>>37042382>rivals have been friendly after Gen 2It is a sliding scale. Thing is before they at least felt like a real rival, Hau chooses a pokemon weak to you and only by the end goes no really I did want to win. You don't feel like you are building up for eventual confrontations. Cheren was a bit bland but he did seem like someone who always seriously wanted to surpass you. If there was an option to tell Hau to shut up and go home I'm pretty sure he'd do it, they never really sold me on him really wanting to beat you and be the best. He just happened to have that role in the story so strolled along it cheerily. If you didn't get his final few battles it wouldn't feel like the story was incomplete, there just wasn't good set up.
I don't think rivals have been done that well for a while, yet we've reached new lows. With the increase in story relevant characters you meet and fight the friendly rival just fades into the background. You've got antagonists and run into older competent (at least in the story) people to fight which gives you some drive. Hau and gen 6 friends might as well have just been a trainer classes.
