>>55637042Gary, Blue, Green, Asshole, whatever you called him, was always one step ahead of you, getting his name on the gym pillars before you, and beating to to the Champion. However, if you look at it from his point of view, he must eventually become absolutely terrified of the player by the time of their final battle as you beat him every time you fight him.
The narrative that I think makes a better balance if if the player loses the optional fights. You can lose in Oak's Lab and proceed, and you can lose on Route 22. By the time of Nugget Bridge this makes him 2-0 against you. By SS Anne it's 2-1, Lavender Tower 2-2, Silph Co 2-3, Route 22, 2-4, and Champ fight 2-5. He would probably only start to get discouraged around Silph Co after 3 losses in a row.
