>>46685929The sting is somewhat lessened by the fact that Wally provides the obligatory pre-E4 showdown and is fairly strong by in-game standards. But they definitely are shitty rivals. I remember how disappointed I was that they never fully evolved their Starter as a kid.
>>46685967They really only suck your cock after the Lilycove battle where they admit they can't keep up. Before then, they're pretty much what I would describe as a "friendly rival". They aren't constantly gushing about your superiority every time you meet.
But Barry remains the gold standard of how to actually pull off a rival who's also your buddy.
