Paul from Pokemon: The Most Underrated Rival In Anime

Where would we even be in anime without our rivals? You know the one, the guys and gals that on average are far more beloved and compelling than our main hero. In my opinion the best rivals are the one that can serve as both an ally and enemy against the protag based on their opposing beliefs with the best of rivalries being able to bring out the best of both characters. However if I had to say who is the most underrated rival with probably the most popular anime behind him then it would have to be Paul from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl undisputedely. Because unlike any rival before and after him Paul managed to challenge the status quo of the Pokemon anime in a way no one has ever since and while he is a part of the biggest anime in the world I still think he gets far less credit then he deserves. So right here and now I intended to show off why Paul makes every otheri rival in the series "pathetic" by comparison so sit back and stand by for battle!

Note/Rivals

So naturally with a post like this there is going to be a lot of debate so I'll pretty much explain that all here. First up Paul is the best and my favorite rival in anime that is my opinion and if he isn't for you then that's okay. He's a bit of a controversial character to talk about but to be fair I think that we can all agree that he is a very well written character and awesome trainer. Also I don't condone animal abuse of any kind as well. In spite of that for me personally the other rivals just don't make the cut. Gary is the most controversial example but I never really got a good rivalry from him. He was just the kind of guy that would antagonize Ash from time to time. Like he's this guy that was always one step ahead just because. It also didn't help that the 2 became friends in the long run and Gary quit battling, which undoubtedly makes their rivalry inert. Alain is another favorite but I kind of see him as his own character than Ash's rival if that makes sense. He had his own side series that was kind of removed from the main anime until the very end. He was cool in the main anime but his interactions with Ash pale in comparison to Paul. Speaking of my boy let's get to his proper dissection.

Overview/Personality

So there are personally 4 hard rules in Pokémon that you need to know for you to understand Paul. Ash will always be a kid, Cynthia is best champion, the fire starters are always the best and Paul is a massive douche. Paul is often cold, tactical, rude, bold and arrogant. In contrast to Ash's strategy of hard work and nurturing love to make any Pokémon strong Paul much rather seeks out the most powerful Pokémon with the most potential he can find and uses them as tools that can further his own goals. And even if they don't fit his immediate goals or his overall one then Paul will throw them away for either later use or just plain give them away. Naturally with an attuned like this Ash started to despise Paul with a passion and the feeling was mutual.

However here is the beauty of such a dynamic like this: Paul gets results. If this was any other season Paul would be this chump virgin who pathetically mistreated his Pokémon for no real reason and would be a running gag where he constantly loses to ash. And with a slap on the wrist and the wagging finger of morality ash would look like the superior trainer. But instead they made Paul this absolute mega chad that in many ways had no reason to change. Both ash and Paul have traveled the entire world at that point and from it they've gotten impressive victories that helped reaffirm that their philosophies were right. So why the hell would any of them change? And while Paul's methods are cruel and downright abusive (especially to his then Chimchar) people for the most part basically don't question Paul's method that much and he doesn't overall change his style in the end. Because in actuality if you put Paul's methods in a realistic setting, do we really have the right to criticize him? In the games many trainers swap their teams for a specific purpose, we get that special Pokemon that has the best attributes and potential for our teams for the best competitive use. And on a philosophical level Paul also fits on that weird scale of just how far we will go to achieve our dreams. It brings up the question of if you want to be successful or do you want to enjoy your passion? But with that out of the way let's get into the individuals that shaped their rivalry.

Reggie/Cynthia/Brandon

Out of the entire series I would definitely see that these 3 have had the most impact on Paul and Ash's rivalry so let's break them all down. Reggie is the first up and probably the most prevalent in the series. Reggies at first is portrayed as a Pokemon Breeder with a personality similar to Ash but is surprisingly the older brother of Paul. Immediately we get a contrast yet similarity of the 2 through him. Reggie for the most part is a mentor to both Ash and Paul as he believes they can learn a lot from each other. But before we get into him let's visit our number one Pokewaifu Cynthia.

While she doesn't play the biggest part in their rivalry Cynthia effectively is the future look to how Ash and Paul's relationship will work from now on. After beating Paul mercilessly and showing the true gap between both of them Cynthia confirms for Paul and Ash an answer that leaves them both unsatisfied in a sense. She says that Pokemon effectively are different people and so grow under different conditions, and sometimes the supposedly unbreakable bond between Trainer and Pokemon can be broken due to just being too different and not the right fit. Like Reggie she trained endlessly but after realizing this fact she sought to understand the world of Pokemon better in search of greater strength because that is the only way one grows stronger. And she leaves the 2 with a single, heartwarming quote.

"When every life meets another life, something will be born."

And once again the future of these 2 now become completely intertwined. Which leaves us to Brandon. For dozens of episodes we've wondered why Paul was the way he is and with the introduction of the final Frontier Brain we realize the true psychology of Paul. A couple of years back Reggie was Paul's indisputable idol. He looked up to how feverishly his brother trained as after all he managed to conquer the four regions while even taking on the Battle Frontier. And yet even with all that hard work, even after he cared for his Pokemon Reggie was crushed by Brandon, and hanged up the cowl of Trainer for life. Realizing this crushing defeat Paul was shattered and his version of an ideal trainer soon faded away. Because he realized that he may need to be the opposite of his beloved brother, to care about power and only power to win the fight. But this philosophy also gets questioned when he suffers a crushing defeat at Brandon's hands. The battle honestly is all of the worst traits of Paul as his obsessive and destructive wall gets shattered to reveal the spiteful boy in charge. His emotions are so out of whack that he even gives up giving orders to one of his Pokemon because he already knows the outcome. Give Ash credit, because even at his worst Ash never gave up and that is the reason why he won over Brandon.

