My Opinions on All of Ash's Rivals

[@oshawottmain7608]

Why does Ash get so many jerk rivals while we're stuck with friendly ones. I mean, I like Hau and Serena, but why couldn't we get Paul or Trip in the games?

[@robertbartley2409]

Cheren and n were ok

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

Blue and Silver were extremely hostile in the first 2 games. Gen 3 was when we started getting these overall passive friendly rivals.

[@oshawottmain7608]

@@kylewood4488-b9r But ONLY in the first games. We never see them again.

[@stampoulisrafail7836]

@@oshawottmain7608 I played Omega Ruby and Pokémon X and the rivals are not real rivals.

[@kahboom76]

We can always hope that things will be different in Sword and Shield

[@viewmann200]

I used to think Gary was a jerk, but then I saw Paul. He made Gary look like Ash’s best friend. Cynthia humbled him a bit tho when her Garchomp swept his entire team and then told him get them to the Pokémon Center😂

[@steventaylor1522]

viewmann200 😂😂😂😂😂

[@SupermarketSweep777]

When you think about it Gary was very similar to Paul. He was a class A jerk in the first season. But after getting wrecked by Giovanni and Mewtwo, and his loss at the Indigo League he really changed his ways. While he was still snarky at times he grew to really respect Ash throughout Johto. Even complimenting him on doing a good job raising his pokemon. (Power Play) And in the episode Extreme Pokemon we see Gary keep looking back for Ash after he pulled away. Because he knew Ash wasn't going to give up until end. We really see them form a really good friendly rivalry at the end of Johto that carried on through the series. One interesting side scene in Pokemon Chronicles is when Gary has some self doubts about not considering what could go wrong after helping revive an Aerodactyl. Tracey mentions how his old rival wouldn't get so discouraged, and Gary brightened up a bit and asked how Ash had been doing. And complimenting his work after Professor Oak mention he had won a few badges so far in Hoenn.

[@viewmann200]

SupermarketSweep777 Very true it’s not until they get put in their place that they change their ways. The biggest thing I’ve seen that Gary and Paul has in common is that they both had a trait that Ash was the complete opposite of, Paul was cruel to his Pokémon and Gary was pretty arrogant while Ash was loving and encouraging towards his Pokémon even to the point of releasing them so they can be happy on their own (doubt Paul would ever so that lol) and Ash was always humble and respectful to all of his opponents and as we saw when Gary battled Giovanni and Mewtwo his arrogance isn’t limited to Ash. These two were just meant to be the complete antithesis of Ash which is what made it all the more satisfying when he finally beat them and showed them the way he does things works.

[@shawnfrost7848]

Cynthia as Paragus and Garchamp as Broly , Cynthia then said,"Do It Garchamp!!!" Hope you get the scene :)

[@viewmann200]

Shawn Frost lol yesss I get it (as you can tell from my profile pic) Broly is my favorite 😂😂

[@Kingshit69]

I always saw Paul as our equivalent to an anime Silver

[@annjacobi4537]

oh shit that's deep!

[@MrBankaikenshin]

Nah that's Gladion now

[@gouthamnaroju893]

Me too

[@hambu4781]

@@MrBankaikenshin Nah.Gladion's way too edgy

[@Kingshit69]

@Alexis Muñoz lol you know most people domt do that

[@danielrea9611]

Paul is ash’s best rival And Gary is right behind Paul In my opinion.

[@satoshi6597]

Daniel Rea / thats no opinion sir, it are the facts

[@danielrea9611]

Satoshi yea pretty much.

[@MrBankaikenshin]

Eh. I still put Alain above Gary and behind Paul. But those are definitely his top 3.

[@danielrea9611]

MrOathFlame yea no one beats those 3.

[@Kleebo]

Agreed

[@lorenzomabalos9851]

Paul: Only the strongest pokémon matter. Trip: Go back to the basics. Gary: Hold my Gym badge case Tobias: *coughs* I almost beat the entire region with just 1 pokémon

[@KronosO3]

I almost the?

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

beat?

[@lorenzomabalos9851]

Woops, my phone died in the middle of my editing

[@ROBDEWAND]

Also Gary: I have 10 of the 8 badges

[@SonicSwift99]

ROBDEWAND That’s why he’s the real goat in Pokémon

[@UndernetChara]

Paul and the Diamond and Pearl seasons were my childhood.

[@kevingb6778]

Mine too

[@DQ_Senpai]

Same

[@jtmthegamer2104]

Mine as well

[@jtmthegamer2104]

@Krab_King 157 I didn't think B&W was that bad tbh , but man I really despised Trip and most of the writing it had

[@isaacstevenson2960]

Although Ruby and Sapphire were my childhood hood and my personal all time favorite, Diamond and Pearl is equally as nostalgic for me.

[@JakeGoesOnline]

The holy trinity of rivals: Gary, Paul, and Alain

[@youtubeisgarbage3064]

Alain is more of a nemesis than a rival.

[@MrBankaikenshin]

Agreed, the trinity right there.

[@youtubeminute4388]

Probably my favorite three.

[@ladynoname3621]

The Leader of Mockery,Leader of Competitiveness, and Leader of Strength.

[@isaacgranger468]

@@ladynoname3621 i'd say leader of mockery,leader of competitiveness and strength,leader of strength

[@miquelcanosasanteularia1678]

Two greats: paul and gary.

[@JoEs_Do9]

Yep

[@hassann07]

Hell ya

[@migspogi2097]

Alain too ❤️

[@kalebmarsh6565]

Two bad ones: fat one and my mom

[@Banondax]

And Trip

[@Anime-Doom]

I have to agree with Paul being Ash's best rival, the two are almost polar opposites in their approach to training but the anime never actually says that one is better than the other instead always saying that both sides have their pros and cons. I always saw Paul as being the anime equivalent of competitive battlers, always focusing on getting Pokémon with the highest potential and not bothering with others that don't meet their expectations. I also saw Tobias in that same mindset, if Paul was the competitive battler then Tobias was the full-force power battler only using Pokémon with the highest of all stats and naturally that means legendaries. Sure in terms of what we see of him in the league he comes across as a cheap way of beating Ash when he was at his absolute best by that point but I was always fascinated by him, he is clearly quite a bit older and far more experienced than other trainers and I always wondered just what kind of journey he had that lead him to the point where he had legendaries on his team.

