>>42763876He's presented as the actual goal of the game, is one thing. Like usually you have the pokedex introduced to you first, but he's at the forefront of the game. Paired with more focus on the gyms he really feels like the wall you need to surpass. Then of course they actually play up him as the champion unlike say Cynthia or Steven who just kinda show up throughout the story and then they're there at the end.
