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Not all rivals are "nicer" so much.
Blue (Gary) and Silver are notable for being jerks that get humbled and turn around, and for the journey they're great antagonists and retain their charisma. They're simple and effective, with their own unique layers of having notable patriarchal figures.
Wally is a nice story about growth and overcoming ordeals and challenges, whilst Barry is a lesson that over-enthusiasm may not be rewarding.
Cheren and Bianca, are nice travelling companions who as a trio, serve to further each other's ambitions and figure out their futures, which resolve in becoming a gym leader or pursuing research.
N meanwhile is the role of the enigmatic antagonist, who does present hurdles and questions about the human/Pokémon relationship, but is revealed to be an unwitting puppet in a grander scheme.
Hugh is where things start to degrade a little, his motivation from the beginning is seeking justice for his sister's stolen Pokémon, and this only turns around into continuing to seek justice for others similarly wronged.
X and Y is where shit goes completely south.
They shove a whole group of friends onto you that have no lasting impact or story significance, other than coddling the player into a forced artificial friendship. Like, deciding that you should have a nickname within minutes of meeting each other and insisting you have this.
Tierno is notorious for his dancing gimmick, and Trevor is absolutely forgettable.
Hau repeats this problem of just being an over-eager friend, and gets crushed when you defeat him at the championship battle of Ultra Sun/Moon in embarrassing fashion.
Gladion is a saving grace though, he has one of the best battle themes in the series, and he has his own journey as a runaway from a difficult and complicated family situation and has adopted a defensive and aggressive front.
