#gym challenger leon

[soni-dragon]

ive seen a couple pokemon character color wheels around so i tried one with some of my favorites!

[postwick-palace]

Leon backstory?? in my special day with Raihan? it's more likely than you think

[lieblxng]

@theshytigergirl | Moved

Noah couldn't believe it when she saw Leon, standing there with stitches open and bleeding. Wasn't he supposed to be at the hospital after all that had happened?! "L-Leon? What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be resting and healing!" She ushered him in but clearly was worried beyond belief. "Lay down on the couch. I'll get something to stop the bleeding."

[ She was right. The purple-haired man was supposed to be at the hospital right now, recovering from the traumatic event that was the Darkest Day, yet… Here he was, on her doorstep. He had escaped the hospital, unknown to the nurses before he could be admitted soon enough, in denial of everything that happened. The betrayal of the man he trusted the most, who was the one who gave Leon when he was just a child, a chance to be the champion. Failure to protect those close to him, including his own brother and his friend, who both rose up above anything Leon could ever do and became heroes themselves–at the risk of their own lives. People could’ve died–people probably did die, and what did Leon Burns, champion and hero of Galar, rated to be the strongest of them all, do?

Nothing. He did nothing…at all.

Sure, Leon and his Pokémon were holding off Eternatus for a while as Hop and Gloria were dealing with the chairman themselves, and it wasn’t easy for any of them. Sure, he and his partner, Charizard, might have thrown themselves to shield Hop and his friend from the blast–both getting flash burns that would scar over from the powerful, blinding blast the alien unleashed when it was too potent to keep in a Pokéball, but… Right after that, he was taken out, and forced to watch his own downfall like it was some sick joke from Arceus itself. ]

[ The championship battle was delayed until the champion had recovered sufficiently enough for the finals, but he was in no condition at all to resume those matches. He was able to go back to his apartment and change out of the hospital gown into the clothes he wore when he was training. And with the training he was trying to attempt, he pushed himself too hard and his stitches snapped. He was nearby Noah’s residence, so he had found his own legs walking to her house like they knew the turbulence his head and heart were going through. ]

“…I’m sorry…” [ was all he was able to mutter out right now as he slowly made his way over to sit on the couch, bloodstained himself; oddly clenching onto the hat he wore with his champion uniform like he was a terrified king, afraid of dethroning. His eyes were too focused downward, but Noah could see all the awful thoughts going through his head as his normally gleaming eyes were lacking color and energy. A rumble of thunder roared throughout the city, signifying that it was starting to rain. ]

[thejourneystartstoday]

If I say this enough it will speak it into existence: being a Pokémon master does not have to mean being the strongest battler. I’m sure being a strong battler comes with the territory but there are still regions Ash hasn’t been to and Pokémon he hasn’t met. He’s going to keep traveling until he’s seen them all.

[jasminesilk]

12:00 PM | Fall 7th | Skye Fitness Gym

One intense workout later, Leon takes a dip in the pool to cool down. Hopefully a nice swim will take his mind off that garish TV show!

[scorchamp]

i know i said i was taking a hiatus bc of illness but i’m currently playing sword and i just.  i think there’s something so inherently traumatizing about the gym challenge being such a public sensation, even being televised, particularly for victor.  i feel like his journey would’ve been less traumatizing had it not been the spectacle it was, but given that all his losses were on national live television, and the whole country saw him lose, because the gym challenge is followed very closely by those not competing, the multitude of feelings that come with any loss are amplified.

[sylphwing]

i rlly wish galar got its own proper series instead of journeys. i love gou and the series itself is fine but i liked watching ash travel across a specific region and challenging the gyms there rather than going around all over the place

[antihibikase-archive]

Eternatus Capture ☁

[leah-lover]

Two hearts, one timeline. Alexia putellas x reader

An age gap romance. Part 2

“ We are delighted to introduce you to this young star. She is a 2 time world cup champion, the youngest ever to achieve that. A 2 time NWSL winner. A final’s MVP and just overall an inspiration. Welcome to the show.” said the reporter next to you. The studio was quiet and all you could hear was your heart beating in your ears. This wasn't the first time you were on TV but you were uncertain about the way the news you were about to deliver is gonna be perceived.

“ Thank you for having me.” you respond with a smile on your face.

“ After your recent NWSL win you were the talk of the sports world. Everybody is interested in whether you are gonna resign with your club or not. What do you say to those questions?”

“ Well I am sad to say that I will not resign with Seattle but very excited to say that a team I have been dreaming of joining has reached out to sign me. I have signed a 4 year contract with FC barcelona.”

“ Oh my god, that's exciting. Tell us how you feel at the moment.”

“ Well, I am very excited,but sad to say goodbye to my family in the states and at seattle. I think this challenge is gonna help me develop as a footballer and learn new styles.”

“ Well, we wish you good luck.”

“ Thank you.”

You exit the studio and the weight of the secret drops from your shoulder. You were gonna leave your home for a more competitive team and a shot at the chapion’s league.

Your move to Barcelona was smooth. You celebrated your run at your old club with the girls, took your flight the next day and landed in sunny Barcelona, the weather was as great as they all said. You then went directly to your new apartment. The time zone change weighed heavily on your body so you took a shower immediately, put your sheets in your new bed and laid down as soon as you could. You then opened your phone only for it to freeze due tha new messages and followers you received. You could see all the comments and messages your new teammates wrote on your post congratulating you on the signing and wishing well for you. This made you excited for your first day tomorrow.

