Rival Discussion & Speculation

[LilBueno]

I completely think that live-action!Hoku was meant to symbolize the rival, who will be named Hoku, but the necklace/shirt comparison really seems to be reaching.
That said, have we had a rival whose parent was a Gym Leader or Elite 4? That could turn out to be an interesting plot point especially if the same rival is also taking on the Pokémon League. Maybe that's why Hoku takes to the newly-moved player, his family is a part of the Alola Pokémon League so he decides to act as your welcome wagon.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Yeah, but wouldn't the names on that wall be the names of the students in that class? And the kid who says "My name is Hoku" is in that class. He is the one that starts the clapping when Shohei introduces himself.

I don't think so. There was like 15 students in that class room. There was only 9 silhouettes and they all looked like they were in a battle stance. I find it unlikely that they were supposed to be for the students.

There was also a Caitlin, which we already have an E4 member for. I am not exactly sure why they would name a gym leader that when we already have a member. Unless she reverted back a gym leader because she want to teach beginner trainers.

If you are wondering about the 9th, there is one to the far left in the corner that can hardly be seen. Which could associate the player.

 

[Jeischita_Homaji]

I don't think so. There was like 15 students in that class room.

There could easily be more off camera, its a decently sized classroom. It is incredibly more likely that they are student names as opposed to Gym Leader names, now THAT is grasping at straws, especially when a character in the trailer who is definetly a student (and who is clearly meant to represent the friend/rival character) directly said "My Name Is Hoku"

If the names are an easer egg at all, then the other names are likely the names of the other friends who will join the player on their journey across Alola's many islands. Yes, I am making assumptions, but I am making assumptions based on the more likely scenario. There is little to no evidence tying those names to Gym Leaders, but there is spoken proof connecting the hawaiian boy to the name Hoku.

 

[Desert Stream~]

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed this yet, and it really bugs me.
Your rival in this game chooses the starter that is weak to yours.
I wish gamefreak would treat us like we weren't complete idiots when it comes to video games, and give us a proper challenge.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed this yet, and it really bugs me.
Your rival in this game chooses the starter that is weak to yours.
I wish gamefreak would treat us like we weren't complete idiots when it comes to video games, and give us a proper challenge.

I think "Hoku" (which if people are right will be his Japanese name) is more of the Shauna, than the Blue, Silver, May/Brendan, Barry, Hugh, and Serena of the story. The opposite sex rival might be the one who gets the one strong against our's, or another person if they pull a BW on us. I assume the other rival will be a girl if it's not the Opposite sex MC. Actually not counting OSMCs the only female Rival we've ever had was Shauna, and she wasn't much of a rival in story either, so a stronger Female rival would be welcomed.

 

[MarinoKadame]

We had Bianca as a Rival kind of.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

We had Bianca as a Rival kind of.

Forgot about her, but she was like Shauna, a rival without the passion of a rival.

 

[stzy]

*snip*

Wow good eye. I agree with you man I think this might actually be his name. He seems a little weak though so yeah, I'm assuming there will (hopefully) be at least one more rival.

Maybe this has been brought up but what if your rival was your sister/brother? That would, at least for myself, make the rivalry that much more heated. Idk just an idea. I agree with everyone for the most part that we need an actual rival, not a peer or a friend or a fucking gang (even though an actual gang would be pretty tight but not how it was in X and Y that was lame af).

 

[Hikamaru]

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed this yet, and it really bugs me.
Your rival in this game chooses the starter that is weak to yours.
I wish gamefreak would treat us like we weren't complete idiots when it comes to video games, and give us a proper challenge.

You know, if we don't get another rival who chooses the other starter then this could mean that Game Freak might be intentionally making the rival weak against you for the purpose of making the games even more easier to cater with the kid-friendly audience, and that next step they take in making Pokemon games even more easier is breaking the trend of the "main" rival not picking the starter strong against yours (that is, assuming we don't have another rival). And I know that's not going to get the best reactions out of everyone.

I think "Hoku" (which if people are right will be his Japanese name) is more of the Shauna, than the Blue, Silver, May/Brendan, Barry, Hugh, and Serena of the story. The opposite sex rival might be the one who gets the one strong against our's, or another person if they pull a BW on us. I assume the other rival will be a girl if it's not the Opposite sex MC. Actually not counting OSMCs the only female Rival we've ever had was Shauna, and she wasn't much of a rival in story either, so a stronger Female rival would be welcomed.

One thing to know with the regions that we had an opposite gender protagonist as the main rival were Hoenn and Kalos. The games that take place in those regions (RSE/ORAS and XY) involve a protagonist who had moved to the region from another location, and if this is implied to be the case for Alola then we could be seeing the opposite gender protagonist being the main rival who picks the starter strong against you again.

Bianca and Shauna have so far been the only female rivals outside of the opposite gender protagonists, but they didn't have the same spirit of a rival so you can see why people didn't enjoy them, but Bianca at least had notably good character development.

