CxHxA said: Actually there are two rivals in RSE: Wally AND Brendan/May.
Wally's the only one who can keep up with you in terms of levels, though. Brendan/May get to meet you after you trounce the Elite 4, sure, but the last battle you have with them is in Lilycove, iirc.
No one likes Wally, for some obscure reason. I've found less then 20 artwork with him online, and most are Pokespe based.
What's always bugged me about Special is why the writer decided to create Emerald when Wally was already established and friends with Ruby and Sapphire. He would've made a much better protagonist without feeling tacked on like Emerald was.