[@thatonekidwhohasnoideawhat5048]

Almost polar opposite of Paul: Ash The *TRUE* polar opposite of Paul: Zoey

[@seankeller1560]

would have been cool if ash at least forced tobais to use all of his team tho but if ash got to his 6th Pokemon then we got Pokemon black and white I think it would have killed the show considering how bad that saga was.

[@joerobinson7004]

Everything about Sinnoh is the best IMO. Best region, best generation, best Rivals, best Ash, best legendaries. Sinnoh is just great.

[@pando2333]

Nah I think kalos was best ash, but I gotta love sinnoh for the nostalgia

[@joerobinson7004]

Pando Yeah I can see where you’re coming from with that tbh but I still think overall i prefer Ash’s team from Sinnoh. Like I prefer Infernape over Greninja and then he had some quality Pokémon with Staraptor and Gliscor etc. But it’s each to their own when it comes to Pokémon there’s no one right answer 🙂

[@pando2333]

@@joerobinson7004 I hope he eventually brings back his best pokemon, would love to see the greats return

[@joerobinson7004]

Pando yeah me too I think one day they need to end Ash’s journey and he should win the league of whatever series he’s in with a team of his best Pokémon. So like Infernape, Greninja, Sceptile etc

[@Ori_Kohav]

If you ignore the absurdity of Pokemon Hunter J and her ridiculously OP weapon

[@Ben-td3wi]

Kalos and Sinnoh were the best seasons with the best characters/rivals

[@oblivion2674]

Ben kalos sucks for rivals

[@RunningMan-9905]

I agree that they were the best seasons😊

[@Key_Mind]

Sinnoh definitely had amazing characters. I hope someone like Dawn returns if DP remakes happen.

[@kaval-cb9kd]

best battles too ash's league path and fight with paul his loss too, he kinda beame a good and foused trainer then

[@sabitahmmed114]

Quick facts

[@esmee6308]

What I like the most about Gary is that we got some character development, he went from some arrogant snobby rival, to a respectable one, to a friend who went his own way and did well. Paul had the best interactions as a rival though, often being there and putting the pressure on Ash rather than just claim he's better, he gets some development right at the end. Wish he'd make the occasional come-back. Alain is the 3rd one that stands out to me since we practically had two main characters fight it out, even if the mega-evolution series was rather short, I also like how they didn't hold back in trying to make him a fan-dream based on design, attitude, successes and pokemon of choice, but without being too ridiculous.

[@Grimmjowluver123]

That’s exactly how I feel about Gary and that’s what I like about him.

[@Zattux]

Please be my girlfriend! Or just please watch pokémon with me!

[@professoroffaeology]

Sawyer's great too, he was the first rival I've seen who've actually tried to catch up to Ash, not start out really superior compared to him (Correct me if I'm wrong), and I love that he's from Hoenn, my favourite region. His character development is mostly off-screen, but it's there. Hands-down my favourite rival of all time!

[@nothingsuspicioushere.6379]

@@Zattux Woah there bro do you need a sprite? You're looking quite thirsty there my guy.

[@Zattux]

@@nothingsuspicioushere.6379 I got a strong case of Brock-Syndrome. But I agree, a Sprite sounds nice!

[@saulgoodman110]

Strongest Rival: Alain Best Rival: Paul Douchiest Rival: Gary Edgiest Rival: Gladion Worst Rival: Stephan Cockiest Rival: Trip Weakest Rival: Richie Friendliest Rival: Sawyer

[@xaesthetictoes4179]

Agree 100%

[@xaesthetictoes4179]

@Kevin Liu i see him more of a person ash was just forced to battle to win the league

[@saulgoodman110]

@Kevin Liu well alain's charizard fought stronger pokemon than darkrai and latios and we don't anything about tobias besides his two pokemon

[@ck-1649]

Stephan isn't Ash's worst. That goes to Cameron

[@saulgoodman110]

@@ck-1649 Stephan is stupid because he taught his Zebstrika 4 normal type moves Edit: yes i know stupid doesn't mean worst but Stephan is the worst in my opinion

[@kristenwood7573]

Tobias 100% hacks Pokémon with action replay. And doesn’t Sawyer remind you of Midoriya?

[@roubroud]

Lol

[@professoroffaeology]

Or Hau. Sawyer looks like Hau.

[@srv7480]

Yes he remind me of him

[@gabesori667]

Fun fact: Sawyer in Japan is voiced by the same voice actor as Konohamaru from Naruto and Morgana from Persona 5.

[@feliz695]

Most likely, Midoriya can remind you of Sawyer. Since XYZ came out first than MHA.

[@ck-1649]

Ash's Greatest: Paul, Gary, Alain, Gladion Ash's Worst: Anyone from Unova

[@sans.2709]

Especially Cameron. Holy hell he sucked.

[@icantbelieveyoudonethis4059]

CK - 16 FACT

[@justsomegirlwithluck2483]

I like Trip he's funny

[@sans.2709]

@@justsomegirlwithluck2483 What's it like being the minority?

[@younghopeproductions485]

@@justsomegirlwithluck2483 Same. But because he respects his pokemon and at least hasnt abandoned someone like Chimchar

[@Please-ic1bh]

I loved Paul's character development when I was a little kid and it's still enjoyable to watch as an adult. It's also clear at the end that he really does care for his Electivire.