 

[Pretty Wing]

My only real input into this speculation is that I think Hoku is already very charming and cute! Can't wait to see his artwork, and find out more about him. Here's hoping our friendship with him in the game is as thought out and detailed as say, with Bianca and Cheren. Hopefully he has a sizable input into the story, perhaps teaming up with our protagonist to a greater extent than the Kalos rivals, as an example.

I can 100% see Hoku training a Ludicolo or a Golduck!

 

[Hikamaru]

My only real input into this speculation is that I think Hoku is already very charming and cute! Can't wait to see his artwork, and find out more about him. Here's hoping our friendship with him in the game is as thought out and detailed as say, with Bianca and Cheren. Hopefully he has a sizable input into the story, perhaps teaming up with our protagonist to a greater extent than the Kalos rivals, as an example.

I can 100% see Hoku training a Ludicolo or a Golduck!

It really wasn't until around 3rd Gen that we had a rival teaming up with us at some point, but I felt in X/Y it was handled at its worst, and it makes that parade at the end questionable since most of them never really had much of a role in saving Kalos from Team Flare. It was all mainly the main protagonist's work, with Calem/Serena usually doing a bit alongside him/her.

As for Hoku, I think he's an Alola native and he wants to be friends with you when he realizes you're not native to the region.

 

[Trainer@PDS]

I would like the Silver kind of rival, who would be too bratty and impolite. His words always pumps me up to do my best.

 

[Hikamaru]

I would like the Silver kind of rival, who would be too bratty and impolite. His words always pumps me up to do my best.

I can understand the appeal, but since this new rival is looking friendly I guess we'll never be returning to the days of the brat rival. Game Freak do like promoting friendship a lot when it comes to Pokemon.

 

[OreoPark]

What if we had another rival who started off with a pokemon that isn't one of the starters, like how Wally started off with Ralts?

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I can understand the appeal, but since this new rival is looking friendly I guess we'll never be returning to the days of the brat rival. Game Freak do like promoting friendship a lot when it comes to Pokemon.

Unless if the possible female rival is mean, while the guy we see in the trailer is a nice rival. Kind of want it to happen now...a Oujo like rival who might be a bit of a Tsundere. Hm...sounds like Erina from SnS... but most fans of that serious love to hate on her so... a mean female rival like that would fit in with Blue and Silver.

 

[Hikamaru]

What if we had another rival who started off with a pokemon that isn't one of the starters, like how Wally started off with Ralts?

We also had two of the rivals in XY had non-starters acting as starters - Tierno with Corphish and Trevor with his Flabébe. I know they were the first Pokemon we saw from them in their rival battles.

Unless if the possible female rival is mean, while the guy we see in the trailer is a nice rival. Kind of want it to happen now...a Oujo like rival who might be a bit of a Tsundere. Hm...sounds like Erina from SnS... but most fans of that serious love to hate on her so... a mean female rival like that would fit in with Blue and Silver.

We never had a mean rival since Silver, and while a female one like that would be a nice change-up I do feel it's in doubt since Game Freak likes to promote Pokemon as friends.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

We also had two of the rivals in XY had non-starters acting as starters - Tierno with Corphish and Trevor with his Flabébe. I know they were the first Pokemon we saw from them in their rival battles.



We never had a mean rival since Silver, and while a female one like that would be a nice change-up I do feel it's in doubt since Game Freak likes to promote Pokemon as friends.

Maybe for the 20th we'll get another Green/Blue and Silver like character. I do feel that the rival has gotten nicer. I felt a little of a sting from the Opposite Sex rival in RSE, Barry, Cheren, and Hugh, but the Kalos rivals didn't have much of that, they were like Bianca (though I liked Bianca better than the Kalos rivals).

 

[LilBueno]

One thing I've noticed replaying Yellow is Blue isn't as terrible as I remember.
I'm at Rock Tunnel so I still have a few battles with him left so my opinion may change as I encounter him again, but he isn't as mean as I remember. He's got an attitude and a bit of a complex, yeah, and he's no Barry/Wally/Calem/Serena, but he still gives the player a few tips (seeing Bill, talking to the captain of S.S. Anne) and isn't trying to beat the player just for the sake of being better (though that is definitely the core of it) but also to see how you've progressed compared to him.
With that and how Silver turns around at the end, all rivals have had a redeemable quality.
I do want that level of meanness back, but I kind of want a nonredeemable rival. I doubt GameFreak would ever go down that path as their games are so kid-friendly so it's usually the Evil Team that ends up nonredeemable.

 

[blue]

Both Wally and May/Brendan had great character progression in ORAS particularly. It really felt like they were rivals right until the end yknow? They showed up several times, they helped you out and gave you items when needed. Compare that to X/Y and it's kinda like a whole different story. In those games the abundance of rivals just ruined it for me, having too many at once didn't really give any of them a chance to shine or show true character progression. Shauna stood out a little, but having an extra 3 showing up randomly just threw it off. I think that's why I prefer only having one or two rivals similarly to ORAS or BW.

 

[MarinoKadame]

And let's not forget the terrible Rival Gauntlet at the bridge.