YMMV / Darkfire1220's Challenger

• Ensemble Dark Horse: Surge is a very popular character. This has only increased over time.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Paul being much nicer toward his Pokemon and respectful towards Ash here has made him a much more likable character for readers when compared to his utter jackass anime version, who came close to crossing the Moral Event Horizon in some fans eyes due to his cruel treatment of his Pokemon. It also helps that Paul still manages to have his arrogance and stoic personality while avoiding the qualities people hated about him.