[@jakandratchet9930]

Paul did come to care for his Pokémon. While Paul probably didn’t quite understand it until later, Ash and Reggie definitely had a bit of influence on him, especially after Paul’s loss to Brandon. Brandon was honestly the one who humbled Paul, and the main reason Paul was able to let go of his hatred. Paul also showed considerable more respect for Ash after his battle with Brandon. He told Dawn that he still doesn’t like Ash, but he’s definitely let go of the misplaced hatred he once had. But whether Paul admitted it, or was even aware of it, Ash did have Paul’s attention, and Ash was rubbing off on Paul in more ways than one, best shown in Fighting Ire with Fire, where Paul, and after their final battle in the Sinnoh League.

[@TheKoopa4561]

That final showdown between Ash’s Infernape and Paul’s Electivire at the Sinnoh League was just epic

[@MrBankaikenshin]

Paul is Ash's best rival. With Alain right behind Paul. And Gary right behind Alain. Those are his top 3. The thing about Paul and Alain is that they're the only 2 rivals who mattered either to the characters or to the plot, so they pushed Ash beyond just "Hey we're both strong, lets fight" They both had added bonuses to their rivalry.

[@MrBankaikenshin]

@Ryan Escoton I agree, man

[@cream2406]

Barry is the 4th

[@MrBankaikenshin]

@@cream2406 Oh yes, I agree to that. With Sawyer being the 5th. That making his top 5.

[@shivayoupandey3915]

@@MrBankaikenshinSawyer is probably the most unique rival because unlike most others because with his other rivals Ash wanted to earn their respect, while in Sawyer's case he wanted to prove that he was worthy of the admiration Sawyer had for him. He was basically Wally from the games.

[@ohyeahyeah2151]

I can't say Alain was better than Gary, because he barely showed up.

[@oresti9271]

He didn't mention the greatest Ash's rivals and they are jessie James and Meowth 😂😂😂

[@itstony5076]

Oresti Ismaili We love them

[@oresti9271]

@@itstony5076 I love team rocket to they are the best

[@frost94]

Lmao was looking for the Team Rocket comment

[@turtlesturtles2530]

XD

[@oresti9271]

@Sonal Nayak first I was joking and second well of you have seen Yugioh yugi beats kaiba all the time and kaiba it's yugis main rival so my point even as a joke still stands 😂

[@aki24-h2n]

Tobias team 1: Darkrai 2: Latios 3: Latias (since latias and latios cant be spereated) 4: Creselia (since he has darkrai) 5: Heatran 6: Lucario (i think riolu was his starter)

[@federicogrisenti4870]

I suggest Shaymin instead of Cresselia because she doesn't depends on Darkrai (in the way Latias do with Latios). Furthermore, there are too much Psychic Pokemon. Shaymin is a Sinnoh rare Pokemon and like the other rare ones it has 600 base stats. Lucario could be perfect, I thought about Spiritomb in the past, but considering that Lucario can manage the aura and that he is a Fighting Pokemon... it would be perfect to catch Darkrai and the Eon Duo.

[@paigey-poo4235]

For some reason I was always convinced he had a Zapdos, not sure what happened to make me think that, but I always have. I just thing it aesthetically suits him I guess.

[@whereisezraa5825]

I hope he doesn't have Arceus...

[@jeromeronaldo1091]

"Pokemon X &Y Ash is the best Ash" FACTS ....

[@mountainemperorsupreme7766]

Yes

[@jatintamang2606]

No

[@VictorSilva-wl7qb]

I believe Alola there's the best Ash. Naganadel, Melmetal and Solgaleo are REALLY strong.

[@mountainemperorsupreme7766]

@@VictorSilva-wl7qb ok

[@manoelcavalcant3879]

Bruh Unova ash is so better

[@arkhamonline8331]

Can you imagine a crossover of guys like Paul and Alain meeting the Alola Ash? 😂😂 That'll be hilarious! They would look so dissapointed Btw: I like the SM serious tho

[@ashopp9392]

Paul : *PATHETIC*

[@professoroffaeology]

Or Sawyer. Wait, no. To see the guy he idolized go downgraded in an unacceptable level must be soul-crushing, so never mind. But his team can obliterate Ash's Alolan Team.

[@ladynoname3621]

Lmao make that happen XD

[@jebacpis869]

Did u seen his naganadel lycanrock melmetal and probably incineroar?

[@inamdaryasin]

Lol ash new team with Naganadel can beat them all (maybe not Alan)

[@jukelly64]

It’s pronounced STEH-FAHN.

[@golork3267]

Isn't that a running gag? People always calling Stephan's name wrong?

[@Poke-ladd]

Evan Harwig apparently in the end he realized he was hearing his name being pronounced wrong

[@golork3267]

@@Poke-ladd Or was it the fact that people thought they were pronouncing it right and only got it right at the end of the series.

[@mermaid_hina2713]

@@golork3267 This is correct, after Stefan won one of the battle cups, the one that like always granted them a guaranteed wish, he wished that everyone would always pronounce his name correctly and it did.

[@golork3267]

@@mermaid_hina2713 Nice, never noticed that.

[@Remixphoenix]

Mystic umbreon: “maybe we may see both the lycanroc duke out” Pokemon anime: here is this what you wanted is here

[@_pumpiii]

Paul:you are trash Said the one who sent a level 5 Chimchar against Cynthia's Garchomp, which is level 66,especially with that Garchomp sweep.

[@cloudknives9716]

No one to be fair, I’m pretty sure he was just trying to size Cynthia up though.

[@nothingsuspicioushere.6379]

He wanted to activate chimchar's blaze. So he puts it in impossibly hard battles to recreate the stress of the zangoose attack.

[@TheHDEpics]

@@badtimeisinevitable9620 he tried to manipulate it's trauma to win

[@TheHDEpics]

@@badtimeisinevitable9620 i never said Paul was sensible

[@SonicSwift99]

Lol that Chimchar was not level 5, it was high leveled for sure. And that was Paul’s ways of training Chimchar. He was also sizing the Garchomp up.

[@ShinDSER]

Notification squad rise up Edit: "Paul is Ash's best rival" F A C T S

[@kingofgames2992]

Fact

[@nathanbaca5131]

Gary Oak has entered the chat

[@kingofgames2992]

@Merciless Freak i think not

[@spartansid3171]

Merciless Freak Brainless idiot

[@thatman666]

Not a fact, rather a statement.

