Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are coming out in a few months, and although little is officially known about the games, multiple sources claim they will feature the iconic Elite Four and Champion battles unlike Pokemon Sword and Shield. In Pokemon's eighth Generation, players didn't go up against Elite Four members at the end of the Gym Challenge, which acted more like a sports competition than the classic journey players have grown accustomed to. Still, the Gym Challenge had a final battle against the Champion, who in this case was the all-powerful trainer Leon.
Players are introduced to Leon early on in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and he ends up being the one who gives them their first Pokemon before picking the one who deals super-effective damage to the main character's starter. From his introduction, Leon is depicted as the best trainer Galar has ever seen, dubbed the "Unbeatable Champion." Yet, Leon is almost never shown doing what he does best, and he ends up becoming a forgettable challenge that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should avoid.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Champion Should be Different From Leon
While it makes sense story-wise for Pokemon Sword and Shield to have a strong and popular Champion, dubbing Leon the Unbeatable Champion is a disservice to the character given the ultimate goal of the base game is to defeat him. And yet, the real issue with the character is not that he ends up being beaten, but that he is repeatedly addressed as the best trainer around with no tangible proof of Leon's strength. There's a whole cult of personality around Leon, who has supposedly won so many matches and tournaments that his cape is adorned with medals and sponsorships.
However, this is the classic case of problematic writing and set-up for a whole narrative arc because it's not about showing players Leon's skills, just telling them about it. Pokemon Sword and Shield tell players that Leon is the Unbeatable Champion, but whatever he does in Gen 8 doesn't reflect as much, or at least, it doesn't in a way that proves the point. Leon is shown beating a rampaging Dynamax Pokemon, and he fails to catch Eternatus with a regular Poke Ball, but that's pretty much it.
Leon beating Raihan is never shown, though it's also not the greatest accomplishment when Raihan is the equivalent of the eighth Gym Leader, who is often treated as a transitory step toward the Elite Four and Champion. Because the game is set up in a way that guarantees players will eventually face and beat Leon, even if it may take a couple of tries, the battle doesn't live up to the expectations that Gen 8 establishes for its Champion. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should avoid this issue by doing the opposite of Gen 8, showing why the Champion is a fierce opponent through in-game actions.
For example, Gen 4's Cynthia is presented as an interesting and supportive character throughout the story, only to be one of the deadliest Champions in the series. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Champion should be a challenging opponent regardless of how they are presented in the story, and if the character's focus is battling like Leon, that should be reflected in concrete ways. Leon as a character was not bad, but Gen 8 does show that a character arc can feel more or less effective depending on how said character is portrayed.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.