Which changes would you do in any of Ash's rivals' and Team Rocket's teams?

[GrookeyFan77]

So @Enzo and @Ghost Diplocaulus made 2 threads called Which changes would you do in any of Ash's teams? and Which changes would you do in any of Ash's companions' teams? and @Eitarou said

Also, I feel there should be one of these for rivals/Team Rocket. I could make em if no one's up to it.

so I did it. Anyways let's start
Team Rocket
Kanto
Same. Lickitung is needed for Wobbufett.
Johto
Also Same.
Hoenn
Still Same.
Sinnoh
Cacnea returns after training.
Unova
Wait what did Team Rocket have in Unova? *check's internet* wait Team Rocket had these? Damn this will have a lot of changes...
Wobbufett goes to Unova
Jeesie
Venipede->Whirlipede->Scolipede
Jessie likes to use Pokemon that can learn Poison Tail so
Frillish
GIVE IT PERSONALITY
James
Yamask
GIVE IT PERSONALITY
Pawniard
Pawniard looks evil and Team Rocket is very evil in BW so
Kalos
Give James Phantump
Alola
Same
Journeys
NO STUPID GATCHA THING. They Have Teams, Chewtle and Pelliper might be good.
Rivals
Gary
Same, No Issues In His Team
Ritchie
Give him a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur since Ash has them.
Harrison and Tyson
Same
Morrison
No Girrafarig, Steelix and Swampert. Instead Grumpig, Mr. Mime and Weepinbell. I searched stupid looking Pokemon and these popped up.
Paul
He uses his team in their first 6v6 battle against Ash. But he still uses Drapion instead of Weavile in the final battle.
Trip
*sigh* SAME next.
Bianca
Give her Munna.
Stephan
Same
Cameron
NO FING HYDREIGON. Instead he has Mandibuzz.
Sawyer and Alain
Same
Gladion
Give him a Crobat and Weavile
Hau
Give Him An Eeveelution, Maybe Flareon
That's it

 

[ii kanji]

The only switch I'd make to the Rocket teams is that I wouldn't bother giving them Pokemon in BW because those soulless robots didn't deserve them, instead they could bloody well get some in PM! I don't even care which, just give them something already!

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

I don't think I'd make any real changes to Team Rocket's Pokemon besides not having them catch so many during BW, since they suffered the same problem that Ash's roster did in that the oversaturation of characters resulted in badly-handled screentime, wasted characters, and fairly bland personalities. I actually don't mind the Gacha machine that much, but I do think it should allow for the return of old TRio mons. I think it'd be more tolerable then.

As for Rivals, there are a few that I would edit, but not much.

Original Series- Gary's team was perfectly fine, so he gets no changes. There is one specific Johto League Rival whose team receive a minor alteration, though: there was this girl named Macy who was a Fire-type specialist who Ash fought at the preliminary rounds and had a Quilava as her ace Pokemon. Well, in my version of the anime, that Quilava of hers would be a Typhlosion since Ash's Cyndaquil would have already evolved into Quilava during this era. Would also help give that big ol' splody badger some actual spotlight during the era that it should have gotten it the most.

Advanced Series- Ash's Rivals also get no changes, but one of May's rivals would due to me giving two of his Pokemon to Ash: Drew. I gave Ash an Absol and a Flygon in my rewrite of his Hoenn team, so that means that Drew would have to get something different. I'm thinking Manectric in place of Absol and Breloom in place of Flygon (I originally considered Salamence, but that might be a bit overkill lol)

DPP Series- Since I gave Ash a Froslass in my rewrite of his Sinnoh team that means Paul wouldn't use one in the League match. For this I would either have Paul use Gliscor in Froslass's place or just have him use the exact same team he used in the Lake Acuity battle against Ash so the latter's team can get proper payback. Also worth mentioning is Tobias, who would have at least one or two Gen 5 Pokemon in his team in place of freaking Legendaries, making his defeating Ash more akin to Harrison's Blaziken in Johto. As for Dawn's Rivals, only Nando would get any changes in that he wouldn't have a Lopunny due to me evolving Dawn's Buneary in my version. Maybe I'd just give him a Clefable that knows Sing in my version. Everyone else's teams stay the same.

