he continuously treats Ex-Team Plasma like garbage despite them telling him on multiple occasions they're trying to make amends for their mistakes and they strive to be better people, and never, not even during the post game, does he ever apologize to them for saying all that stuff. You can make the argument he was focused on getting back his sister's Purrloin, but he gets it back after the game. At least an "I'm sorry, Rood" would be nice! Dick.
His music's pretty bitchin' though, I won't lie. If this was worst to best rival themes, his would be in the top 3 easily.
Four Friends
X & Y
Hugh is truly the only rival I hate with a passion. Every other rival afterwards I either like or am indifferent to, the four friends of Kalos being the latter. It's not that I hate these guys, despite being so low on the list, but they're very unremarkable and uninteresting.
Let's start with Serena, and for sake of simplicity and the fact that I have a penis I'll just say Serena. She's your standard rival, nothing too interesting. She never develops over the course of the story or becomes a better character, but at the very least she does show up when you confront Team Flare which is something most rivals don't do too often, so I can respect her for that. What I can't respect her for is how her battles are handled. Despite her being your "main rival", you never actually fight her until the late level 20's. It would seem she's just another unfortunate victim of X and Y's terrible pacing issues.
Tierno and Trevor are unremarkable. They show up every now and then, do a little dance and sing a little song and then leave. You hardly see them throughout the story and you don't even battle them that much either. You fight Tierno thrice and Trevor twice, and I couldn't remember their teams if you gave me a piece of paper with them on it, then took it away and asked me to repeat what I saw on the paper. They don't even help you while you're fighting Team Flare! They're useless to the story.
Shauna probably got the best of it, if I'm being completely honest. She gets the most character development in the story, despite the fact you only fight her a grand total of twice in the game. She's also possibly the very first bisexual character in Pokémon as it's clear she has feelings for both the male and female protagonist. It's subtle, but it's there. But other than that, Shauna isn't too remarkable either. In fact, she could probably work if she was given more time to develop. There you have it! Remove the other rivals and just have her! Bingo bango bongo, you win!
The battle theme that plays for them is okay. I didn't like it at first but it's grown on me. It's not the absolute worst Pokémon theme I've ever heard, but it's definitely the "worst" rival theme I've heard. Well, less worst and more I like it the least.
Brendan & May
Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald
May and Brendan are just there and contribute very little to the story of Ruby and Sapphire (and Emerald). Having said that, they have pretty cute personalities so it's a little tricky to hate them for existing. I put them higher than the four friends of Kalos because at least I actually cared about them, even if their battles sucked. And once again for the sake of simplicity, I will be referring to just May.
May is your neighbor when you move to Littleroot Town and you immediately become friends. She's actually the first friend rival ever made as she's not really striving to become stronger than you, she just wants to have a fun battle with you and I think that's really commendable.
I just wish she put up more of a fight each time you meet. She at least has the decency of using a Grass, Fire and Water-type on her second battle, but she goes down so easily each time and It's because she keeps using shitty Pokémon. At the time. Pelipper is good now. But seriously, her Shoomish, Wailmer and Slugma never evolve, she replaces her Torkoal with the aforementioned Slugma later and, including in Emerald, never evolves her starter Pokémon past its second stage. It makes each encounter with her a joke. I know GameFreak was still experimenting with friend rivals (which they later perfected with Hau), but this is a pretty bad first attempt.
Her battles are slightly better in ORAS though. This time she actually manages to figure out her Grovyle can evolve again and also her Slugma as well. And sure, let's make her the final boss this time. The very disappointing and very easy final boss. The least they could have done was give you the ability to battle her again after completing the game, but not even in ORAS is that possible. Unless there's a mode in the Battle Maison that I missed.
The music is great though! It's a combination of fun and intensity with the first part reminding you this is a fun battle with a friend and the second part telling you this battle shouldn't be taken lightly. Very Mario and Luigi RPG vibes going on. Yoko Shimomura would be proud. Just wished it played for a better rival.
Wally
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Remember Wally? It's that kid with asthma that goes on a journey and becomes one of the most powerful trainers in Hoenn! Yeah, that guy! The reason he's so low is because of the infrequency of his battles and his implementation in the story, though I put him higher than Brendan and May because he gets WAY more development than them.
