>>48257015>>48257022>>48257033Gym Leaders ARE powerful and capable, they have true teams that are generally on par with or just under the Elite Four. The thing is, if they went all out, no newbie trainer would ever be able to best them, and even if they were, that trainer would already have proven they're more than capable of going on their way to the Pokemon League to fight for the Champion title.
The more badges you have, the more capable their team will be. Badges are interchangeable signs of progress, and the Gym Leader will swap out to an appropriate team befitting of your progress.
Even someone like Drayden would go easy on you and only use, for instance, an Axew and Swablu if you came to battle him first.
The real in-universe challenge starts when you take on the gauntlet of fellow trainers who earned 8 badges pushing for the League just like you, and then either the Elite Four or equivalent tournament before the battle with the Champion.