[@legofan4409]

I think Paul is my favorite by far, probably because at first he feels like how an old Pokemon fan would play the games, i.e. select the pokemon with the best nature, IVS, ability, then EV train it and so forth. Its perfectly fine in the game, but this kind of behaviour / viewpoint of pokemon and their value obviously doesn't sit well with Ash, who has a fundamentally different ideology about how to catch, treat and train pokemon than Paul. It was so interesting to watch these two characters clash with each other over the course of the Sinnoh series, and giving Paul a backstory that tied back to the Hoenn region was perfect - I loved the episode where we saw him battle in the battle pyramid. Paul is such a great character, and by the end BOTH he and Ash had changed, which really made it all feel worth it, like the rivalry actually made a change. I really want to see Paul again, teasing Ash and battling him with his new pokemon while telling stories about his travels and the people that he has met. I don't know... Paul just really stuck with me like none of the other rivals really did, although I would like to see Gary back as well of course.

[@LinkMountaineer]

Paul was Ash’s best rival. That match at the League was one of the best fights in the whole series.

[@michaeldiez9512]

Tobias is a complete nothing of a rival. We learn so little about him and after beating Ash in the Semifinals, the Sinnoh League tournament just ends with him defeating some unnamed trainer's Magmortar. Talk about anticlimactic.

[@whereisezraa5825]

Tobias should have been better developed.. But man Sinnoh means mysterious.. So Tobias with darkrai in the end was awesome for the region!!

[@NuKim-ld1tw]

Yeah, I absolutely dislike Tobias he is such a cheater.

[@greninjaarc-z396]

Can you do Ash's Gym Battles Next?

[@matthewroberts198]

The I Choose You is definitely worth a watch. I thought it was a fresh new take on Ash's Journey and the role a certain Pokemon had in it made the movie even more interesting. And yeah that rival, Cross, is a jerk

[@jdamvp_821]

Paul easily the best Trip easily the worst

[@jugemujugemugokonosurikire4735]

Trip is so bad I dont even remember who he is

[@ladynoname3621]

Trip is a watered-down version of Paul XD

[@shivam5098]

Paul got so much popularity in diamond and pearl that they decided to make another trainer similar to Paul in character as well as looks and hairs too But trip was such a huge dissapointment

[@MrcreeperDXD777]

*Cameron

[@ChitoDrop]

Poor Trip 😂 god I remember I used to have a huge crush on him as a kid and think "HE'S THE BEST RIVAL ASH HAS EVER HAD" and after rewatching it I'm just...ugh. I don't know what younger me saw in him to proclaim him being the "greatest"

[@TrickyTalon23]

I feel like the developers felt bad for not including Silver in the show so they decided to finally to so and dye his hair purple and call him Paul

[@anneelyse6810]

Tobias capture a legendary and a mythical with a pokeball.... My reaction: -You are a (family friendly) (family friendly) (family friendly)

[@febfreeze831]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@jovannydiazabad6123]

Lol

[@thefrongier3406]

@@febfreeze831 or if you use 4Chan you can say FUG (Rayquaza in 4Chan culture)

[@Sorcrex]

I hate Paul, that's why I know he's the best rival

[@namratarssis-fz2jl]

My best rival is Paul

[@qsmusic8994]

Paul is by far Ash's best rival then I say Gary then Alan. Trip had potential but he feel flat. And there league battle was bs.

[@michaeldiez9512]

To me, Trip just feels like a watered down version of Paul.

[@xaesthetictoes4179]

@@michaeldiez9512 tbh yeah

[@thatonekidwhohasnoideawhat5048]

@@michaeldiez9512 Ummm... I think he's similar to GaRy OaK

[@whereisezraa5825]

Forget about alain.. He is cheater

[@kidfrombellwood]

@@michaeldiez9512 at least Trip is a better person, he respects and even compliments his pokemon unlike that pretending-to-be-cool gen 4 rival lol

[@J2ojuiced95]

Paul is still the greatest rival in the Pokemon anime I honestly don’t see them ever making a rival that can top him.

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

Paul learned the hard way that when it comes to Pokémon battles, power alone doesn’t cut it.

[@madmonkeymcknight7535]

Paul is best rival by far. You basically said everything, he is a jerk and a fierce trainer that is willing to do anything to win a match. When he lost against Ash in the Shinnoh league he started to respect him a lot, which I loved. After the match, Paul and Ash promised each other they would meet again and battle someday, which never happened. Much like Primeape, Pidgeot and Ash's companions, I'm actually sad that these amazing characters never return, not even with a cameo appearance

[@zeospark9715]

Phew...finally someone that doesn't get all over Alain just for beating Ash in the league. The dude is very friendly toward Ash and despite winning the league and beating Ash in the end, he still considers Ash the superior trainer. Not to mention he doesn't need a legendary to get the job done since he was willing to battle all of the gym leaders just to face Ash at the end. You have to admit you never seen a rival since him that's so dedicated to fight someone. Also yeah. I'll admit I've grown to like the Sun/Moon anime due to the more "Slice of Life" aspect they went for and how good they are able to balance out such a large cast. But I really didn't like how late Hau was introduced. He was your main rival in the games seen a bunch of times yet in the anime, Hau makes his first appearance like 70% into the series. He is the grandson of Hala after all.

[@SorenFE93]

Thank you! Someone said it! I lived the final battle between them personally! That had good camaraderie and you felt for Alain when he had to deceive Ash

[@inamdaryasin]

I like Alan and also Gladion much more than Paul and Gary because paul and gary simply has no role in the series outside being Ash rivals

[@iberniaofficial]

we dont talk about the cameron - ash battle, that was a disgrace on ashes part

[@396dog8]

I love Paul because the Diamond and Pearl anime was when I really started to get into Pokémon. I watched the first season but Diamond and pearl was when I got into it. (F.Y.I I did not grow up with it. I watched it on Netflix and Hulu.)