When you woke up the next day you were nervous to say the least. You got ready, called a taxi and headed to the facility. You first got a tour of the facility which was empty because it was early. You met as much staff as you could, did your fitness and health test, a photoshoot, and shot some content. By the time you were done your teammates were done training too. You were ushered by the assistant coach to go to the field and meet everybody.

Your heart was beating like a drum. You were standing next to alexia putellas, aitana bonmati, lucy bronze, and mapi leon. Those people are more experienced and have more accolades than you.

“ Everybody please welcome our new signing from the US.” said your coach which caused all of them to start cheering.

“Hola a todos. Estoy emocionado de ser parte de este equipo, compartir el campo con todos ustedes y ganar algunos trofeos con ustedes.”

“Joder, hablas español y tus estadísticas son buenas, nos llevaremos muy bien.“ said patri putting her arm on your shoulder and guiding you inside.

“Si ella hablara catalán habríamos sido mejores amigas.” said aitana sarcastically.

The rest of the day went on great, you had lunch with the girls, you laughed with them, and exchanged stories. They welcomed you very well.

“ for a young girl you really carry yourself well.” said lucy

“ I had to grow up quickly.” you respond to her.

Your first month at Barcelona was amazing. You got on with the girls really well, training was going well, you had your first start within 2 weeks of your arrival and the fans were really happy with you after your first hattrick in the last match.

“Necesitamos celebrar tu primer mes exitoso con nosotros estrella.” said mapi while you were recovering in the gym. Estrella was the Spanish translation of the nickname the fans gave you when you were getting famous, which was stargirl. That nickname was used by everybody you knew, even the press. But from them it sounded different.

“ Yeah sure, just text me the details.” You responded.

You then went home, showered, and rested. You then got a message from the group chat.“ La terrazza. 8:00.”

Since they went there to celebrate you, you decided to show up and show out. You decided on a black maxi dress, heels, gold accessories, and a red lip.

You drove to the club and got there at 8 sharp. You went inside, and headed straight to the bar to order a drink. The girls started coming little by little, and by a few hours you were all jammed up dancing in the middle of the dance floor. However, your captain didn't join you; she instead opted to watch from the bar.

Alexia has been quiet and reserved around you. Maybe she didn't like you or maybe she was just a quiet person, you never really thought about it before.

“chicas voy a ir al baño.” You yell so that you can be heard over the loud music and exit the dance floor.

Surprisingly the bathroom was empty. You got your business done and went over to the mirror to fix your makeup.

“Parece que te lo estás pasando bien aquí en Barcelona..” said a voice from behind you which took you a minute to realize it was Alexia 's.

“ Capitana I am too drunk for Spanish right now.” You respond still facing the mirror

“ You look good. I mean happy in Barcelona.” She said nervously.

“ Well that's because of you and your friends out there. Actually it was more your friends than you since you hate me.” You respond l, alcohol making you braver than you usually are.

“ I could never hate you. I just can't control myself around you.” She says half whispering. “tengo que ir.” She added before she exited the bathroom.

“ This is definitely something I need to visit tomorrow when I am sober.” You say to yourself before joining the girls again. You were told that Alexia left which caused you to have more questions but you didn't give it much thought. You partied more with the girls before leaving.

Your head was pounding the next morning but you couldn't remember anything, only that you had a great time.

The following weeks were nothing short of spectacular. You were training well, winning every game, scoring every game, and you really built a community with the girls. But Alexia was giving you more space than usual which you couldn't understand why.

Jonathan could see that Alexia was cornering herself away from you so he decided to pair you with each other on everything under the excuse of her giving you more experience since she was older than you. She didn't talk when she was near you, she barely even touched you. This caused commotion in your brain. You lost sleep over why she despised you so much.

One day you had enough of the questions in your brain so you waited in the locker room knowing that she wouldn't come to it to avoid you. You stayed there af-ter all the girls left. After a while alexia entered the locker room

“ Have I ever done anything to offend you?” you ask as soon as you see her figure.

“ Mierda, me asustaste, pensé que no había nadie aquí.” she said taking a few steps back

“ capitana please just give a straight answer. What have I ever done to you?.”

“ We talked about this and my answer was nothing, the problem is in me.”

“ when did we talk about this i don't remember anything.”

“ that night at the party now will you please leave so that i can change and go home i am really tired.”

“ Alexia, this is eating away at me. All I want is for us to be friends or just teammates. Tell me what I did so that we can get past it.”

“ You did nothing, just get over it. You have plenty of friends.”

“No puc fer això ara mateix, és massa jove i hauria de proteger-la de mi” she whispers in catalan and leave without looking at you.

You didn't understand catalan but it was close to Spanish which you were fluent in so when you heard her words you could remember them easily. After she left you reached for your phone and translated her words. “ I can't do this right now. He is too young and should protect her from me.”

Alexia’s words shocked you. You felt dizzy and couldn't focus. You never realized that alexia could have anything for you except hate. You loved her and admired her for the player and person she is. You looked up to her kind heart and intelligent brain. But no matter what you thought about it you needed her approval, her attention, and her focus to be on you as much as you were on her. That's why her distance from you left you puzzled.

