Rival (EntityClass, 2)

From Compile Worlds

This article is about rivals in general, and not specifically Blue (Trainer), Silver, Wally, Barry, or N Harmonia.

Rivals are people that compete with you and are usually equal or greater in power and skill to you, unlike mooks and villains. Most of them are also either douchebags or are just generally not good people, which is why you're butting heads with them in the first place. Rivals offer a degree of challenge you wont find elsewhere when trying to level up, but they can also be annoying and stupid and make you want to slit your wrists. They also make good post-game experience fodder when there is little else to be found.

Examples of this type of rival are characters like Jr. Troopa in Paper Mario, or e-123 Phi in Sonic Battle.

Rivals also refer to a specific character in the main Pokemon series games who are usually out to get you and always appear at the wrong times. They're generally emofags and want nothing more than to crush you and your hopes and dreams under their boots, with the exceptions being Wally and N. Blue and Silver are the most famous examples of this rival, but Cheren and N also serve as good examples. Generally, Rivals are the only NPCs in the Pokemon series who actively expand or change their team, and N is the only one to change his team after every encounter.

Rival could also just be a synonym for opponent or challenger, but that's boring and confusing, and no one wants to write about that kind of baloney, right? And then there's Sonic Rivals... but that's like saying Sonic Heroes... aw shit.