>>51512551>Or perhaps champion would be more in the old meaning of the term, more "you represent and defend the region" rather than "congrats you won the sport" and the League/gym challenge is simply the most accepted way of finding this champion of the region and a more conventional government supports it from behind?Lemme get my worldbuilding hat on for a sec
>Let's take Sinnoh for example, and say that they have a council of elders or a senate of representatives from each town or city>In this scenario, this body would handle the normal governing of the region, including the organization of the local pokemon league, assuming its not an international entity of its own>They organize the gyms and all that, probably taking from the history of their own region, and presumably either appoint whomever to lead these gyms, or leave the town or city to find a leader themselves>Once everything is settled, the gym challenge or what have you is begun, either in the circuit of the games, or something more on the fly based on the challenger's skill level like in the Origins Anime>Whomever manages to defeat all the gym leaders is given the right to challenge the elite four and the champion beyond>If they win, they are named the new champion and are proven to be someone of great strength and ability, on whom the region (hopefully) can rely upon in times of troubleThe point of this system is not a big spectator sport (consider the differences between the enclosed, likely reinforced elite four chambers in Sinnoh and the massive stadium in Galar), but rather to find these capable trainers, and name them champions of the region, not solely for glory and fame, but to entrust the defense and security of the region and its people unto them
This, I imagine, is why you see people like Cynthia and Alder out and about investigating shit like the villainous teams, because its because their actual job, this and to prove the next champion is worthy of the title
