Rivals are a staple of the Pokemon series, and the newest entries Scarlet and Violet have introduced one of the strongest rivals in the entire series. Nemona is a champion in the Paldea region and the president of the academy's student council as well, making her the strongest starting rival in the series. She provides a good guide throughout the region and will ask Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players to battle frequently because her goal is to have someone as an equal.
When the player first meets Nemona, she's very friendly and fits more into the tone that later rivals take. However, her stated power level and ability to complete her goals are only comparable to the original rival, Blue. In Pokemon Red and Blue, Blue is dead set on becoming the champion of the Kanto region and, while he does get the title taken from him nearly immediately, he does eventually earn the title of champion. His snide remarks and the difficulty of some of his fights throughout Red's journey have made him seen as the most popular rival in Pokemon's history. It's because he feels like a rival and not a little sibling that a parent forced upon the player, and his success is comparable to Nemona's.
Why Nemona Stands Out When Compared To Other Rivals in The Pokemon Franchise
Many rivals in the later generations can feel as if the game just has them there to check off a box and not like a trainer to rival the player throughout a grand journey. Many players don't find the rivals after Blue very challenging, and in a lot of games they can come up empty-handed -- failing whatever goal they set out to accomplish. Silver, the rival in generation 2, wants to take down Team Rocket and wants to be strong, but he loses consistently to the player and eventually realizes he needs to change. While he undergoes more character development than Nemona does, he doesn't accomplish his goal and while he may become stronger, he never can stand up to the player.
Much of the same can be said about the rest of the rivals. From May and Brendan all the way up to Hop, most rivals do become stronger but fall short of the player. The player always ends up as champion and becomes much more powerful than any of the rivals. That can make the rivalries feel arbitrary and hollow at the end of the game, let alone in the post-game when players often can't even interact with their rivals anymore.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, on the other hand, start with Nemona already being a champion in a Pokemon region that allows for multiple champions. This allows the rivalry to be skewed toward the player in battles, with it still feeling like Nemona deserves respect because she uses a new team that she builds from the ground up alongside the player. When the player becomes a champion, that completes Nemona's goal.
All Nemona wanted was to go all out and still feel competitive with someone, and when she celebrates the player beating her at the end of the Victory Road path she's the happiest the player has seen her throughout the game. Players can still face her in the post-game too, making Nemona an integral piece of the game while still being able to attain her goal -- a rarity in the Pokemon franchise.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch
