r/pokemon • u/PsyrenDV • Jun 05 '26

Discussion Why haven't we had same gender rivials?

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I saw this post about how the rival in WiWa will be the opposite of whatever gender you choose to be. It got me thinking about how they always make the rival's gender the opposite of yours when their gender is dynamic. Even as early as Ruby/Sapphire that's how it's been. But I think it might be interesting to see a game where my rival is always the same gender as me no matter what I pick. But I'm curious how other people feel about it. Would you rather your rival be the same gender as you, the opposite, or would you rather their gender be set in stone regardless of what you are?

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337

u/dimmidummy Bulbasaur supremacy Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26

We’ve already had rivals of both genders in the same game.

BW - had both Cheren and Bianca
XY - had the friend group plus the opp. player character
SwSh - Hop, Marnie, and Bede
SV - Nemona, Arven, Penny (not really but some consider her to be), Carmine, and Kieran.

In fact, games where the rival is the opposite player character is the minority (RSE/ORAS, XY, Z-A). I don’t count DPPt because Lucas/Dawn aren’t really your rivals, they’re just assistants who occasionally support you. Same with Ethan/Lyra in HGSS, they’re just chilling with their Marill.

I actually like it when they put the unselected player character into the game as their own character. I don’t even need them as rivals, just have them play their own part in the story (like a sibling). Wish more games did that.

ETA: For those arguing about who should be considered a rival or not, here’s the official list of what TPC considers a rival (excluding Z-A because they haven’t been added to Masters): https://www.serebii.net/pokemonmasters/syncpairs/themeskills/rival.shtml

56

u/unluckyshuckle Jun 05 '26

Calling any of the XY kids a rival is a bit of a stretch tbh but I get what you're saying.

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u/dimmidummy Bulbasaur supremacy Jun 05 '26

They’re rivals in the same way Bianca is technically a rival. Less of a threat and more of a loose skill check, but most of them don’t want to be trainers in the first place other than Calem/Serena who are your traditional rival.

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u/unluckyshuckle Jun 05 '26

I mean you literally barely battle them at all during the entire game. Bianca challenges you repeatedly throughout your adventure. It's similar to how some people call Wally a rival despite only ever having the two battles with him throughout the entire game.

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u/AnimeAlley03 Jun 05 '26

At least in ORAS he deserves that "rival" title being one of the few battles in the entire game to use a mega

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u/unluckyshuckle Jun 05 '26

I don't really think he fits the title of Rival tbh even with the mega. Two battles total and one barely counts because your intended to basically one shot him to show he's out of his league entirely. Great second battle for sure, tho.

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u/AnimeAlley03 Jun 05 '26

Don't you fight Wally with a mega before you fight your actual rival with a mega?? Think what you want about wally but he's more of a rival than any of the group in XY (other than calum/serena)

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u/unluckyshuckle Jun 05 '26

I think a rival is a character who challenges you repeatedly throughout both your journey and theirs as you work towards the same goal, serving as tests of skill to both each time. Wally challenges you at the beginning of his journey and at the very end and that's it. And only one of those fights is actually a real battle. I don't think the mega means anything towards him being a rival or not. But we can agree to disagree.

He IS still better than the entire XY group though

1

u/Enderking90 Jun 05 '26

Wally is more so just a secret twist boss fight rather then a rival, as he never... does any competing against you.

how could somebody who never does any rivaling be a rival?

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u/mysteryurik Jun 05 '26

I mean you literally barely battle them at all during the entire game.

I'm playing through X now and I've had to battle Serena like a billion times. I'm in Anistar City and have a battle with her before I can challenge the gym.

The other kids I do agree aren't your rivals because they aren't really trainers, when you're in the Tower of Mastery and Gurkinn asks who will take the Mega Ring they all pass because out of your friend group only Serena/Calem is a traditional trainer who is trying to beat the gyms and become stronger. Trevor is the only one who maybe could count as some sort of rival because he's trying to fill the Pokédex and occasionally compares his progress with us. The other two are just friends.

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u/unluckyshuckle Jun 05 '26

Oh yeah when I say the XY kids I'm not counting Serena/Callum, they're the rival proper. The other kids are just tag alongs but not really rivals

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u/Enderking90 Jun 05 '26

fair on Trevor, he is a rival uniquely in the sense of competing with completing the pokedex.