[@namratarssis-fz2jl]

I like Paul

[@kahboom76]

Paul is my favorite rival I really hope Ash gets a rival like him in the Galar region

[@whereisezraa5825]

I still hope Paul returns

[@deletedaccount6388]

"I'M GONNA FINE YOU" - Barry

[@spartansid3171]

DELETED ACCOUNT it’s “fine” not “sue”! I know it’s the same thing but come on my dude! Don’t paraphrase it!

[@deletedaccount6388]

@@spartansid3171 ok I know it's fine I just prefer sue because he said it In one of my favorite episodes but ty anyway

[@yserareborn]

“Ash has been traveling for quite some time” No, he’s been traveling for less than a year :|

[@mikeycarrero6501]

Even in the anime its been over a year

[@elpopman2055]

@@mikeycarrero6501 nope. He is the same age.

[@mikeycarrero6501]

@@elpopman2055 yes, but the seasons have visibly gone through more than 1 cycle. Meaning it has to have been at least a year since he left pallet town.

[@elpopman2055]

@@mikeycarrero6501 Headcanon. It been Stated that Ash is Still 10. So Nope

[@mikeycarrero6501]

@@elpopman2055 i know ash is ten. I'm saying it makes no sense because you can physically see the years changing. The show ignores the weather and seasons and continues to say he's ten.

[@Monty2289]

I wouldn't call Paul a jerk. I'd call him a proper rival. And I think reason we all like Paul is because we identify with his methodology and strategy. Because well...they weren't wrong. And the universe pretty much treats it as such. Paul isn't a member of Team Rocket or a "Team" in general but he treats his pokemon callously because he demands results out of them. And I think we all would too. The reason for why he does this is based on something tangible. It was his brother and how even his brother could not live up to young Paul idea of an infallable trainer who is powerful and unbeatable. That gave him more depth than: "I'm the Prof Grandson" What made Paul work is because it was clashing ideologies. The only reason it flopped in the end is because the writers HAD to give Ash the W. In a real world situation Paul would likely win ever time 100% of the time vs. Ash's friendship is magic methods

[@lecoreytarpley9221]

The reason Ash won is because his Pokémon wanted it more and had something to prove.

[@epicfan1598]

Paul was definitely a jerk. BUt he was also a great rival. And while there isn't really anything wrong with wanting a powerful team abusing and abandoning a pokemon just because they are"weak" is not okay. Thankfully he does change and get good character development towards the end of the series but he was still a jerk for a good portion of the series but gets better as it progresses.

[@todd2.08]

Well no because he’s the type of guy to completely gloss over things like Magikarp or the first stages of pseudo legendaries. He’ll find that they aren’t performing right and ditch them without seeing the end result.

[@29jemo]

We may all hate Paul, but realize that when we play the games we are Paul. We only keep and train the Pokémon with the best IVs aka the strongest Pokemon and release the weak ones.

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

I don't. I trade them away in hopes of getting something I don't have or a shiny

[@29jemo]

Kyle Woodowens ok so you are telling me you don’t release them into the wild, but instead you sell them for better shit.

[@captainobvious1475]

Who hates Paul 😂

[@stacyplayz2625]

​@@captainobvious1475nuh uh

[@juanpablocastrejon9394]

"Iron tail the stuff out of Metang" *shows pic of the pre-evolution*

[@vvcreative2628]

I can't believe I noticed it only after reading your comment 😅😁✌️

[@quranbooker5106]

Yeah but it's not very effective

[@kingofgames2992]

I choose you was a good movie in my opinion people's expectations they were way too high

[@matthewroberts198]

Agreed

[@JohnL1984]

Yeap agreed because I did not have high hopes before I watched I really enjoyed it more and the art style was really great in my opinion

[@HitsuKzt]

I remember liking Paul so much in the anime back in the day and was kinda bumped out cause I never saw him in the games. Then when heartgold and Soulsilver came out I was so excited to have a rival like Paul in Silver! It was so cool

[@iamshahzebnasir]

His strongest rivals are Alain and Gladion(forget Tobias) His best rivals Gary and Paul

[@namratarssis-fz2jl]

What are you saying you forgot Tobias

[@valeriemiller4293]

I haven't watched SM and SS yet since the artstyle changed so much. Ash barely looks recognisable and there's no connection with the other regions at all (apparently). But I have to admit Tobias IS pretty forgettable considering he's just randomly put there so Ash would lose LOL

[@alejandromendoza5321]

@@valeriemiller4293 there is connection with other series. Misty and Brock appeared in 4 episodes of SM and in SS there are multiple references to the original series and SM.

[@kevinfatine744]

Paul is Ash's best rival by far... I've never seen a more correct statement than this

[@kylewood4488-b9r]

I really liked Silver from the Johto games. He was extremely aggressive. He is Giovannis son for christ sake

[@chuyrdrgz5244]

Paul deserves to come back to the series ( as well as Brock and Serena ) He is like the vegeta to goku, a rivalry based on two different ideas and philosophy’s. He really is one of the best characters who had a lot of development but I want him to come back in the future, hopefully in the sword and shield anime.

[@silviamartini5373]

Except that Paul's ideals and philosophy are wrong.

[@Matchagotchaa]

SM and DP anime are my favorites!

[@angelicaph483]

Same my 1st (DP) and 2nd (SM) fav series

[@whereisezraa5825]

Your photo with Cynthia So beautiful :) Sorry, just love Cynthia

[@whereisezraa5825]

@@angelicaph483 agree

[@scragy8177]

Ok Gary is my favorite character ever in the anime with Max as a very close second. Also... *Gary has an Umbreon*

[@tyneriddle7149]

Pokemon: I choose you is great! I loved it. Such a wonderful retelling/alternate universe. It made me very happy to see it in theatres.

