>>44091938Paul - He's my favorite rival in the series, in large part because he is Ash's foil as well as his counterpart. Like Ash, Paul captures several Pokemon that intrigue him or are powerful (let's face it, Ash *does* capture Pokemon that he thinks are strong or are worth capturing). Paul and Ash both train their Pokemon as well, and they even use many of the same training methods. Like Ash, Paul releases Pokemon that he doesn't want to have on his team anymore. Like Ash, Paul wants to become the best trainer in the world and win battles with his team. Like Ash, Paul uses innovative and creative strategies in his battles, and he also fights a head-on, aggressive battle. Like Ash, Paul had a relative trainer who gave up on being a trainer because they failed. Like Ash, Paul had traveled across multiple regions and captured several Pokemon that he later uses. The main reason why Ash loses constantly to Paul is because Ash uses mostly new Pokemon he caught in Sinnoh, whereas Paul uses the Pokemon that he caught on past journeys in addition to his new Pokemon. So imagine Paul uses his Sinnoh team against Ash, who uses his Sinnoh team AND his other Pokemon at Oak's, as a contrast. Now you understand more of why Ash lost to Paul constantly.
I like Paul's character arc and how he wasn't always the hardass that he was. Like Ash, Paul wanted to believe in his Pokemon and work together with them to get stronger. Paul saw his older brother, Reggie, who loved and trained his Pokemon as his model and inspiration. However, Paul was disillusioned when his brother, his hero, easily lost to Brandon, and Brandon outright told Reggie and Paul that he lost because they didn't train their Pokemon properly, and they didn't form their own unique strength. At this point, Paul gave up on being like Ash and clung to strength, victory, and results. Paul started to capture only Pokemon that were powerful enough for his high standards, and he released Pokemon that couldn't make the cut.