You knew that you couldn't stay like that, not when your brain was filled with questions that needed answering.

You left the training facility, and headed straight to Alexia's house.

Before knocking on her door your knees were weak and your brain was quiet. She opened the door mere moments later.

“ What did you mean by protecting me from you?” you asked as soon as she opened the door.

“ What are you doing here?” she asked.

“ What did you mean, alexia?”

“ i don't want to talk about this.”

“ well i do it's the only thing i have been thinking about.”

You force your way inside and she closes the door after you

“ You are not this passive aggressive. I know you. I heard alot about you. This thing you are hiding from me is killing me.” you say to her once she is in front of you.

“ Believe me when I say that I am protecting you.”

“ it's not your choice capitana. What are you protecting me from?”

“ I am protecting you from my feelings for you god damn it. We can't be together and that is all I have been thinking about. I have been thinking about you, your body, your laughter, your eyes. It’s driving me insane.” she yells as she slams the wall behind you.

You weren't shocked, you managed to keep your calm. You held onto her hand which was still on the wall. You backed up a little bit and didn't say a word.

“ this can't happen, you are 23, i am 30. I am older than you. I outrank you in the team. I just…”

“ i dont care.” you interrupt her still holding on to her arm. “ capitana i dont give a fuck. I want you. I need you. Do you want me?” you add.

“More than you'll ever know.” she whispers.

The air was still. The tension was high. You feel your body unintentionally move towards alexia. Your face was millimeters away from her you could feel her breath on your lips. You somehow got brave enough to kiss her. The kiss cut short because she pulled away.

“ please capitana i want this. I want you.”

She then kisses you deeply. Her need for you was apparent. She took control of all of you, not just your lips. She picked you up and walked towards her bedroom all while kissing you. She then threw you on her bed.

“ Are you sure estrella.” whispers

“ I never wanted anything more in this world.”

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Masterlist: Pokémon x Reader

Sword/Shield

Reader comforting Hop after Bede insults him

HCs: Hop being mentored by a Trainer!Reader who specializes in electric types

Cuddling w/ Piers

HCs: Piers falling in love with Pokepasta!Reader

Raihan reacting to Reader's intimidating Pokémon being soft

HCs: Raihan reacting to Reader, who owns a Zekrom and is sweet to dragon types

Leon encountering Bisharp!Reader in the Galar Championship

Legends of Arceus

HCs: Reader comforting Volo after his defeat

HCs: Warden Ingo w/ a Wanderer!Reader

HCs: Porygon!Reader in Hisui

Reader showing Ingo a Shiny Sneasel (drabble)

Reviving Lady Sneasler (Post-Hisui AU)

Scarlet/Violet

Paldea Trio

Jokingly proposing to Arven

HCs: Arven meeting Reader's Iron Hands

HCs: Meeting Chien-Pao

HCs: Meeting Chi-Yu

HCs: Meeting Ogerpon

Meeting the "Loyal" Three

Meeting Reader's Type: Null (who evolves into Silvally)

HCs: Reacting to Reader's Scolipede

Reacting to Pokepasta!Reader's team

Meeting and helping Mewtwo!Reader who escaped Team Rocket

HCs: Reacting to Reader's Elderly Garchomp (who use to be their grandpa's back in Alola)

HCs: Reacting to Kalosian!Reader who is of royal descent & owns a Furfrou

HCs: The trio (+ Hassel) reacting to Reader who lost their Mightyena

HCs: Reacting to Reader's birthday falling on Halloween

HCs: Reacting to Reader (who is the grandchild of a celebrity model/singer) and their Espathra

HCs: The trio (+ Carmine & Kieran) w/ a Dancer!Reader who is a descendant of sirens and owns Hoopa, Toxtricity, Oricorio, Alpha Primarinna, Meloetta, and Scream Tail

Team Star

HCs: Eri dating Reader, who is also a Shiny Hunter

HCs: Eri w/ Fem!Reader who acts like Team Star's Nurse Joy

HCs: Ortega meeting Fashion Designer!Reader

Gym Leaders + Professors

HCs: Hassel reacting to Reader's Elderly Garchomp

Jacq & Reader reacting to twin Shiny Growlithes hatching from their Arcanines' egg

Reader being cautious of Raifort

Reader convincing Professor Turo to make amends with Arven

Taming Aggressive!Miraidon (Turo Lives AU)

HCs: Cuddling with Turo (angst)

HCs: Larry reacting to Shy!Champion!Reader confessing to him

HCs: Larry meeting Mermaid!Tatsugiri!Reader

Reader w/ Missingno!Larry

Grusha falling in love with a Challenger!Reader who specializes in fire types and easily gets cold

Teal Mask/Indigo Disk/Mochi Mayhem

HCs: Carmine, Kieran, & Perrin meeting Pokepasta!Reader

Reader giving Ogerpon to Kieran (post-DLC)

Kieran reuniting w/ Reader, who was his shy childhood best friend

HCs: Drayton reacting to a reckless Reader

HCs: Kieran (+ Arven) meeting Shy!Reader with a Tapu Koko, Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Salazzle, and Iron Valiant

HCs: BB Elite Four (+ Kieran) dating Reader whose Miraidon get extremely jealous

HCs: Kieran, Carmine, & Drayton reacting to Reader falling into a coma after Terapagos' attack.

