While the Generation VIII Pokemon titles, Sword & Shield, have their fair share of strengths compared to past titles, particularly when it comes to the quality of new Pokemon designs and the soundtrack, it does fall short in several areas, particularly the story. One theory that fans thought would have made the story far more interesting is the rigged Galar tournament theory surrounding Champion Leon and Chairman Rose.
Although this theory hasn’t been confirmed in either the anime series or video games, there are several pieces of evidence to support it, though there are also several good arguments against it. While fans may never know one way or the other whether or not this theory holds any weight, it’s one that many fans should think about while playing through the Galar region.
What Is The Rigged Galar League Theory?
The central idea behind this theory revolves around the claim that Leon is not only the champion of the Galar League but that he has been undefeated for all of his career as a Pokemon trainer.
Fans quickly realized how unlikely this claim was and quickly came to the conclusion that Chairman Rose used his influence over the Galar Pokemon League to put Leon in the position of champion as a figurehead rather than as the actual champion, with all of his wins being rigged in his favor in order to draw the crowds and make a larger profit from the battle spectacles.
How Fans Reached This Conclusion
The first indication that something may have been amiss in the Galar League was Leon’s introduction in the opening hours of the game, where a large group of fans swarm around him in front of the Wedgehurst Station and further cement his apparently undefeated streak in the Galar League. Here, players get their first look at the final challenge of the game as well as a first-hand look at how the people of Galar view their champion.
Later, once Chairman Rose has been introduced to the player, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to his behavior than meets the eye, especially when it is revealed that he enlisted Bede to help him gather Wishing Stars for an undisclosed reason, later revealed to be waking up Eternatus.
Evidence In Favor Of This Theory
In the base game, the only evidence to support the idea that Leon didn’t deserve his title was purely speculation on the player’s part, particularly after they have their final battle with him. While not an easy battle, Leon is nowhere near as much of a challenge as past champions in the series such as Blue or Cynthia. Leon also appears to lose to “lesser” trainers several times if the player attempts the Galar League challenge again, indicating that Leon was getting some outside assistance in his victories.
To add to this, it is revealed in the Expansion Pass that both Peony and Mustard were a part of the Galar League as gym leader and champion respectfully, though both men left for unknown reasons before Leon took up the mantle of champion. The fact that Peony, who is Rose’s brother, left the league without saying why has led many fans to speculate that he found out that Rose had rigged the entire tournament and chose to not be a part of it any longer. This would also fit Mustard’s character, who isn’t the kind of trainer who would be willing to take part in a competition where the winner was pre-determined.
Evidence Against This Theory
The main evidence against this theory holding any water is the simple fact that it’s never elaborated on in either the games or the anime. Sonia mentions knowing Leon as a young trainer and even states that she was never able to defeat him, which adds some weight to the claim that he was previously undefeated, but that’s not the only evidence against this theory.
There is also the fact that Leon has a long-time rival in Raihan, easily one of the best and strongest trainers in Galar thanks to his team strategy that doesn’t revolve around a single Pokemon type. If Rose were to ensure that Leon won every battle, he would have to make sure he could always win against his rival, something that many fans find would be implausible in the grand scheme of things.
Alternative Theories
Some fans who support this theory not only believe that Rose rigged the Galar League in Leon’s favor, but that Leon was complicit in these actions. While it is clear that Leon doesn’t support Rose’s desire to wake up Eternatus at the end of the game, he still lavishes in the idea of being a powerful trainer and even creates two entirely new tournaments in order to reclaim his former glory.
On the flip side, some fans believe that Leon was, in fact, undefeated, but grew complacent after his many victories, finally resulting in his loss against the player character at the end of the game. This loss, the apparent first of his career, was not only enough to humble Leon but also empower the other participants and serves as the explanation as to why he continues to lose after the player takes over as Champion.