While he was kind of forgotten about in Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, Wally makes a triumphant return in ORAS where he goes super saiyan and has the power of Mega Evolution, which isn't a huge deal in our world but is like this super big deal in the Pokémon world. It's fascinating to see this kid who basically couldn't go on a journey because of some bullshit disease saying "fuck you, asthma" and going on a journey anyway. And succeeding no less! Granted he does lose to you and never makes it to the Pokémon League, but he got DAMN close at the very end of Victory Road.
It's a shame we don't see much of him in the story, even in ORAS where he's given more character. If he was put more into the story and we got to see his continuing struggles, even if for a moment, the weight of his efforts would impact us far greater when we finally see him standing there on Victory Road. This is why he's so low on the list, but I do want to make it clear that Wally is an icon to those who think they can't do anything because of a disability. You can still do the things you want! It may be a little tricky, but it's possible.
I want to wrap it up by mentioning his battle theme. Holy shit, this theme is kick ass. Newly added to ORAS is a theme that shows just how much Wally has grown as a character during his adventure. While it only plays once during his battle on Victory Road, it's an incredible track nonetheless, even if it is only thirty seconds long.
By the way, Wally is 30-years-old in Sun and Moon. I'll let you process that yourself.
Barry
Diamond, Pearl & Platinum
What is with rivals and their names ending with "Y"? Thankfully this is the last one, so don't you fret.
I'll tone down my nostalgia boner for a second and make a point to say Barry from my first Pokémon games ever is just... good. Not great, but good. He's not a superb rival but he's certainly not the worst one either. After all, he's pretty high on this list already, so I do still have some love for this guy. I just wish that he was implemented better into the game.
Barry is an impatient little shit that follows you on your adventure and tries to one-up you at almost every turn, as any good rival should. He's constantly blazing through his adventure and even missing out on some highlights, which is a subtle hint towards players who speed through a game and don't enjoy the scenery. Each of his battles are spaced out enough that you see him lots throughout your adventure and every time he always gets a laugh out of me. As a comic relief character, he does his job pretty well.
However, his involvement in the story is questionable. He does help you out with Team Galactic every now and then, but these moments are few and far between. As a matter of fact I can probably think of the only times he helps you off the top of my head: Lake Acuity and Spear Pillar, for a single fight regarding the latter. That's it. Then he runs away and stops helping me. Like, dude, come on.
I will give him credit where credit is due though: despite his implied cowardice, Barry is shown to be mature when the time calls for it. Example? The opening of Platinum when he gives up his chance to get a Pokémon so you can be guaranteed one. It's a really sweet moment, and I wish more like it showed up in the game.
His battles are good too. I mean they're not super great in DP, but in Platinum his teams are beefed up and ready to take you down. This guy has six Pokémon at the Pokémon league! Six! The last guy who did that was Blue, so what a breath of fresh air and a good challenge to boot!
Lastly his music. It's okay. It certainly grows on you and it's craziness does show you the kind of person Barry is, so there's that. But all in all it's not great, just good. Which kinda sums up Barry actually.
Miror B.
XD: Gale of Darkness
This really shouldn't count, but Miror B. constantly gets in your goddamn way throughout the story of XD that it's kind of hard not to mention him as some sort of rival. After all, he's your collecting rival: trying to collect all the shadow Pokémon before you do. I think that's a super unique way of adding what's basically a joke character into the narrative.
Do I even need to talk about Miror B.? He's fucking Miror B.; there isn't much else to say that hasn't already been said. He's a wannabe thief with a passion for dancing and disco music, both of which are implemented into his character design beautifully. I mean, have you SEEN his fucking hair?! He was an admin of Cipher a few years back and since its collapse he's gone onto form Team Miror B., which consists of him and two of his grunts from his time as as Cipher Admin. Now he's basically a joke character in XD, even more so than he was in Colosseum. He shows up from time to time to try and snag your shadow Pokémon, failing miserably and then fucking moonwalking out of the scene. There is a reason why Miror B. is such a fan-favorite character.
His battles aren't too great. They mainly consist of him using Lombre or Ludicolo, or any other Grass-type Pokémon he can procure, as well as one or two unsnagged shadow Pokémon. They aren't particularly difficult, but they're not really supposed to be. They're supposed to be second chances to snag a shadow Pokémon you missed. His final battle at Gateon Port is pretty good though, I won't lie. He has five Ludicolo and a shadow Dragonite, a fearsome Pokémon with high attack and a wide variety of moves.