HCs: Kieran & Carmine reacting to Reader's new team (BM Ursaluna, Armarouge, Ogerpon, Shiny Slither Wing, Koraidon, & Chien-Pao) in the Indigo Disk

Reader w/ Pokemon

HCs: Paleontologist!Reader meeting Ancient Paradox Pokémon

Iron Valiant rescuing a Child!Reader from Iron Jugalis

HCs: Trainer!Reader comforting Koraidon, Iron Valiant, Mimikyuu, and Maushold after accidentally harming them

Garchomp protecting Fidough!Reader

[postwick-palace]

Raihan and Hop just casually hanging out and talking is canon now, thanks Pokémas 💖

[epicspheal]

Let's Have A Champion Time! A Leon Analysis

Leon…he’s the reason why this blog even exists. He (and the entire cast of Galar) are THE reason why I’m really into modern Pokemon outside of Pokemas and Alola Reguri. Let’s talk about the great (formerly) unbeatable champion of Galar. Ever since he was announced he was subject to a lot of conspiracy theories (remember all of the “Leon is a fraud” and “Leon is actually evil” threads pre-SwSh) and even after the release of SwSh people had a lot of interesting takes on Leon (“Leon’s a himbo”, “Leon is still a fraud”, “Leon is a bad brother”, “Leon is a bad friend”). But a lot of people have seen the good in Leon and how wonderful of a character he is and I just wanted to add my two cents to the “Leon is an amazing Pokemon character” bandwagon Please note for the sake of this I’m only discussing game!Leon (so Pokemon SwSh and Pokemon Masters EX) otherwise this analysis would go on forever.

Now onto the analysis! Let’s start of course with Leon’s name. While Leon is an actual name, for our beloved directionally challenged champion it actually derives from Dandelion. And dandelion surprisingly has a lot of symbolism such as

Wishes coming true: Leon certainly has a wish to see the trainers of Galar be the strongest in the world

Surviving difficulties: Leon managed to be an unbeatable champion in what is probably the most difficult gym challenge circuit in the Pokemon World. Not to mention all of the other burdens that come with being champion

Heat/the power of the sun: Charizard 

Happiness and Joy: Leon is certainly truly happy when he’s in battle

I also wanted to take a bit of time to point out an older post I made regarding Leon’s Outfits because it’s actually chock full of symbolism that I think often gets swept under the rug because his champion fit is seen by many to be a bit goofy! I encourage you to check it out but in short summary it definitely symbolizes the image he has as champion and the burdens that come along with it.

Now to his team! Leon is one of the few champions (other than Blue, Trace, Nemona, and technically Hau, N, Kukui) to actually have a dynamic team that changes based off the starter you pick. Notice how the vast majority of the ones with a dynamic team occupy the rival role? Well this is actually important because while Leon is the standing champion of Galar, this dynamic team shows that he views himself as much of a rival to the player as he does the Unbeatable Champion. His team is also very British- er Galarian. Which makes sense given the fact that he is very much a symbol of the Galar League which defines the region’s culture, so it makes sense that his team also define the region’s culture as well. He leads with an Aegislash which is a sword and shield and the line itself is linked to people who have leadership qualities and Leon shows he’s a capable leader throughout. Also there’s knight qualities associated with Aegislash that apply to Leon, as Rose during his Darkest Day part 2 even calls Leon a knight.

Speaking of knights, I’d also add the Rookidee that Leon catches as part of the catching tutorial to Leon’s motif as the knight of Galar. Of all the early route mons they could’ve had Leon catch, it’s no coincidence they made him catch the one that’s line is also based off a knight. 

 He also has two powerful dragon types in Haxorus and Dragapult. Dragons are big in British culture and not only that his dragons are based off of weapons, a battle axe and fighter jet. This again points to Leon being essentially the line of defense for Galar. Rhyperior and Seismitoad also have motifs related to battle/war. Rhyperior has a drill and club while also coated in armor while Seismitoad can secrete various chemicals and packs a powerful punch Mr. Rime leans back into British Culture with clear design inspirations from Charlie Chaplin a famous British entertainer. While Leon aims to win, he also wants to put on a show for his fans so Mr. Rime definitely embodies this aspect. Mr. Rime also takes some inspiration from the yokai Haradashi which is known for cheering up sad and lonely people.  More entertainment can be seen with his Cinderace which is clearly derived from a soccer player (er I mean football, sorry I'm an American force of habit). Soccer/Football is absolutely huge in Britain so and it’s very entertaining (and fun to play) so this again points to Leon wanting to entertain people with his battles.

Leon’s Rillaboom (which became quite infamous in his anime counterpart) actually straddles the line of both entertainment and battle. Rillaboom has a whole drum set and there are many famous rock bands from Britain but also there’s the fact that drums were used in war a lot especially in Britain.

Another Pokemon that straddles the line between entertainment and battle is his Inteleon. Inteleon is based off a spy and a sniper both of which have clear ties to war, but also the spy part is a throwback to James Bond who is a very famous British fictional character.