[@gemzxox7683]

Gladion is definitely my favourite rival ❤️ I love how he stands out so much compared to all of the other rivals and that underneath the act he puts up he's a really passionate guy about both his Pokemon and his family. I also freaking love his hair 😂👍🏻😝

[@xXAISPXx]

Gladion's awesome

[@gemzxox7683]

xXAISPXx Yusssss 😝

[@inamdaryasin]

I also like both gladion and alan because rivals like paul and gary has zero roles outside being Ash rivals, Alan is like a different protagonist on special mega evolution episodes and Gladion relationship with his family and how much strategic he is in battle make me like him more

[@calebglasscock7392]

I can't wait to see Ash's newest rivials during the Sword and Shield anime.

[@donisamwentete5079]

Nope

[@damienbailey3039]

My personal favorite is Alan. He was so damn great!

[@quranbooker5106]

My too ☺️

[@jaimeabaya6728]

Alain is the best. Also really nice. He will give you cookies andmilk

[@quranbooker5106]

@@jaimeabaya6728 and also he's ultimate rival of ash

[@yumikadocherty3241]

Can’t wait to see the Galar Anime Predicting a mean rival but with the best British and/or posh accent ‘Ash, it had come to my attention that you have never conquered a region league. Hmm, figures’

[@peterparker1683]

Paul is the best rival. The dude from black and white is the worst

[@greninjaarc-z396]

You mean Tripp

[@superplasmagamer9295]

If were talking about main rivals then Yes but if were talking ALL rivals that has to go to either the ones from hoenn or the side characters like Tobias and Nando.

[@superplasmagamer9295]

@Merciless Freak They both have basically the same personality.

[@spartansid3171]

Merciless Freak I was hoping a brainless idiot like you would say that! Gary is EXTREMELY overrated as hell! And there are stronger rivals Ash has faced than that cocky bastard! So stop hating on Gen 4 and get a life!

[@spartansid3171]

Merciless Freak Naw bro! All of that is you! You’ve basically described yourself and blame it on others when really it’s you ya dumb idiot!

[@casteddu6740]

My opinion on every rival Gary: I agree with you Mystic It's just a shame that we havent seen him battling Ash before the end of the Orange arc Ritchie: Great character Basicaly he is a doppler gengar of Ash. I wish we could see more of him honestly Harrison: That Blaziken was awesome and the battle with Ash at some point was even hilarious (when snorlax woke up and destroied Hypno) Morrison: not a real opinion on him I just liked the Battle Thyson: Loved his Meowth's rivalry with Team Rocket's one It would have been great if this pushed Meowth to become stronger and even be a kind of Pikachu's rival with some battle of fury swipes vs iron tale Paul: the best rival of all time He had great personality awesome Pokémon and the rivalry with Ash was basicaly an ideological war on wich is the best way to train Pokémon (love every Pokémon and work to improve them vs focus only on the strongers and don't give a damn to the others) Barry: Good I agree with you Nando: i was pretty confused at the start because it took me time to undestand that he was both coordinator and trainer Plus the battle with Ash is one of my favorite Tobias: Can we even consider him a rival? I mean he was just there to make Ash lose and of course He had leggendary Pokémon Couldn't the writers at least give us a good way to make Ash lose like they did in Jhoto so a trainer from Unova wich use Unova Pokémon wich Ash don't know and so he lose? Trip: just a bad copy of Paul... Stefan: after Butch was fired from Team Rocket they needed a new name issue but it wasnt very effective because Stefan got mad only one time while Butch every time Belle: the only thing I don't like of her Anime version is that every time she appeared Ash was blasted off into any font of water... For the rest is good Virgil: I mean he had a great time and make a guy with No Unova Pokémon win the Unova league is pretty ironic Cameron: How the hell a guy like him had an Heidragon?! Basicaly this guy is a copy of Barry but this time I don't mind if Ash lost to him because in Unova he was so retarded Tierno: Nothing to say I agree with you Trevor: like I sayd for tierno Sawyer: Yeah I like how he seen Ash as a mentor or basicaly someone to inspire him self Alain: I like the fact he worked for Team Flare even not being evil Such an Anti-Hero with a good Team Plus I loved his Charizard :/ Gladion: I don't watch the Sun and Moon anime (I wouldn't say the reason because we said it so many times that even I start to get annoyed when somebody complains about it even if I agree) but l like that gladion is not in Team Skull and have a good Backstory It's all I can say Hau: havent watched a single second with him so basicaly I don't know anything Btw great review

[@inamdaryasin]

I don't think Tyson's meowth have any interest on TR meowth forget about becoming rival.

[@Lasherluke]

Alot of people complain about ash losing to Alan but if you think about it, it does make sense, espically if you watch the side stories with him as the main character.

[@Rippen_Crippen]

I plead you to watch the I Choose You movie, as a longtime Pokémon fan, I loved it. I don’t get why people didn’t enjoy the movie. I understand some stuff didn’t make sense but I loved the characters, Pokémon, and rival to much to care.

[@amyduong9423]

Paul was an actual foil to Ash. He didn't care about connecting with his pokemon, only having the strongest ones which reflects how gamers treat their pokemon. He really did help drive Ash and they played off really well since they juxtaposed eachother.

[@KAM-2001]

Who remembers Pokémon chronicles you the Pokémon show without ash they should bring that back and all previous Pokémon characters and there stroys

[@J2ojuiced95]

Technically they never stopped doing those in Japan, TPCi is just too lazy to dub them in English.

