A staple of the Pokémon series is a rival that will challenge you through your adventure. Some games feature one rival and some feature many, but they’re always present to surprise you in the middle of something and challenge you to a battle.

Some of these rivals are dreaded, as every time they appear you’re going to have to fight pretty hard. Others are pushovers who go down to your team with ease. Of course, the Pokémon you’ve caught will determine which rival is easy and which is hard, but here are some that are difficult or easy more generally.

10 Hard: Hau

This fun-loving friend in Alola is a bit frustrating, as his endless cutscenes force you to sit through him chattering on about very obvious next steps and useless advice. But, there are times that you’ll wish he would keep talking because it’s a better alternative to him destroying your team with his Raichu.

Rival fights with Hau are almost always frustratingly difficult, with his Alolan Raichu one- or two-shotting your team repeatedly. It has wicked speed and a great type combination. It’s fully-evolved long before many of your Pokémon will be, and its Psychic attack is powerful with same-type attack bonus.

9 Easy: Cheren

Pokémon Black and White introduced you to two rivals from the get-go: Cheren and Bianca. Throughout the duration of your adventure in these games, the two act as opposite personalities. Bianca is an amateur trainer without much knowledge, looking to improve her battling and getting caught up in simple problems.

Cheren is positioned as a tough, headstrong trainer with a fierce determination. But, despite the game making it seem like Bianca will be easier, it’s actually Cheren most people find easier to defeat. Bianca’s Stoutland and Musharna are tough, but Cheren is a cakewalk.

8 Hard: Bede

This charming guy will appear to challenge you throughout almost your entire Galar adventure, wielding his team of all Psychic-types. Eventually, he’ll take over the Ballonlea Gym, switching to a strategy of all Fairy-types but still utilizing much of his original team because of their dual Fairy/Psychic typing.

When you are completing the post-game, Bede will challenge you before taking down the Dynamax Pokémon terrorizing his gym. His Fairy-types are tough, especially his Mawile that resists two of Fairy’s weaknesses. You’ll need to be ready for this fight, because it’s surprisingly tough.

7 Easy: Barry

In Pokémon Pearl, Diamond, and Platinum, Barry will be your rival. This blonde kid feels he has a lot to prove and is determined to show you he is the best challenger you’ll face. He’ll spend a lot of his time boasting about how good he is, which is a deadly combination with his impatience and tendency to rush into things.

Unfortunately, his bragging is a little baseless, as he’s one of the easier rivals you’ll have to contend with across the Pokémon franchise. His Snorlax and Roserade might give you some problems, but overall he’s not that difficult. He does hold a record for the second-highest-level you can find an NPC’s Pokémon at, though. In the Fight Area, his starter will be level 85.

6 Hard: Silver

Although many people admit they named this one ??? due to the confusing naming convention of Gold, Silver, and Crystal, his traditional name is Silver. He’s a thief who steals a Pokémon from the lab, and unfortunately, he actually poses a threat in battle too.

In one of your final battles against him, he’ll wield an Alakazam, Gengar, and Magneton, which are all great Pokémon. He’ll also use his level 50 starter, which is equipped with some fantastic moves. As Rocket Leader Giovanni’s son, you know he’s going to be tough.

5 Easy: Serena/Calem

In Pokémon X and Y, your rival will be the opposite gender avatar of the one you choose, like in the Generation III games. You’ll also have to go up against three other trainers, making four total rivals. But, Serena/Calem are the ones we’re looking at here. They’ll choose the starter that is super-effective against yours, and build up a team throughout the adventure like every other rival.

Serena or Calem will use the starter they chose, one of the Eeveelutions, an Absol, an Altaria, and a Meowstic. Some people say they struggle with the starter or the Meowstic, but all in all, these rival fights are pretty easy.

4 Hard: Blue

The original rival in the Generation I games, this guy is tough. You know he knows what he’s doing because when you arrive at the Pokémon League, he will have just defeated the Champion and taken their place.

His Championship match is a hard one, as he wields some of Kanto’s best Pokémon against you in a team with a diverse set of types and a wide array of moves. But his battles throughout the game are no joke either. He’ll consistently wreck you with his Alakazam and Pidgeot, while sweeping through you with his Gyarados.

3 Easy: Hop

It seems to be that the Pokémon games are growing easier with every generation, and Sword and Shield seem to be part of that trend. With camping, the Wild Area, XP candies, Raid battles, and more, leveling up your team is as easy as it’s ever been.

As a result, the rival, Hop, is not very difficult to take on. In fact, he’s one of the easier rivals across all the Pokémon games. He even acknowledges this in much of his dialogue, citing how he thinks he can live up to his brother’s fame but isn’t good enough in battle. You might struggle with his post-game fight if you’re playing Shield, but other than that, he’s easy.

2 Hard: May/Brendan

Many could argue that Blue is the toughest rival fight across the games, but many, many people struggle with May/Brendan. This rival, like Pokémon X and Y’s Serena and Calem, are the opposite gender avatar from the player’s choice. Unlike Serena and Calem, however, May and Brendan won’t hesitate to ruin you.

It seems that most of their battles are tough, especially toward the end of the game. It seemed like they managed to make life difficult for many people over the years. If you choose Mudkip, you’re in for even more hurt, as May/Brendan’s Sceptile will be double-effective against your Swampert.

1 Easy: Trace

The Let’s Go games were definitely given an easier challenge as they were meant for a younger or more casual audience. The rival in these games is meant to replace Blue (as they are a Yellow remake), but he doesn’t come close to living up to Blue’s difficulty level.

His team is made up of a few different types, and he definitely chooses some good Pokémon, but neither of these strategies helps him excel in his fights against the player. These games are easy, and many mechanics make it much simpler to win battles with little effort. Watch out for his Mega Pidgeot in the Championship battle, though.

NEXT: Pokémon: 10 Pokémon That You NEED To Catch With A Master Ball