And lastly we can’t talk about Leon without mentioning his Charizard. Charizard is draconic which again ties back to battle but it’s also (to some people’s chagrin) a very popular and entertaining Pokemon. Most notably the very first protagonist Red in many canons tends to have a Charizard. Leon in many ways is a homage to Red as he was also young when he became champion and they are both known to be some of the greatest trainers to have ever existed. He’s an example of what could’ve happened to Red if he had chosen to stay in the limelight as Indigo League champion instead of disappearing to Mt. Silver.

To further look at his team we can take a look at his movesets (linked here). We can see his approach is very offensive but he has a lot of coverage ensuring he can hit all types for a lot of damage. When he does opt for non-damaging moves he does seem to prefer status such as confusion through Teeter-Dance and Badly Poison through Toxic showing he aims to disrupt opponents and inflict as much damage as possible. His highly offensive tactic is straightforward but no less threatening and it fits with his genuinely kind and straightforward personality.

I want to take a moment to discuss two key pieces of information about Leon from Sonia and Opal "Thanks for always taggin' along with Hop. I hope you can keep it up. Leon really worries about him, too. He practically raised him, after all." - Sonia in the Motostoke InnThis is an optional piece of dialogue but it reviews a lot about how even when Leon was young he had a lot placed on his shoulders. Leon was definitely a parental figure in Hop’s life which no doubt contributes to the idolization we see Hop have of him throughout much of the game. This also adds to the meaning of the cape he wears as he has had so much riding on his shoulders.

"Your talent in Pokémon battles is beyond anything I've ever seen, but you're rather hard to read..." - Opal’s audition notes

We know Opal is very astute and can read people as well, but for her to not be able to read a then 10-year-old Leon says a lot. It shows even at a young age Leon kept up a facade in order to maintain the happiness of those around him and just shows how much pressure he’s been under pressure for as long as he can remember.

"Hello, hello, Wedgehurst! Your Champion, Leon, is back! I promise I'll keep doing my best to deliver the greatest battles for you all to watch!"

I really liked this quote as it’s very straightforward but planned. This is Leon in full champion-mode as he’s addressing the public in this part. I know during this speech a lot of people who played SwSh started to get annoyed with him because of his references to being a champion and unbeatable but I feel like people missed the fact this is him playing up a persona. The people over the years have clearly liked him talking about his being unbeatable and so he leans into that to give the people what they want.

"Look at you, Hop! I reckon you've grown...exactly an inch and a quarter since the last time I saw you!"

This line right here should’ve honestly quashed any ideas that A) Leon was dumb and B) Leon was a bad  brother. This line clearly shows him being observant (which many people who are dumb don’t do) as well as mathematical and he makes a point to notice the little things about his brother who he doesn’t get to see a lot. If he didn’t care about Hop he wouldn’t make note of something like the amount of height he has obtained since they last met up

"I bet you will be, Hop. That's why I brought along these Pokémon for you and <player>. So the two of you can battle and train and grow stronger together...to try to reach me!"

Another thing that people that seemed to make of Leon was that he’s unreasonably arrogant and self-absorbed. But here we see that he has a vested interest in seeing Galar trainers grow and maybe one day actually reach and surpass him. Yes in the entirety of the speech he does play up the unbeatable champion persona a bit but he is doing that to motivate not downplay and discourage.

"Your moves passed right through it? So, the fearsome Pokémon they say live in the Slumbering Weald...Are they actually illusions or something? Get strong enough and maybe the two of you could be the ones to reveal the truth someday. For now, let's simply get out of this place. You'll be alright now that I'm here with you!"Again this is another example of him being supportive of both Hop and the player growing and improving by giving them another goal besides just beating him, but to discover the secrets of the Slumbering Weald. This bit of motivation actually lowkey helps Hop get to his eventual path of being a Pokemon Professor

"Good to see you, too, Yamper! Yamper here is a real champ when it comes to helping you find your way around. He came to my rescue plenty of times back in the day, when I got lost on the road. Oh yeah, and that's his Trainer, Sonia. What can I say about Sonia? Well, I like the way she cooks. She makes food you can gobble down in a flash."I loved this quote from him because it shows the tension he and Sonia currently have due to their strained friendship but that he also still appreciates her and her Yamper for how they helped him during his own gym challenge.

"But Hop... Did something happen with him? He was acting really odd when I ran into him. He took one look at me and immediately was like, "I'm so sorry, Lee!" It might be the first time I've heard him apologize for anything, and I've no idea what it was for! Maybe he's feeling down because he's had some hard losses in battle?"Again this line shows how much concern and attention he pays towards Hop. Despite them not always having a lot of time to spend with each other he still knows Hop well enough to know when he’s acting oddly and he genuinely wants to know what’s going on. The reason why he DOESN’T know the full story because Hop didn’t actually explain what was going on…not that he didn’t pay attention

"I already told you, didn't I? Keep your eye on the goal! And for you, that's winning the Gym Challenge! The only Gym Badge left is the one you'll get from the Dragon Gym's Leader, Raihan. Right? Raihan is the only Trainer out there I consider a real rival. He's that good, you know!"

Here we see more of Leon trying to motivate the player into aiming for him, even if it means he takes on the threat of the random Dynamaxed Pokemon all by himself. And here we get a chance to see him talk about Raihan, the only person who actually makes him sweat even a little in battle. He’s showing a lot of respect towards Raihan which again beats back the claims that he’s exceedingly arrogant as most arrogant trainers tend to act like they have no peer in terms of strength. This again furthers the parallels between him and Red as Red also has exactly one person he views as a real rival, Blue.

