>>49069912Name a mention of a mayor outside Drayden WITHOUT going into ashnime territory. Gym Leaders being the literal leaders of their cities makes sense. They fend off wild pokemon and protect the citizens in times of crisis—take Black and White for example. Who else would you have organizing police/militia and overseeing security matters, but a Gym Leader? They're public figures that people trust, they're tough, and they're competent. The Elite 4 and the Champion even more so—on nearly every game, whenever there's a world ending catastrophe or the villain's scheme is nearing completion, the Champion is there, involved in some way.
