and it's refreshing to see Ash's confidence pay off for once. Gary is Ash's longest-running and most consistent early rival. Since Ash is an effective parody of Red, Gary is a parody of Blue.

Rivals that appear throughout the franchise, like Cynthia and Gary Oak, have trained their favorite Pokémon to perfection, providing tough challenges for Ash. Ash's Pikachu, despite its refusal ...