Thread: Ash’s best rival battle in a league

Well, since DP is over next week and the SL ended last week, let us go back to see which of Ash’s rival battles in a league beats the rest.

I just watched Ash vs. Gary at the Johto League and there were some things that I liked about more than the Ash vs. Paul match. For starters, there was less dialogue from the people in the audience, there were few words from Oak, Ash’s mom and Misty/Brock. All of Ash’s Pokemon got a round that was good except his Tauros that got a quick knockout and Gary’s Arcanine did as well. Really surprised that no Pikachu was used I didn’t expect that.

Ash vs Paul was epic, but Ash really didn’t do the same old out of the box theories that he used in past battles. Don’t get me wrong he did think up Underground Flare Blitz, the Air Master helped Gliscor to think of the “distance to recharge” tactic for Giga Impact, and Buizel’s flotation sac. However, some would say that Blaze was the only reason that he won and really it seems that was the only reason...

I mean remember the match with Gary; heating up the field under Blastoise knowing it would cool it down with water to create a giant smokescreen so he could attack from different angles, using Heracross’ wings to deflect Fire Blast from Magmar and winning by pressing through a Flamethrower with Megahorn, Muk’s body to absorb Blastoise, using Bayleef’s Vine Whip to help it jump in the air, etc.

The other people you can go with are Ritchie (I would be surprised if it gets even one vote…). Also, Harrison, Morrison, Tyson, Nando (sort of well he was a rival to Ash in the league and Dawn at the GF just not much screen time though), Conway (errr…a rival for Dawn’s love???), Paul and Tobias (technically not a rival, but just the same he was a titian in Ash’s path at a league).

The last option "I can think of other league matches that were better" refers to matches like the one in Kanto against Bellsprout, Pete with the Arcanine that used Dragon Rage, Mandie was the one where Krabby/Kingler swept the match, Katie from Hoenn (that was my favorite match in that league) and any others you can think of. Even matches that didn't take place in a league but still involved the rivals; Paul at the lake (or any of their other battles), Ash vs. Gary at Oak's lab they fought there twice, Morrison's Beldum vs. Pikachu or others like that.

If Morrison had been introduced earlier, their battle would have been a lot more meaningful.

Here's my ranking for best league battle (only using the ones listed in the poll):

1) Paul
2) Gary
3) Conway
4) Tyson
5) Morrison
6) Harrison
7) Tobias
8) Nando
9) Ritchie

Paul and Ash may not have used as many quirky strategies as the Gary battle, but I don't think they're necessary to make a battle amazing. Abilities, move sets, and the Pokemon themselves are also important, and I felt the Paul battle was better in all those fields (I know abilities weren't part of the show in Johto, so I can't really take away from the Gary battle for that).

Also, the Paul battle had many more people in anticipation. Yes, I'm sure people were excited to see Ash vs. Gary in the league, but with Paul there was a large amount of buildup. Ash using the same Pokemon he used against him at the Lake Acuity battle got peopled pumped to see them get their revenge (though I think it would have been better had Paul used the same Pokemon as well, but that's just me). With Gary, the Pokemon Ash used didn't have any a reason to fight other than to win.

I'm not bashing the Gary battle in any way; in fact, it's one of my favorites. I'm just giving reasons why I believe the Paul battle was superior.

IMO
1) Paul
2) Harrison
3) Tyson
4) Gary
5) Conway
6) Tobias
7) Morrison
8) Nando
9) Ritchie

the gary battle would be the best if they had better animation at the time :O not that it was terrible but it didnt look as good as the paul battle...
gary for me will always be ash's main rival so i really hope that in some distant league hundreds of years into the future they can redo the battle and make him a trainer again... also i want to see gary vs paul

Like I said before, Tobias is probably not a "rival" but he was a major obstacle standing in the way of Ash winning the league. Also, Ash looked forward to battling a Darkrai from the moment that Brock told him about it.

Paul is the best and Paul is winning this poll. I think its because they battled alot more than Gary, Tobias, or anybody else. PLUS, that hyped up the battle even more because they wanted to kick each other asses.

1-Paul
2-Harrison
3-Gary
4-Tyson
5-Ritchie

You listed Harrison twice. :\

I already fixed it, sorry.

1- Paul
2- Tyson
3- Harrison
4- Gary

Originally Posted by Ranger Jack Walker

If Morrison had been introduced earlier, their battle would have been a lot more meaningful.

Yeah, I see their battle as a reverse of Ash vs. Ritchie, at first Ash didn’t want to battle his friend but that wasn’t the reason that his Pokemon got knocked out so easily (it was Sleep Powder and Pikachu was exhausted thanks to TR). It would have been nice if he was introduced earlier because Ash never had any rivals in Hoenn until around League time.

