>>55397073I think Kieran's infatuation/fixation on the MC would've gotten much worse.
Kieran's whole problem was that he couldn't connect with anyone because of his shyness and his overprotective, controlling sister, who then must've been his only real social contact. The MC might be the first person he really started to become friends with, and it's clear right from the start that he's infatuated with them a bit too much (staring at them constantly, talking all night about them, doing that creepy smile while he fights them etc).
That's why I think that if the whole Ogerpon thing didn't happen, nothing would've put a wedge between them. Kieran's affection for the MC would've grown further, eventually turning into a possessive obsession. You know, being overly clingy, jealousy, maybe a little bit of gaslighting, all the typical abandonment issues - PLUS his self-worth issues on top of that. I think he would've dedicated himself to the MC, measuring his self-worth judged on how much the MC likes him.
I think this would've been way harder to fix than what actually happened.