 “Thanks! I appreciate the thought. But all I could ever ask of you would be that you join me in the greatest final match ever. I'll do my part to make that happen by keeping everybody's future safe. So you just keep on doing your part by winning your way through the Gym Challenge!"Once again Leon is trying to keep Hop and the player out of danger which shows his concern for his brother and friend but also a bit of his savior complex, something that was built on him being the strongest in Galar for so long. I know by this point many people were a little frustrated by him keeping the player out of danger but it shows how he really takes the job of protecting everyone else seriously.

"That was incredible. Brilliant. Honestly...there were even tears rolling down my face before I knew it. To think that the two of you set out together from the same town, built up the greatest teams, and arrived here at this point to throw everything you had at one another... That burning desire to win... Those moves filled with undefeatable passion! It was battling at its very purest, in every possible way! Even though there were some Trainers who weren't sure whether you were fit to be endorsed for the Gym Challenge at first..."I remember playing Pokemon Shield for the first time and having such a huge grin reading this set of text. Once again Leon at the end of the day, loves his brother and loves seeing trainers grow. And this battle, although the end of the road for Hop in the gym challenge, gave Leon a bit of what he wanted. To see his brother grow and see someone (the player) that could actually reach him. As someone who has a (forced) smile most of the time getting to hear an account of him having a bout of genuine emotion is actually touching. Plus him admitting he was wrong for doubting their ability to be endorsed in the first place shows humility and that he's able to have his mind changed on certain topics. 

"I think I understand well enough. What I don't understand is why we ought to cancel tomorrow's tournament in order to solve a problem that's a thousand years away from affecting any of us! What difference is one day going to make? My duty as Champion isn't this...this madness. It's to carry out that Championship Match! That's what Galar wants—and what I want! It's what we've all been looking forward to for so long!"The argument between him and Rose about the future of Galar for many seemed odd and pointless but I think these lines actually show a lot about Leon people don’t consider. Once again we see that Leon does indeed understand there are energy issues that are plaguing Galar but also we see a side of him we haven’t seen thus far. We know he has the wish to see Galar trainers to be stronger but up until this point that wish hasn’t really been threatened. But it is with Rose trying to cancel the tournament and here we get to see our usually compliant champion say “that ain’t in my job description” in regards to the match being potentially canceled. The part where he said “That’s what Galar wants- and what I want” is really striking because yes once again he’s putting the wants of Galar on his shoulders, but also he even directly states he wants to see the match through. Given the emotions that we saw from him with the Hop vs Player battle we can imagine that this year in particular he was itching to see the match. Sure Raihan always gives him a run for his money, but the player is shaking things up and after years of being undefeated this had to be very exciting for Leon. And while we’ve seen him state his wishes of strong trainers to the public, for him to say that Rose of all people was actually really powerful. He’s not just looking forward to the battle for the sake of his fans, but for his own sake as well

"The tense, still air on the pitch... And the exact opposite from the audience, cheering and yelling... They're both fantastic, wouldn't you say? But remember, the audience is also a bit cruel... They want nothing more than to see one of us lose, after all! It can fill you with fear knowing that, but I absolutely love pushing past the fear. I love giving it everything I've got as a Trainer and seeing my team give everything they've got to seize another victory! It's the greatest feeling in the world, and I can't get enough of it! I can feel my partners itching with anticipation inside their Poké Balls... We're going to have a real champion time. I'm the Galar region's Champion, Leon! Me and Charizard, and all the rest of our team, will use all our knowledge and experience to crush you completely!"This line right here gives me chills. It’s a speech very reminiscent of the champions of previous regions in it shows Leon as THE obstacle to overcome in Galar. His mention of the audience having the cruel want to see one trainer fall was intense because it brings back into focus how much of a spectacle the Galarian Gym challenge is compared to other regions in the game verse. I love the mention of how at times he might have felt fear knowing the audience wanting to see one person fall showing another vulnerable side to him besides his ability to get lost easily. Also the emphasis of Charizard being his ace as he’s the only team member he names outright just shows how deep the bond he has with his starter Pokemon

"You came to help me in spite of the danger? Thanks, Hop. And you, <player>. You two really have grown tremendously! But no need for you kids to worry. It seems like some power of Eternatus's was keeping my team from Dynamaxing, but...we've had a champion time all the same!"

Ahh, the famous lines before Leon gets knocked out! Once again we see him encouraging Hop and the player by commending their courage and growth. But also we see his champion persona coming into play here as he seems to make light of facing down Eternatus. He’s trying to keep the kids from being too worried while also showing them how strong he truly is. And to be fair, he almost single handedly tamed Eternatus which is impressive when you realize how far got on his own when it took Hop, the player and the two wolves to actually bring Eternatus down. Some people have used him getting knocked out to pain Leon as a fraud, but in reality this scene shows how truly powerful he is. Not to mention he’s one of the few champions who actually actively tries to intervene

“And now that you've grown so strong, perhaps it's time I started looking ahead myself. It's time we adults started working on improving the here and now, for the sake of all that's to come!"

I really like this part of his speech after you beat him because you see even though he’s had his world turned upside down by getting his first official loss, he’s not stuck in the past so to speak. He’s not worried about trying to regain his crown as champion. Instead he’s more than happy to pass the torch to the new generation and think of ways he can support upcoming trainers all the while now having a new goal for himself. Instead of being the obstacle to overcome now Leon has his own obstacle. The player.