Originally Posted by The Puppetmaster

Here's my ranking for best league battle (only using the ones listed in the poll):

1) Paul
2) Gary
3) Conway
4) Tyson
5) Morrison
6) Harrison
7) Tobias
8) Nando
9) Ritchie

Paul and Ash may not have used as many quirky strategies as the Gary battle, but I don't think they're necessary to make a battle amazing. Abilities, move sets, and the Pokemon themselves are also important, and I felt the Paul battle was better in all those fields (I know abilities weren't part of the show in Johto, so I can't really take away from the Gary battle for that).

Also, the Paul battle had many more people in anticipation. Yes, I'm sure people were excited to see Ash vs. Gary in the league, but with Paul there was a large amount of buildup. Ash using the same Pokemon he used against him at the Lake Acuity battle got peopled pumped to see them get their revenge (though I think it would have been better had Paul used the same Pokemon as well, but that's just me). With Gary, the Pokemon Ash used didn't have any a reason to fight other than to win.

I'm not bashing the Gary battle in any way; in fact, it's one of my favorites. I'm just giving reasons why I believe the Paul battle was superior.

True, I didn’t really take that into prospective. I forgot about the Johto league being before abilities were introduced. Not to mention that Ash vs. Paul showed a variety of a Pokemon’s natural abilities based on their body structures; Buizel’s floation sac, Drapion’s claws and how it can turn around its head, Frolass’ ghostly ability to disappear combined with Snow Cloak, etc.

Also I agree that Ash and Paul had WAY more build up. The exciting thing about Gary was that it was their first REAL battle. Yeah, I know before there was Pikachu vs. Eevee but to me it didn’t feel real, I mean yes it was an official battle like the beginning of Yellow, but Ash wasn’t “there” he was too hotheaded to think straight and it was an easy win for Gary. Now their full battle was different where both sides gave it their all and I really didn’t care who won because it was a back and forth battle.

Originally Posted by Paulisthebest

Also I agree that Ash and Paul had WAY more build up. The exciting thing about Gary was that it was their first REAL battle. Yeah, I know before there was Pikachu vs. Eevee but to me it didn’t feel real, I mean yes it was an official battle like the beginning of Yellow, but Ash wasn’t “there” he was too hotheaded to think straight and it was an easy win for Gary. Now their full battle was different where both sides gave it their all and I really didn’t care who won because it was a back and forth battle.

In a way, it's a bit depressing that their league battle was the "real" first battle they had. I'm sure it was highly anticipated, but at the same time it makes you think, "What has Gary been doing all these years if he hasn't even battled Ash?" (Not taking into account the Pikachu vs. Eevee battle.)

I enjoyed that Ash and Gary switched their Pokemon frequently throughout the battle. Up to that point, not many trainers had been as strategic as to whether or not they should sub in another Pokemon.

Also think about how the Pokemon were taken out. During the Gary battle, Gary took the early lead and it ended with Charizard taking out 3 Pokemon in a row. In the Paul battle, Infernape received the same amount of knockouts, but they were distributed throughout the battle in a way that didn't make it seem like overkill (when in reality it sort of was).

Paul for me, see it wasn't just the battle that happened at the league, that was epic however. But it was the entire series, they were polar opposites, that added a lot of tension between the two. Gary was ok and all but not my favorite and I don't count clones so Ritchie is out of the question.

Originally Posted by The Puppetmaster

In a way, it's a bit depressing that their league battle was the "real" first battle they had. I'm sure it was highly anticipated, but at the same time it makes you think, "What has Gary been doing all these years if he hasn't even battled Ash?" (Not taking into account the Pikachu vs. Eevee battle.)

I enjoyed that Ash and Gary switched their Pokemon frequently throughout the battle. Up to that point, not many trainers had been as strategic as to whether or not they should sub in another Pokemon.

Also think about how the Pokemon were taken out. During the Gary battle, Gary took the early lead and it ended with Charizard taking out 3 Pokemon in a row. In the Paul battle, Infernape received the same amount of knockouts, but they were distributed throughout the battle in a way that didn't make it seem like overkill (when in reality it sort of was).

Well Blastoise, Charizard, Infernape and Electavire all took into battle with at least 3 Pokemon even if they didn’t knock them out they may (or may not) have received some damage from those matches.

For Blastoise-Muk, Bayleef, Heracross and Charizard.
For Charizard-Golem, Scizor and Blastoise.
For Infernape-Aggron, Ninjask and Electavire.
And for Electavire-Gliscor, Pikachu and Infernape.

I’m glad that Ash and Paul subbed their Pokemon, I mean think about Ash vs. Harrison, if Ash had called back Pikachu/Totodile after they won their matches against Kecleon/Sneasel. Then he would have had those two to fall back on instead of sending Noctowl against Steelix and could have called back Bayleef after Houndoom or not have used it against it at all because he could have used Totodile.