I miss the villainous teams being legitimately villainous. Or at least the leaders being that way.

He rushed because he wanted to be a mythical hero like the heroes who stopped the Darkest Day. He assumed that based on the way Leon thrives on his celebrity as the Unbeatable Champion that Leon would also jump at the chance to become a real hero of legend. When Leon refuses to jump on the very first opportunity that arises to become the heroes Rose believes they both crave to be, it breaks his heart because it reveals that he and Leon are not the kindred spirits he believed them to be. Which is why he deliberately releases Eternatus to interrupt the championship match: to spite Leon by denying him the thing he cared for more than Rose’s dream for them both. He knows that Leon will be compelled to abandon the match to save the day and return to him.

Leon is a hero, Rose just wants to be worshipped.

TL;DR: Rose is Leon’s abusive ex.

The game just conveys this all absolutely terribly.

/r/pokemon Thread Parent