"As your older brother… No, as your rival, you have my full support!"This was such a sweet line from Leon once Hop decides to become a professor. You could tell in this scene it meant the world to Hop to know that Leon supported him changing paths but also views him as a rival. Bad brother Leon, where?!

"<player>! I've been waiting for you. Always knew you'd be able to win your way here. Now, how about you take on Challenger Leon with everything that you've got?" Again going back to his lines after being defeated, Leon is just over the moon about now finally having an obstacle to overcome instead of being the insurmountable obstacle that came with being the Unbeatable Champion. Even when he shows a bit more raw frustration in his defeat animation in the battle tower, you can tell he enjoys having someone who pushes him like the player does. So much so that if he DOES win we get treated to this line: "Come on—remember our final match! Is this really the best you can do?!" "Hah! Don't you start on me, Raihan! I'm really trying here! See, I've spent my whole life battling with myself to become the greatest Trainer... And then I saw how <player> grew so strong by competing against my little brother, Hop... and how much it made Hop grow, too. It really proved to me how much further you can go when you're battling against a proper rival! And now that I've taken over running the League from Chairman Rose... I'm thinking I want to bring even more thrilling battles to our wonderful Galar region! So for both these reasons, I've called you all here today to tell you that... I'm declaring the Galarian Star Tournament open!" I liked this quote from Leon a lot because it shows his own reflection and growth. Even though he acknowledged Raihan as a true rival, he admits that he was mainly competing with himself in regards to improvement as a trainer. But Hop and the player’s rivalry inspired him to look at competition with others in a different way. And now that he’s at the helm of the league he wants to continue his dream of making Galar’s trainers stronger by allowing them to work together in battles!

Alright so we’ve gotten through the quotes I wanted to focus on from SwSh…but now I want to talk about some quotes from Pokemon Masters EX

"I'll always be around to make sure we have a champion time! I won't let anybody down!" - Sygna SuitWe know Leon really cares about making sure everyone else is having a good time and we can see even though the Leon that was brought to Pasio has been through the Darkest Day, that he still very much concerns himself with others’ wants

"I trust you too, Hop. I'm proud to be your brother."

"Me too. But y'know what? We were always together, even when we were apart." - From the Galar Legendary AdventuresI really adore these pairs of quotes because again it shows just how much Leon adores and respects his brother Hop. He recognizes that they don’t get to spend a lot of time with each other but that doesn’t matter to him as their bonds are still as solid as ever. As someone who has older siblings who I also didn’t get to see much growing up (let alone now as an adult) I can really relate to Hop and Leon’s dynamic and it honestly made me and my family feel seen through a Pokemon Game of all things.

"It didn't look like they were lying or trying to play innocent..." - Galar Villain ArcAgain putting to rest Leon not having a lot of brain cells, Leon was able to correctly ascertain that the Oleana and Rose who were transported to Pasio hadn’t yet tried to reenact the Darkest Day. This again shows his keen observation skills that quite frankly allowed him to remain champion for so long. 

‘That's why, before anything like that can happen, I want to properly tell him this time that...we can change the future together—not alone!" Leon here is reflecting on a flaw that both he and Rose shared in that they both felt the need to shoulder everything themselves. Yet since this is a Leon that had already been through the Darkest Day and getting knocked and seeing how the team work of Hop, Gloria, Zacian and Zamazenta actually solved things, he wants to bring this message to Rose.

"Your way of doing things shuts other people down. And with that, your valued partners will drift away."

I really like this dialogue of him confronting Chairman Rose about how he acts. The fact that he mentions “your way of doing things” shows this is kind of a pattern Leon himself has dealt with during his time working with Rose. We know he respects Rose and appreciates the opportunity from the endorsement he gave him all of those years ago, but that doesn’t mean he can’t call him out on his BS. Honestly I would love for a SwSh remake to expand on this line leading up to Rose unleashing the Darkest Day to better improve that plot

"My little bro always used to say, "I want to be just like you, Lee!" But the two of us are really different people. After lots of frustration, he finally found his own path. That's why he's doing so brilliantly now. There's nothing at all wrong with being different!" - It’s All Good, the Free Spirit EventI wanted to end off the quotes with once again showing how much Leon looks after Hop and how proud he is of little brother. You can see through this quote that the reason why he took a more hands-off approach in guiding Hop was so he could find his own path without feeling like Leon was steering him in any one way.

Phew, that was a lot and honestly there’s a lot more I could add but for the sake of not making this Tumblr post too long and getting this out for Leon Day, I’m going to end it here. Leon is a great champion and overall character and I hope people come to appreciate him more as the years go on! 

[championleonsslut]

First of all, HELLO, welcome to Tumblr! :3 (Just in case you are new!)

And now, here comes my idea: Leon with a shy but VERY powerful S/O. Full team, the best of the best, destroyer of champions.

I just like the contrast between a cute and shy girly and the most menacing team you can imagine.

- Fairy Anon 🧚🏻‍♀️

Ooh this is a good one anon! I would have responded sooner, but I didn’t see this request at first, sorry! I also have been on Tumblr awhile, I just used to be a lurker.