His music is amazing. Easily the best part about XD and Colosseum was the music and this is no exception. While not quite as goofy as his Colosseum battle theme, it's still solid and speaks a lot about Miror B.'s personality. Also, listen closely: Bananas in pajamas, da-da-da-daaaa! Ha! Try unhearing that, you fricking nincompoops!
Blue
Red, Blue & Yellow
The original rival, and to some the best one. After all, nothing beats the original, right? I'm here to state that phrase is retarded and almost never true. Blue however, despite not being the best rival, is still a solid entry in the franchise. Now for the sake of simplicity I will be referring to Blue AS Blue and not Dick, Assbag, Douche, Fartlick, or even Gary Oak, even if those names are funny/iconic to him.
Blue is a dick, yet I can't hate him. No one can! He's just so good at being a dick and so proud of being a pompous asshole that it's actually kind of amazing. Every step of the way in the original games, Blue is there to make your life a living hell. He challenges you when you're unprepared, and when you beat him he just laughs it off as "you got lucky" and walks away like nothing happened, swearing to the heavens "smell ya later!". Each time you see him, you just want to punch him in his teeth. But the kicker is when you finally beat Lance and finish your journey. Lance tells you there is one more trainer you have to beat if you want to claim the title of champion.
You step into the final room and discover that Blue has gotten there before you. The stage it set for you to finally put this cocksucker in his place. After an intense (though admittedly easy) final battle, you at long last beat Blue and make him realize just how much of a dick he really was. He's told off by his grandfather and left to reconsider his actions thoughout the game.
He doesn't fully learn his lesson until gen 2 when he becomes a gym leader and learns to treat people fairly, even if hints of his old personality still linger to this day. His battle in Viridian City is great, and he's the only gym leader who doesn't use a specific type to this day! Overall Blue was a great rival, but considering he never fully learned his lesson until the sequel and seeing how there are just far more investing characters now in the games, Blue's throne as the best has certainly been taken by others over the years.
His music however... His regular battle them is just the trainer theme, though it actually fits him above all others it plays for. His final battle theme is intense! In fact it is so intense it has been remixed multiple times throughout the series in the games and even the anime.
That speaks volumes on the quality of this one track.
Silver
Gold, Silver & Crystal
Silver is the Blue I wish was Blue but I'm glad I got anyway, if you know what I'm trying to say. I like Blue, don't get me wrong, but Silver has what Blue didn't in the original games: character development. And a theme, but we'll get to that later.
Silver, spoiler alert, is the son of Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket. After Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket, Silver confronted him and demanded to know why. Giovanni gave him an answer that kind of avoided the question and Silver ran off declaring to become stronger than his father some day. Of course not knowing how to be stronger since he was raised by the literal boss of Team Rocket, it took him three years to plan his next move. He eventually stole a Pokémon from professor Elm and faced off against you, declaring to you that he will be the greatest Pokémon trainer ever.
I love Silver's development throughout the story. He starts off as an arrogant, edgy teen who only likes "strong Pokémon that win". He cares little about his Pokémon and only strives to be strong and nothing else. It isn't until he's defeated by Lance off screen that Silver begins to question if his methods of training are actually any good. This is all exemplified by his Golbat which evolves through friendship, as it never evolves into a Crobat until he's learned his lesson and actually strives to be not only strong, but a good trainer as well. It's an inspiring story, even if Gold and Silver weren't the most narrative-driven games ever made.
Silver's character is actually expanded from the originals. He still learns his lesson in the games, but we never found out why he was like this until Heart Gold and Soul Silver when it's revealed that, as mentioned before, Giovanni is his father. It's a very interesting twist, though I wish it wasn't locked behind an event that was barely released, if ever.
His theme is great! It was the very first rival theme ever made, and it fits Silver and his personality flawlessly. Threatening and intense, but there's a shred of hope in it that really drives it home and shows us Silver isn't truly a bad person, just a kid with some messed up thoughts; no thanks to his childhood as a mafia prince.
Gladion
Sun & Moon
Gladion is Silver, but better.
