>Only villian team leader to turn to a life of crime as a form of personal growth, coping, and altruism because he couldn’t complete the socially-accepted coming-of-age trial
>Arguably survives more hardship by growing up on the streets than the kids who DO complete their challenges
>Can’t get proper training in Z-moves, so amasses all the crystals of a type with an unfilled niche in order to master them on his own, create his own trial with blackjack and hookers, and make bug moves available and respectable for the upcoming generation of trainers
>Implied in the game that he was beaten as a child, but still grows up to be a good provider for his Pokémon partners
>Helps Wimpod with its self-esteem so it can become Golisopod
>Gives a home to the other rejects of the island, ensuring they have a source of food/shelter and a sense of purpose
>Collaborates with another villain team because he supports their cause and doesn’t have a crippling superiority complex
>When said collaboration goes south, he pulls out in order to protect his collaborator from hurting herself
>When he realizes his underlings have learned all they can from him and that his ideologies put people in danger, he steps down and passes the torch to the next generation of leader while he reevaluates his life
The only way he could have been a better antagonist is if he were fighting for a better cause than the hero is. As it is, he’s already the based Chad we never deserved.
