Why do they bother giving rivals starters anymore? They're

>>32896713
so they have something strong compared to you, but i guess that trend was broken in sun and moon because apparently your rival having a pokemon with an advantage makes the game too difficult

I dunno, Decidueye fits Hau pretty well personality wise.

>>32896810
No, it doesn't at all.

>>32896720
They tapered off on this since XY because all starters of the games since then now get STAB moves by level 5 when you first get them. If you fought your rival anywhere early game, they would wipe you with super effective moves that you have no way of preparing for since it's likely before you can catch pokemon, and even then you'd need to catch something that can handle a starter, which you probably won't find early game. In ORAS, they made the rival not have STABs even though they should at level 5 and they probably just didn't want to code in opponents lacking level up moves for non-remakes.

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>>32896821
nO, iT DoeSn'T aT aLl.

>>32896956
Well meme'd friend.
I see you are also a member of le reddit!

>>32896956
>>32897141
You have to go back

>>32896821
But it's intelligent, narcissistic and with a wicked sense of humor.

>>32896810
Color scheme wise decidueye does
Personality wise incineroar fits better

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>>32897141

>>32896713
the point of being a rival is owning a starter. they can have a signature pokemon thats not a starter anyway

>>32896720
I actually really hated that Hau had coverage moves.

>Go A-Persian!
>A-Raichu used Focus Blast!

>Go Lycanroc!
>Komala used Earthquake!

>>32896720
Hau has a disadvantage, but Kukui takes the last starter and Gladion's Silvally holds a Memory that gives it a type advantage against you.

>>32897537

what would you give Hau if he could have two more pokemon.

I think Driblim and Goodra would have fit him rather nicely.

>>32896713
What I don't get is why starters continue to be super special monsters that you can only get one of at the beginning of the game. It made sense as a major challenge in gen 1 since you would need to trade two other people who had the other starters (all the way in their base form, no less. Or you just got Yellow version like the corporate whore you are) to complete the Pokedex, but that was already thrown out in gen 2 since breeding allowed you to mass produce the starter you picked, and in gen 4 you no longer needed close friends to trade with anymore with online play. The games occasionally allow you to receive one of the starters from other gens by meeting certain requirements, and XY had some starters captureable in Friend Safari, but fucking really? Outside of gen 1 & 2 where numerous no-name NPCs had Kanto starters, they're only reserved for you and the rival NPCs and are difficult to get as anything but your starter choice. They've never been overpowering Pokemon choices even ingame, so why not have them available in the wild too every now and then?

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>>32896956

>>32896713
Hau's signature was A-Raichu pretty much.

Gladion was a rival and they gave him Silvally

>>32900211
Because that's what they are. Special Pokémon exclusive to you and your rival. If they were out in the wild like any other wild Pokémon they'd serve no purpose. There wouldn't even be a need of the whole starter Pokémon process. Just get some Pokeballs and rocks and go run out into the tall grass

>>32900285
>There wouldn't even be a need of the whole starter Pokémon process. Just get some Pokeballs and rocks and go run out into the tall grass
You need a Pokemon of your own to battle and weaken wild Pokemon for capture. Sometimes the starters are portrayed as suitable choices for a beginner trainer, but just as often they're just something the professor has on hand/is researching at the moment. "The whole starter Pokemon process" doesn't even matter narratively in half the cases. Why couldn't the monsters show up in the wild later in the game?

>>32900227
edgy

>>32896713
>the thunderstorm didn't consume when he evolved his Pikachu into Alolan Raichu
this triggers me