Leon W/ a shy, but VERY powerful s/o.

G/n reader

At first, it was hard for Leon to even get to know you. After all, he was the champion, you were just a trainer. But you caught his eye. With how downright adorable you were, and your Pokemon.

Leon saw you battle once, and was immediately intrigued. He already thought you were psychically attractive, but this just added to it. You were a great trainer too!

So naturally, he got “lost” in the Wild Area and followed you around for a bit. But when he tried to talk to you, you yelped, and took off in the other direction. He felt a little hurt, but pushed it aside.

So you were shy, huh? Alrighty then. Leon has to do this the non-Leon way.

He followed you around the Wild Area again, but this time, was much more strategic. When you had set down camp, that’s when he “pounced.”

He made sure not to startle you, and carefully introduced himself. Once you guys got to chatting, he just developed more and more of a crush on you. Not like it wasn’t mutual, you’ve had a celebrity crush on him for years! And now he’s TALKING to you???

You exchanged numbers, and met up again many more times. Eventually, he even got to meet your Pokemon team when he challenged you to a battle!

A Togekiss, Garchomp, Melmetal, Jolteon, Lucario, and Milotic. You kicked his ass. This was kept a secret for a very long time, as he had to keep up the façade of unbeatable champion.

He was… very surprised, and so were you. But nonetheless, you happily parted ways after a little more flirting from him. He asked you out a few days later, of course you said yes.

You both decided to keep it secret for a bit, as the media would get right up in your grill. And you are shy. You would not like that. Leon would also not like that.

He comes to see you whenever you battle, and drool from the sidelines. You have a bit of a streak going by this point, some people saying you may as well be the next champion with how good you are.

You have many secret dates with him before you both finally decide to tell people. Leon lets it slip in an interview, and everyone goes B A N A N A S.

Now, you are a target for the press. They catch you sometimes after matches, but normally Leon is there to shoo them away when they get too nosy, or when you look like you’re about to have a panic attack. But when Leon isn’t there, it’s not as good.

You usually just (very politely) tell them to fuck off, and bolt away. Leon is so so proud of you whenever this happens. You are rewarded with many kisses.

Sometimes you do interviews together, and Leon can’t help but gush about you while you sit there blushing like you’re going to explode.

You end up becoming one of the best trainers in Galar, actually! Maybe even good enough to be a gym leader, if you’d like.

Of course, you keep kicking your boyfriend’s ass along the way, and he keeps trying to scheme ways to beat you.

[realpokemon]

recently moved from Sinnoh to Galar and i was NOT prepared for how much they hype up the Gym Challenge here. it is VERY LOUD

i'm pretty sure like 40% of galar's national income is Just based on gym tourism and stadium events. and little bobbleheads of leon

[seecarrun]

‘Closed for the World Coronation Series Final’

Misty put the sign on the outside of the gym door as soon as her final challenger left the building, locking up behind them with a satisfying click.

Weekly Challenger Quota be damned, she was not missing this.

She managed to tinker with the cords and inputs and was able to use the gym Jumbotron to stream the match, thankful for the ability to hop in the pool and swim some laps when the nervous tension got to be too much to handle.

This whole series was going to be the death of her at this rate, watching Ash battle his way to the finals while giving her a heart attack at every turn. Leon was going to be a challenge; Misty had honestly never seen someone with a battle style and passion so similar to Ash’s, but she believed in him.

If anyone could take Leon down, it was Ash Ketchum.

O

“Charizard is unable to battle! The victory goes to Ash!”

“He won…” she gasped in a whisper to herself, her eyes, wide and unblinking, focused on the screen.

“We now have ourselves a new Champion! From the Kanto region, born in Pallet Town, Ash Ketchum!”

“He won,” she said again, a grin slowly stretching across her face as the reality sank in. “He won!” she cheered jumping to her feet and, scooping Psyduck into her arms, spun him around the platform, cheering, laughing, her eyes welling with tears as Ash scooped Pikachu into his arms and spun him around in exactly the same way, hugging him to his chest.

“Wow, he actually did it,” one of her sisters said somewhere behind her, and she turned around to see them all at the edge of the pool, watching as well. She wondered briefly how long they had been there; she didn’t even notice them come in.

Back on the screen, the crowd cheered, confetti fell and fireworks blasted into the air.

The camera zoomed onto Ash and Pikachu’s laughing faces as they celebrated together, and a warm rush of love and pride ran down Misty’s spine, one, singular thought repeating like an echo through her brain at the sight. Grinning, she turned to Psyduck.

“Let’s go find him.”

[magicalmyu]

would you guys still love me if i wrote an analysis on how hop becoming sonia's assistant was actually the best possible outcome for him despite everyone insisting that his dreams were destroyed and that he just became a professor because he had nothing else to do and oh so saaaaaaaaad

and like i talk about how hop becoming a professor was foreshadowed from the very beginning. and how despite everyone saying he is like sonia because he lost in the gym challenge and had to settle for becoming a professor instead when on the contrary its actually the opposite. and how people don't realize how hop's "dream" wasn't really his calling but a result of the pressure to become like his brother. how instead of trying to surpass leon or even reach his level he has the chance to make a name for himself in his own field. how for a region like galar so focused on battling as a major sport its very interesting and kind of poetic how the main rival diverges from that and becomes a scientist instead.

yk something like that