Realizing that he failed to surpass Reggie and Ash to a certain extent Paul takes this lesson to heart showing that even he can learn and adapt from others. And he wastes no time as he immediately gets thrown into one of the biggest battles of the series. But before that we must talk about the most important character related in this rivalry.

Chimchar

So many people talk about Greninja and Charizard as Ash's best ace in the hole but I really feel like the story of Chimchar is really the one we should all discuss. Because Chimchar is the prime center of the rivalry of Ash and Paul. At the start of its life Chimchar was always stuck with hardship. After being chased by a bunch of Zagoos Chimchar managed to unleash his hidden power, a power that Paul saw and wanted to cultivate. Yet despite that Chimchar could never get the results that he wanted, instead constantly being pushed to the point of breaking. This came to a head when Paul decided to let Chimchar fend for himself after he was frozen in fear from another Zangoose.

However where Chimchar failed with Paul he more than made up for with Ash. Overtime Chimchar's fears and self esteem soared under Ash's wing, realizing he found the love he always needed. And this proved doubly true as despite Ash's care Chimchar when pushed to his upper limits around Paul would have those old feelings resurfaced in the form of a mighty and powerful berserk blaze ability that would destroy everything in sight. Yet despite the fear and rage Ash still held on, accepting the Pokemon at his best and worst. It was in this regard Paul never really could best Ash in and that is why through this constant love and care the little monkey soon became a proud and mighty Infernape, the living symbol of Ash and Paul's contrasting styles coming together in a beautiful flame.

Lake Acuity

With all of the important peeps out of the way let's introduce the best of their battles. Taking right after the battle with Brandon the 2 trainers with their recent battles are more fired up then ever to prove who was the better trainer. And this is where Paul manages to give Ash the most crushing defeat of his entire career (Snivy will be his most embarrassing though). Ash went in overconfident over his recent battle with Candice and Paul's defeat, using the same 6 Pokemon he always had and letting his Pokemon guide him. Paul took advantage of these emotions and decided to make a specific team that would give him a 100% victory over him and it freaking works to terrifying effect. He takes advantage of unexpected move coverage and set up strategies while at the same time having abilities that would completely fuck over whatever Ash had. Over time you kind of just stop trying to root for ash as his Buizel gets bitch slapped and lariated 2 inches into the ground. Once the dust settles Paul walks away with 4 healthy Pokemon with his beliefs now more secure than ever. It takes a long time for Ash to get better as it takes a few minutes for him to reconsider just how much he's failed as Trainer. But after he sees his injured Pokemon more fiery than ever and his now evolved Monferno, he realizes that he just needs to work harder and that he has not lost the war.

Sinnoh League

And now we reach that final battle between these 2 bitter rivals in a spectacle that will forever be the best battle in the series. Other battles may be more flashy and more grand in scale but this battle really does have it all. Hundreds of episodes of buildup,tension, relationships and earth shattering battles have led up to these 2 trainers who are at the best of their opposite positions to finally answer the question that they need so desperately to be answered. This is not some simple battle, this is a goddamn war for one's ideals! And yet despite all of that tension we see how much these rivals have bettered each other while at the same time learning from each other.

Ash now makes more decisive decisions but Ash also decides to wield the same 6 Pokemon that lost to Paul at Lake Acuity. Paul is as tactical and deadly as ever but an important fact to remember is that despite his facade Paul on some level respects Ash as he uses the same counter shield technique that he used in Lake Acuity. The battle really does feel like a full on gauntlet with numerous powerful and memorable battles that have Ash on his toes. The best example is the usage of Drapion and his toxic spikes to clear half of Ashes team easily after using his first 2 Pokemon as decoys. This battle pulls out all the stops as both trainers come up with,borrow,steal and give know of them an inch. And it all comes together when Paul pulls out his Electivire as his ace in the hole. Paul's tactics and Ash's passion collide in Pikachu and Electivires electrifying rematch in throw back for the ages. But unfortunately Ash had to give in and put all of his last hopes on his battered Infernape.

And this is where Ash and Paul's rivalry reaches their fever pitch as we understand this intensity. All this time Ash and Paul have been 2 sides of the same coin, learning and getting stronger from each other has led them to enter this joint state of mind. The same goes for their Pokemon as they've always had a bitter rivalry since the old days. And just when you think Paul will win for the umptennth time, Infernape has the last laughs in a revival that shakes the entire stadium! And in one of the most epic clashes of the series , Ash finally gets his first and final win against Paul in the end, showing that Ash's method while being a hard one, also got results.

After the battle is over though we see the real effect of the battle. There is no completely triumphant celebration or even a Paul pity party. Because these 2 lives managed to birth an unbreakable connection. A connection that showed them the point of their journeys is to learn and strengthen their own passion. And what started off as bitter hatred left as respectful acquaintances with their own unquestionable methods of success.

Epilogue

Overall with everything I've just said I can't in good conscience ever put anyone else as Ash's best rival. This smug prick challenged Ash philosophically and narratively in a way I would never change. While it is unlikely with the new Pokemon anime starting to introduce all of the other regions, I just hope that Paul's magnificent character once again. Because I don't want some random jerk or nice guy to be my rival. I want someone that can challenge me to my limits while at the same time forcing me to do something that we humans almost never do: respect and acknowledge his differences for better or for worse. And it is for that reason alone why I think Paul will forever be the most underrated rival in all of anime.