Okay, I'm sure you want a little more than just that. What I mean is that Gladion shares many aspects with Silver as a character and even as a trainer but executes them in such a way that makes him stand out more than our favorite redhead edgelord.
Gladion's character was unfortunately cut short in USUM, but it was in Sun and Moon where his character truly stood out. In the originals, Gladion left Aether and stole Type: Null because his mother, Lusamine, was batshit crazy over her love of Ultra Beasts and also neglectful of her own kids. He then joined Team Skull to try and make Type: Null strong enough to fight the Ultra Beasts and thwart Lusamine's plan. So already we have running away from a parent and stealing a Pokémon, which is very similar to Silver. Here's where the similarities begin to diverge however.
Unlike Silver, Gladion actually confronts his parent and tries to stop her. While he does fail, he has a lot more balls than Silver had for sure. Afterwards he continues training and eventually evolves his Type: Null into Silvally, the not-as-cool-as-arceus Arceus clone, and challenges you to in final battle before the most disappointing Victory Road since Gold and Silver. You also fight him regularly throughout the game, and while you only fight him four times each time is spaced out just enough that you're itching for another fight but aren't bored nothing's happened yet.
His design is great. It shows he's basically been living like a bum for years and his clothes are all scratched up from Type: Null being a little too frisky at night. That blonde hair and those green eyes do kinda heavily hint at the twist, but overall a great look.
Do I even need to mention his music? Intense as it is, it's also symbolic. The depressing notes show Gladion's struggle with his past and his strive to continue training to fight Lusamine. It has become one of my favorite battle themes of all time, and I'm willing to bet a lot of you guys feel the same way.
Cheren & Bianca
Black & White
Wow guys, Kamek likes Black and White! What a FUCKING turn of events! In all seriousness though, there is a reason why I love Black and White so much, and these guys definitely do have a hand in it. They add so much to the overall story that it's staggering.
Let's start with Cheren. He's a cocky, arrogant dick who wants to be better than you in ever right. He believes the only thing that matters in Pokémon is strength and power, but he's not so blind as to treat his Pokémon and friends like garbage. This mentality does however begin to corrupt him throughout the course of the game and he begins to develop a superiority complex, groaning after listening to Team Plasma's speech for the umpteenth time and making it his personal goal to finally one-up you.
In comes champion Alder who tells Cheren over the course of the game to rethink his mindset. This eventually calms Cheren down and he actually does begin to question why he began this journey in the first place. It's an insightful look into what drives someone and if their drive is really as honest as they make it out to be, which reflects Team Plasma in a way. Cheren is an example of someone who overcame his drive and became a better person for it, while Team Plasma is an example of those who couldn't.
Bianca gets a little less screen time but is still important to the narrative. She begins to travel against her father's wishes and see the world for herself. She admits she's not terribly strong but always has a smile on her face despite it all, even if she is having doubts about why she's even going on this journey. After a scuffle with her father and a run-in with Elesa, the gym leader of Nimbasa City, she continues her journey only to find true strength in protecting and helping others. While she still admits she's still not really strong as a trainer, she's confident enough to protect those she loves. It's a great show of someone trying to find and eventually discovering their place in this world.
The music for them is great! As I've said before on a previous blog, I hate no theme from Black and White. Most if not all the tracks are great, and this theme is no exception. It's different from other rival themes as it isn't quite as intense, but this is a battle between friends who all stick together and support each other. It's a great relationship between friends that gen 6 simply couldn't recapture.
Hau
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
I was one of the very few people who actually liked Hau as a rival in Sun and Moon. Sure others liked him because he was cute, but I loved his positivity and personality. As an actual rival however, I think everyone could agree that he wasn't the best, favoring Gladion instead. Hell, even I favored Gladion as well, but I NEVER gave up hope for Hau.
My hopes were finally realized come Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon where Hau's character is given a massive overhaul and the role in the story he so desperately deserved. He's still the lovable dork from the first games, obviously, but over the course of the game he begins to question why he's even doing the trial challenge in the first place. The long pause between his sixth and seventh battles I hated in Sun and Moon are now explained as he took some time away from the challenge to train himself and ultimately become a better trainer. He beats Hala, his grandfather, for real off screen and continues his challenge while you're fighting Necrozma. Even during Mina's Trial, you see just what he's been up too and how much stronger he's actually become.