[@Thatawesomeguy14th]

Paul is bar none my favorite rival of Ash's. The two had such different battling styles, yet they couldnt ignore each other as it wss put in the anime, due to how far they get with their styles. Throughout all their battles, youll see how every time, they take away something from each other and use it against them in their battles. It's so fun to watch. The final battle with Ash vs Paul made me upset when I had to wait 3 WEEKS till the conclusion. The battle really showed how Paul had to use some of Ash's Spirit and kindess, and Ash needed to use Paul's calcuativness and prediction. Combined the two had a passionate brawl thst stands out to me as one of my favorite pokemon anime battles so far

[@girlpower4373]

Paul get on my nerves he called ash pathetic Beacuse ash training style and paul made ash get stronger and thanks to him ash got chimchar Paul only care about POWER and strength and ash and paul battle in the sinnoh league made paul realize that Power and stregth dosent make a trainer strong is Love and Friendship and after the sinnoh league paul respected ash

[@ewyna8409]

To me, Paul is Ash's best rival. He challenged him in every way, especially in how differently Ash and Paul treated and trained their Pokemon. Ash constently loosing badly also made his victory over Paul in the Sinnoh League a really worthy victory, and the fact that Infernape, the very Pokémon that Paul abandonned for being too weak was the Pokémon that won the match for Ash was even better. Alain comes second, he is a true test of strength for Ash, as he's extremely strong as a trainer with an extremely powerfull Charizard. The fact he had his own series also helped develop him as a character before he came into the main series. I also liked that his match against Ash was the only one he trully enjoyed as Mairin states it's the first time she's seen him smile. Sawyer comes third as he's a bit of a different kind of rival. He's the only one who trully looks up to Ash, forcing Ash to be stronger not to catch up to his rival, but to not disappoint his rival. He's also very dedicated and is a very intelligent trainer on the battlefield, which gave imo one of the best League match in the entire anime. All in all, these 3 are also my favourites because of how much i liked their League matches against Ash. Matches where both trainers were really strong, and fought not only with brute strength, but also with their brains. Then comes Gary, he was the jerky cool rival, i also liked that in the end they trully became friends and he helps Ash's Gligar evolve. Gladion seems like he was a good rival to Ash (i haven't watched much of the SM anime except for 2-3 episodes at the begining and the League episodes), but that League was a huge let down for me where Ash seemed like he turned back to being a noobish idiot who won most of his matches with luck more than talent.

[@inamdaryasin]

You didn't watch the series that's why you're saying all of that about SM, because Ash and Gladion rivalry has built up from very long time, almost every battle has some deep meaning behind them like Ash Vs Paul and Gary had, they're not some random battles, Just because Ash was acting goofy doesn't means he lose all of his skills, he has all of his skills, beat many strong opponents in the series , Gladion can beat any past rival in 4vs4 match and Kukui+Tapu Koko is probably the strongest opponent Ash ever faced (not counting Tobias), his team was way more developed than past series as Ash actually cared about training them where previously Ash only cared about training his ace, Lycanroc, Pikachu and Torracat has amazing rival built up even Rowlet has small rivalry, there is a reason why fans called Ash Alolan team one of the strongest because they're not dependent on 1 Pokemon to win.

[@flamingmonferno]

Paul and Alain I think are two of the best rivals ash has ever had.

[@BTSArmy-ll3vv]

Don't forget Gary and Gladion

[@rducky136]

I loved Paul as rival and fact that Paul relisedbashwa stir it about chimchar he treated it with love and respect and it evolves.

[@Mochibun123]

Wut? “I choose you” is the best Pokémon movie so far! First time i cried in a Pokémon movie X3 My opinion tho

[@Vwemmy]

I cried in the first movie

[@Dan-qp5tq]

Paul was the reason I started watching the anime in dppt when I was four always found him so cool

[@TBoneTony]

You should see the I Choose You movie as well as the Power of Us. Even if they are a completely different story of Ash and Pikachu, I think they bring a different sort of story to the Pokemon series.

[@superplasmagamer9295]

Even Mystic got Stephon's name wrong! lol

[@superplasmagamer9295]

@Renael Steele I thought his name was spelled Stephon but said like Steph-Fawn

[@epicfan1598]

Super Plasma Gamer it’s Stephan

[@armandomendoza7371]

Are we gonna ignore the fact that he skipped the lord Conway?

[@Ruffgi]

Our lord simp Conaway

[@greenherring1057]

Sinnoh Ash was better than Kalos Ash.

[@audrothewise340]

Unpopular opinion but I agree. Kalos ash was cool just because. Nothing happened between unova and kalos, he just became badass.

[@zeospark9715]

Dunno about that. Kalos Ash almost defeated Champion Diantha. Sinnoh Ash got his ass kicked by Elite Four Member Flint.

[@Wildcatt1999]

Both are equally awesome.

[@J2ojuiced95]

Zeo Spark tbf if Diantha almost lost to Ash then she’s clearly not a very good champion. Tbh I just prefer the cool tactics he had in Sinnoh, such as Counter Shield and the spinning move he got from Dawn.

[@p.i.m.p8208]

@@zeospark9715 cuz diantha is not that tough

[@RodimusMinor1987]

Trip is a trash Rival, he is basically Paul but adding Racism to it, every time he insulted Ash he brought up Ash being from Kanto, that is racism, Paul is definitely my Favourite Ash Rival, he pushed Ash to be the Best and Ash showed Paul something Paul Lacked too, they helped each Other Grow,

[@keetendailey4337]

Rodimus Minor there is so much potential they missed with trip, a real shame because his ace is my all time favorite Pokémon, which is Serperior, if your wondering, they could have had some episodes for him but nooo, a 6 on 6 battle against ash nooooo, that dumbass Cameron who thought it was a good idea to send out his ferrothorn. One of the best gen 5 Pokémon competitively, against ash’s pignite, when he had two water types to beat pignite with, he was such an idiot

[@zeospark9715]

Trip was trash. Then again, the whole BW series wasn't that great. Only rival I liked from there was Stephan and that's because he had a great personality and a funny running gag. I felt like Virgil was flat and Cameron was annoyingly stupid.