BW Series- Okay, FINALLY we get some actual major changes since this is a saga where I would alter just about every Rival's team. Let's jump right into it:

• Trip- For this kid, we'd just get to see his whole team fully evolved. Ash would probably fight and beat him at the Top 8 at the League in my version anyway.
• Bianca- I would evolve Mincinno and give her a Musharna, a Lilligant, and a Swanna so she'd have an actual full team. Emboar and Excavalier stay.
• Stephan- In addition to Zebstrika, Liepard, and Sawk, I'd give him a Seismitoad, a Gigalith, and a Darmanitan (this fits him more than it does Burgundy anyway).
• Georgia- She'd have a Cryogonal in place of Vanillite since that line is already in Trip's roster. Additionally, I'd give her a Mienshao and a Sigilyph. Mienshao because it has access to Dual Chop, and I think Georgia would enjoy having a Pokemon that can essentially turn Dragon-types' own powers against them without belonging to that type itself, and it's also just a Pokemon that I feel fits Georgia pretty well. Sigilyph is mainly there to cover the massive Fighting-type weakness in Georgia's team, and since it can also learn Ice Beam it would still be an effective dragon slayer. Beartic and Bisharp were fine, so they get to stay.
• Burgundy- Her first Pokemon would be a Scraggy (eventually Scrafty) in place of Dewott. She'd also have a Heatmor instead of Darmanitan, since the latter Pokemon imo doesn't fit her and I gave it to Stephan anyway. Stoutland and Sawsbuck get to stay.
• Cameron doesn't exist.
• Virgil keeps his Eeveelution team, but his Eevee would evolve into Sylveon.
• I know he's a villain and not a rival, but I'll never get over the huge missed opportunity that was not having Ghetsis be the one to showcase Hydreigon, especially considering how infamously brutal the one he uses in the games is. I'd even add a subplot revealing that he was the dragon-type trainer who traumatized Georgia, and she and Iris would get to face Hydreigon together while Ash and N deal with Kyurem (Ghetsis would weaponize this instead of one of the YinYang dragons), who would have absorbed Reshiram and Zekrom for the final Plasma showdown.

XY Series- No changes. At least there aren't any that I can think of right now.

Alola Series- Again there's no major changes, but I want to make a note regarding Ilima: in canon his main Pokemon was an Eevee, but whether that stays here would depend entirely on whether Lana still catches Sandy or not. If she doesn't, then Ilima keeps Eevee as his ace and just like in canon it'd be the one to showcase Extreme Evoboost. But if Lana does catch Sandy he'd have to get something else as his main. This is because I feel that two major characters having non-evolving Eevees in the same saga is a bit too much, so I feel one of them has to be nixed, and if Lana is the one who gets to keep hers, then I'd make Ilima's ace Pokemon a Snorlax that uses Pulverizing Pancake. Another option could be to give him a Drampa, and instead of showcasing a species-exclusive Z-Move, Ilima could instead showcase the use of Z-crystals on status moves. The latter especially could be a neat way to emphasize Ilima's strategic skills and his status as a "senior/graduate" student compared to the Alola gang's "freshman" status. This way Lana's Eevee could be the one to showcase Extreme Evoboost. And the Partner Moves as well.

 

[Hey You Pikachu!]

Team Rocket
Kanto stays the same.

in Johto, James would release Victribell earlier and catch a Snubull that would evolve into Granbull

Hoenn would be the same except James would keep his Granbull

Dustox is released in the Battle Frontier instead of in Sinnoh, and is replaced by a Mawile, and Seviper and Cacnea are sent back to HQ because Team Rocket need Hoenn native Pokemon to start their Hoenn branch

In Sinnoh Jessie gets a Skorupi that evolves into Drapion instead of a Yanmega.

Unova is completely overhauled:
Jessie:
-Venipede > Whirlipede > Scolipede
-Woobat
James:
-Foongus > Amoongus
-Trubbish

in Kalos I would give James a Phantump that would evolve into Trevenant and Jessie would get a Spritzee along with the Pokemon they already get.

Alola is the same

in Journeys they actually get a team, but the gacha might still show up occasionally:

Jessie gets the Ditto from JN019 as well as a Silicobra, and James gets the Chewtle from JN013, and he gets a Koffing after they reunite with Arbok and Wheezing, which later evolves into a Galarian Wheezing.

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

Team Rocket:

Kanto: Same except James brings Growlie with him instead of Victreebel

Johto: Jessie catches the Snubbull that followed them around and she eventually evolves into Granbull who falls in love with James’s Arcanine, who evolved from Growlie.

 

[SonansuMan]

Don't really believe I'd change anything about the rivals because they never appeared often enough for their lineups to matter to me. Team Rocket has left a lot to be desired over the years though

KANTO
* Let Lickitung appear more

JOHTO

• Have Wobbuffet caught instead of traded so that Lickitung could've stayed on the cast longer
• Lickitung leaves towards the end of the series like Victreebel

HOENN
* Chimecho stays in Jame's lineup for the entirety of Hoenn

SINNOH
* Chimecho is replaced with Mime Jr. in this series instead

UNOVA
* Give them any trace of emotion lol

KALOS
* Give James a Bergmite

ALOLA
* Have James's Mareanie evolve during the league as a sentiment to its growth throughout the series

JOURNEYS
* Jessie catches Ditto while James catches Morpeko and Cramorant