Part one of my new series where I pick characters who should've became a Gym Leader, Elite 4 Member or Regional Champion. Today, I'm talking about Hop, a character & rival introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield.

A LOT of you guys were screaming at me, the fanbase included, over the fact that Hop should've became Champion of Galar instead of Leon & the Player and honestly... I agree. One of the main reasons Hop never became Champion is 95% because of plot armor especially since in ALL main series Pokemon games the player character ALWAYS will become Champion. I mean, it's the end goal of the game anyways.

So what about the other 5%? Allow me to explain!

Since the very minute Hop was introduced in Sword & Shield, which is within the first five minutes of the game by the way, you learn that Hop is a mini-me of his older brother Leon. Leon, a man whom reigns Champion of Galar & is THE strongest trainer on the planet. Since Hop's childhood, he's lived within his brother's shadow, often expected by the entire Galar Region to live up to his brother's fame since his brother is the strongest trainer in the world. It's really shitty the more you think about it... But due to how everyone expects greatness out of Hop, Hop blindly strives to be BETTER than Leon. This fixation led to Hop becoming Leon's Shadow from how Hop studies all of Leon's televised matches like an educational film as well as mimicking Leon's ball throwing techniques. This led to Hop becoming VERY educated in the art of Pokemon battling and it shows throughout the story.

Throughout your playthrough of Sword/Shield, Hop puts his studies to good use as he's extremely battle driven and eager to fight just about anyone up to his challenge. He had experimented heavily with his team of Pokemon & strategies. He rarely used the same team of Pokemom twice. VERY very few of his Pokemon were kept from minute one to his final team such as his Starter Pokemon of choice and his Dubwool. In my eyes, this just speaks volumes as Hop kept experimenting with his team to determine which Pokemon worked best.

As expected, Hop eventually went through an identity crisis of sorts where he KNEW he wasn't his own person as he only wanted to become the best trainer due to his brother's popularity. However nobody can deny that Hop had a deep love for Pokemon & battles and it had nothing to do with Leon. Eventually Hop got over his identity crisis and finally stopped mimicking his brother in order to be his own person.

Let's not forget that Hop earned the approval of a LEGENDARY pokemon! Even caught said legendary, of which NEVER happens in the main series games.

Hop later qualified to enter the Galar Championship, made up of all the trainers who succeed in conquering all of Galar's gym leaders, and made it to the final only being bested by the Player.

Admittedly, it was out of the blue & sort of a downer when Hop announced he no longer wanted to become Champion after the events of the Championship and Eternatus. Instead, Hop decided he wanted to start his journey in becoming a Pokemon Professor. How do you go from wanting to be a regional champion to becoming a Professor? Well... After being introduced to Hop's ancestor In Legends Arceus, Professor Laventon, Hop's choice in abandoning the title of Champion in order to become a Professor makes so much more sense! I won't deny however that Hop has all the potential to become a Champion or take some sort of title in Galar, he just DOESNT want to become one. I would've loved to see Hop defeat his brother or take on an Elite 4 position. Too bad Galar doesn't have an Elite 4.

What about you? Should Hop had kept at his original dream? Does he deserve to become Galar's Champion and dethrone Leon?