[@keetendailey4337]

Zeo Spark now here is the thing. The black and white anime I might be a bit biased since gen 5 was my favorite generation and games bw and b2w2, and my favorite Pokémon is Serperior, look overall, bw wasn’t awful, it just had a lot of missed opportunities and bad writing, think god they learned and made x and y anime absolutely amazing, and sun and moon as well but that’s imo, like when it comes to just episodes in general, I feel like bw was the most consistent, like every episode built on top of the next one really well, I can’t really explain it but in dpp, there were some filler that didn’t contribute to the main story at all, every bw episode had a purpose, and I can respect that, ps I like iris better than misty, and imo, gen 1 anime is worst anime and every anime that preceded it was better imo, they had some dumb moves overall, but I would watch it over the original any day, plus bw had killer theme songs that I loved, and the plasma arc was really good to,

[@keetendailey4337]

Zeo Spark all they had to do was build trips character some more and not make Cameron at all

[@zeospark9715]

@@keetendailey4337 I'm not outright saying that the BW series is the worse one ever but mainly it is the weakest of the series. Sure the original series had a lot of weak moments especially with Ash being given his gym badges most of the time instead of earning them and "Motherly Misty" (Togepi was cute but it really hurt Misty's character), but the BW series just had so much blandness to me. And I could see why you like Iris more than Misty but her "Such a little kid" line is the most annoying thing I've heard ever. The Team Plasma arc was okay. Better than the team Aqua/Magma plot from the anime but pales in comparison to the Team Galactic and Team Flare arcs. It's too bad they couldn't air that Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma episodes because Team Plasma didn't make an appearance until near the end of the series. I'm not faulting them for that since a tragedy happened in Japan that caused the episode to be cancelled and Team Flare made a very late appearance in the X/Y series as well.

[@umbreon2110]

Awesome video! Btw you should watch pokemon movie i choose you It was awesome

[@carlandreimanalang9347]

Gladion,Alain,and Hau. In my opinion.

[@BTSArmy-ll3vv]

You forgot Gary

[@-Jimini-]

I love these “My Opinion on a all” vids lately, you should do one on all the Pokégirl rivals, such as Drew and Shauna, I know there quite as many as Ash’s but I think it would be a nice list

[@steventaylor1522]

Jimini77 I would also like a poke girl rival opinion video. I would like to see zoey and Ursula in it too

[@Doggof2p]

Nr1: paul and alain Nr2: sawyer Nr3: tierno and trevor

[@alldayagain]

Well now we need a video about his travel companions

[@mikaelacash3791]

"Steven" Even Mystic Umbreon can't get his name right! LOL

[@thefrongier3406]

R/wooosh

[@Fezcon]

Yoo i watched Black and White so many times over, that dude was a JEERRRKKKK.

[@thatonekidwhohasnoideawhat5048]

If Paul reads this: Am I a joke to you?

[@angelicaph483]

@@thatonekidwhohasnoideawhat5048 Exactly 😂

[@thatonekidwhohasnoideawhat5048]

@@angelicaph483 Trip was a jerk but Paul was on a whole other level of being a jerk and an asshole

[@Carolanne17]

Paul is ash's best rival 100%. He's amazing!

[@spartansid3171]

Merciless Freak Wow a brainless idiot like you would prefer an overrated rival like Gary over an insanely well developed character like Paul get your nostalgic glasses off and start looking into the facts you genwunner!

[@ohyeahyeah2151]

@@spartansid3171 You have no right to call anyone stupid, when you have tantrums over opinions.

[@spartansid3171]

Oh yeah yeah well you don’t know this guy as well as I do! This genwunner is the epitome of Pokémon cancer and forces everyone to switch to liking Pokémon people such as Gary and Misty because he doesn’t have the GUTS to admit how other characters outclass them! I’ve destroyed him in a MILLION arguments from time to time and yet trolls like him still come back!!!! At this point it’s like as if he’s BEGGING for me to end him! I would ignore him, however this delusional fuck makes a FOOL out of himself to the point where it’s toooo hilarious for me to leave him alone!

[@epicfan1598]

@@spartansid3171 dude, chill he has his own opinion no need to get offended by it.

[@The_Psycho_Red_Ranger]

@Merciless Freak Don't you have anything better to do with your life than sit at home and waste your time talking snack about people's opinions? Jesus Christ you sound like a five-year-old

[@415bigk]

There will never be a better rival than Paul.

[@adamjsher04]

Paul was best rival imo in the anime. Barry is my fav overall

[@CaptainSherbertTheQuestionable]

I love videos like this cause it is a great way to start a discussion

[@TheShapeH31]

I can rate Ash's rivals in 2 ways. RIVALRY and general CHARACTERS Best Rivals in terms of *RIVALRIES* 1. Paul 2. Sawyer 3. Alain 4. Gary 5. Gladion 6. Trip Best Rivals in terms of *CHARACTERS* 1. Alain 2. Sawyer 3. Gary 4. Paul 5. Gladion 6. Trip.

[@MrBankaikenshin]

Sawyer a better character than Paul?

[@TheShapeH31]

@@MrBankaikenshinYep

[@nttiv7725]

I kept rewinding every time you said Paul was Ash’s best rival. The fact was so satisfying.

[@spartansid3171]

Trip is Ash’s worst rival!!!!

[@bluestrike1259]

Paul is my favorite rival because he owns so many cool pokemon I like and there's something about him that I really like as well

[@Sazzyjo3]

I think Tierno has personality in the anime bc you can’t rlly put dancing animations in a game (well, i suppose you can)

[@snapclub8751]

Top 3 Rivals: 1. Paul 2. Alan 3. Gary

[@taskslashes5166]

Is no one going to talk about how Tobias got a team with just legendary like how tf did he manage to not only find but catch them in a POKEBALL

[@whereisezraa5825]

Emm in Pokemon go a lot of people have 20 legendaries. So?

[@taskslashes5166]

@@whereisezraa5825 The anime is completely different from a mobile game, both don't share the same canon items/features.

[@whereisezraa5825]

@@taskslashes5166 we don't know for sure all of his pokemon are legendaries... We saw only Latios, Darkrai, I presume also 3d Latias Others can be like tortwig

[@falconfirespare7374]

Me: yay a video! Mystic: We GoT sHiRtS oN sAlE

[@falconfirespare7374]

The three best rivals: Alain (1st), Paul (2nd), gary (3rd)

[@whereisezraa5825]

Don't put alain there please

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

I hated Paul's guts but that just means he was a perfect rival.