It all amounts to one final challenge at the Pokémon League when he replaced Kukui as the final boss. While the battle itself isn't particularly difficult, the simple fact Hau managed to beat every trial and Kahuna just to prove to everyone he's a competent and strong trainer speaks volumes about his character. This final battle and the events leading up to it solidified that Hau is simply one of the best rivals.
His music is great! I'm personally a fan of his first battle theme as it's fun and shows just how happy Hau really is, but his final battle theme at the league is superb! It's a mashup of his theme and your theme, symbolizing both of your struggles and goals to become Alola's very first champion. When you do beat him, he congratulates you on a job well-done and wishes to battle with you again. You see as much as I love douchebag rivals, friend rivals are even better. Alongside being your rival, they're also someone who supports you and encourages you like a true friend, and this applies the greatest to Hau with this acceptance of his loss.
Now if only Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were actually good games.
N
Black & White
This shouldn't count, but I honestly don't care. Chuggaaconroy says he's a rival, every fan of Black and White say he's a rival, so he's a rival. And goddamn, what a great rival he is! In fact, if you didn't notice already, he's my favorite rival in the entire Pokémon franchise. Allow me to explain to you why in a 100 page essay.
In all seriousness, I can probably explain why I love N so much. For starters, his design is pretty damn good. That green hair, white shirt and grey pants are unique in that they're all simple yet very interesting to look at. Second, his backstory and personality. N was born to an unknown mother and father and abandoned in the forest where he was raised by Pokémon. Ghetsis eventually found him, adopted him as his son and taught him that Pokémon were being mistreated by humans, which was of course a lie to manipulate N into doing his bidding. This caused N to develop a rather black and white view on people and they're relationship with Pokémon, which unlike Hugh is a trait done a lot better here, believing Pokémon are suffering under the control of people and nothing else.
N is also the only rival in the entire franchise that isn't fighting you to see who's stronger, he's fighting you to see who's opinion is the correct one. Who's being truthful, you or him? Who has the better ideals, you or him? It's an interesting look into what a man who has been manipulated by a higher power really thinks.
But what really seals the deal for me is N's development throughout the story. When you first meet him, he has one goal in mind: separate people and Pokémon. As the story progresses however, N slowly begins to gain a better grasp on reality despite not setting aside his goals. It's when you finally beat him in his castle that he finally snaps and begins to question if everything he was taught was a lie. And come B2W2, N has fully matured and understands humans and Pokémon deserve to be together. It's absolutely incredible how his character unfolds throughout the games.
And his music? His regular battle theme is great, but his final battle theme is absolutely phenomenal. It's a remix of his regular theme, but the intensity is through the roof. It's a theme that tells you that this is the last battle, and if you fail every Pokémon will be separated from their trainers. It's truth VS ideals, Reshiram VS Zekrom in an all-out fight to see who's right and who's wrong. It's amazing.
I just wish he showed up more often in B2W2.
And there you have it! The list you'll never agree with and the rivals you wish weren't on here but are anyway because why not?
In all seriousness though, even if a rival is bad they're still the first person you connect with when you boot up a Pokémon game for the first time. They can leave a lasting impression on you that decides whether or not you love or hate Pokémon. It's all about first impressions, blah blah blah blah, sappy stuff about whatever.
And if you disagree with my list, great! I'm always open to different opinions on different things. Unless it's politics; then I don't give a shit. But yeah, comment down below your favorite and least favorite rivals in Pokémon so I can bash them and tell you they're wrong.
Wait.
No, hold on…
...Okay, my manager tells me I'm supposed to love and support every opinion. Well, okay then, if he insists. I'll love and support your wrong opinions then.
Until next time!
I loved this list Kamek, and honestly I can't disagree about your #1 choice. Whenever N showed up in BW I knew I was in for an epic battle. Each time he showed up and listening to his opinions made me question things. Then that final battle...Oh boy was it tough, and then that prick came in afterwards. N's simple action of healing your team before the final confrontation with Ghestis honestly speaks volumes showing his opinion is already starting to change.
4864623
And this is why N is my favorite rival, dude. Also he uses Pokémon caught in an area rather than form his own team. This means he catches Pokémon for a single use and then releases them once they've served him so they can be free. It's a neat detail.
Yep.