Who Is Your Rival

Like all Mainstream Pokemon Games, you will have a Rival that you will constantly run into and battle during your journey to becoming the next Pokemon Champion. The Rival is Pokemon FireRed is one of the most iconic in all of the Pokemon Franchise, being the stubborn and abrasive grandchild of Professor Oak. Both you and your Rival will obtain their Starter Pokemon at the same time, and, unlike some later Mainstream Pokemon Games, he will obtain the Starter Pokemon that will have the advantage over yours in terms of typing for the entire game. This will make defeating him difficult to do every single time you will battle him.

You will battle your Rival and his Starter Pokemon immediately after your journey begins, and again a short time later on Route 22 after he has added an additional Pokemon to his Pokemon Team. You won't see your Rival again until looking to head to see Bill just north of Cerulean City, when you'll battle him once more. He will have added two more Pokemon to his Pokemon Team and have evolved another for this battle.

Later while aboard the SS Anne, you will run into your Rival right before meeting the Captain of the cruise ship. He'll want to battle you once again, now having evolved three more of his previous Pokemon. From there, you will find your Rival when looking to ascend the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. He'll have add two more Pokemon and removed another to his Pokemon Team, giving him all the more balance. This is where his Pokemon Team begins to take shape.

A tad later in the game when trying to defeat Team Rocket in the Silph Co. Building within Saffron City, you will run into your Rival directly before finding Giovanni. Even though the time couldn't be worse, he'll challenge you to another battle. He'll have Evolve three more of his Pokemon, including his Starter Pokemon into its Final Evolution. After this battle, you won't see your Rival again until one Route 22 before the Pokemon League Check In Gate. He'll have obtained all eight Gym Badges as well and will challenge you to another battle. He'll have only added one additional Pokemon to his Pokemon Team, maximizing it to Six Pokemon. After defeating him, he'll proceed towards the Pokemon League before you.

After making it to the Pokemon League at Indigo Plateau and defeating all members of the Elite Four, the bombshell will be dropped that your Rival has already become the Kanto Region Champion. Of course, you will need to battle him once more in order to become the next Champion, go into the Hall of Fame, and officially conclude the Main Story. He'll have fully Evolve his entire Pokemon Team from your last battle with him, making him extremely difficult to defeat.

During the Post Game Story, you will run into your Rival on a number of occasions but he won't challenge you to a battle on any of them. He will run into your trainer directly after you arrive on Four Island, and later in the Six Island Pokemon Center. During this last encounter, he will tell your trainer that he has finished exploring the Sevii Islands and has been training his Pokemon Team to become all the stronger.

After finishing the Team Rocket Post Game Story, you can challenge your Rival once more, this time with his buffed up team, at Indigo Plateau for your Kanto Championship. He'll have replaced two of his Pokemon with much stronger Johto Pokemon - with all of his Pokemon now being between Levels 72-75 - making your Rival the toughest trainer in the entire game at this very point. Defeat him to officially end the Post Game Story!