6th Gen Takes Juan to know Juan!

[Rivvon]

Also... what IS up with all the women trapped in his Gym?

That's his fangirl brigade! xD

Admittedly, that proposal still makes a lot of sense thematically, since each version would have a Champion using a team that ties into the game (Steel is derived from metals of the earth, so it would be fitting to have the Steel-type-Pokemon-using Champion Steven Stone for OmegaRuby. Similarly, seawater dominates Hoenn, so in AlphaSapphire, it would make more sense (although maybe more annoying?) to have the Water-type-Pokemon-using Champion Wallace, in addition to having an extra Water-type-using member for the Hoenn Pokemon League).

It does make sense thematically, but having different champions (and in one version, a champion who repeats a gym type) just doesn't seem ideal. The closest thing we've had to "different champions" is that your gen 1 rival has different Pokémon on his team depending on which starter you pick, and in Black N has a Zekrom whereas he has a Reshiram in White.

Honestly, it just seems odd. Even though these games will undoubtedly contain Emerald aspects, there's no reason why one version should be more like Ruby and the other like Emerald. It's RS and E, not RE and S.

I've thought about this implementation before and discarded it, but I actually seem to really like it now! The Ruby/Sapphire League line-up gets properly integrated first, with Emerald's League line-up modifications serving as rematches (fitting, since Pokemon Emerald was big on both "modifications/enhancements" and "rematches"). Also, that would give Steven Stone a lot of free time, providing him with an incentive to start hunting around/explaining about Mega Stones that may crop up in Hoenn during the post-game/post-League period. I hope the Champion room is re-modeled accordingly, though (lavender/purple for Steven Stone and cyan/blue for Wallace). If this proposal were to be the case in-game, I kind of hope that Steven and Wallace are regarding as co-Champions of Hoenn (since Pokemon World Tournament of Pokemon Black 2/White 2 seemed to envision them as such).

I'm glad you're opening up to the idea! I've always imagined it to be like:
You wake up after having defeated Steven. You're called back to Sootopolis where Wallace introduces you to Juan. You battle Jaun with "Wallace's" rematch team, and after winning, Gym Leader rematches are unlocked. This way you know something has changed about the league roster, but you are also introduced to Gym Leader rematches. This also gives Wallace the opportunity to introduce himself as the new Champion, and mention that Steven was going to be hanging around Meteor Falls if you wanted to see him (hinting at where you should go if you would like to challenge him for the "ultimate final battle").

As for their reasoning why Steven steps down as Champion, if I remember correctly, in Emerald all they say is "Something came up," so I'm sure they can just use the same excuse, or say something like "He wants to go look for more stones/Mega Stones" or the like. It doesn't have to be too complex a reason.

This method I feel really gets the best of both worlds, and since the change happens post-game it doesn't mess with the story. As these are remakes, I expect some changes to the plot but only very minimally. Switching up the Gym Leaders I feel would be a bit too much of a change, at least during the main portion of the game.

Oh, and Wallace's 3D model should be capeless during the Gym Leader battle, and cape-adorned during the subsequent Champion battles, if this proposal were to be the actual in-game execution. :P

A few trainers in XY had multiple 2D art assets (Korrina and Essentia come to mind) so I'm sure Wallace will also get two arts if he acts as both Gym Leader and Champion. Perhaps even Steven will get an extra art for when he is challenged in Meteor Falls.

 

[XtinaIsMeLuvinWWE]

Heehee at the title and after having only ever played Emerald myself I can safely say that I would like Juan back as the Gym Leader again, although I'd really like to experience Steven as the Champion :) Where that'd leave Wallace though I'm not sure, and as he seems to be an integral part of Hoenn I'm sure he'll be the Gym Leader instead. Hopefully Juan will be somewhere around, I know it's been mentioned before but maybe in contests or a double Gym Leader battle with Wallace :)

 

[Elaitenstile]

You wake up after having defeated Steven. You're called back to Sootopolis where Wallace introduces you to Juan. You battle Jaun with "Wallace's" rematch team, and after winning, Gym Leader rematches are unlocked. This way you know something has changed about the league roster, but you are also introduced to Gym Leader rematches. This also gives Wallace the opportunity to introduce himself as the new Champion, and mention that Steven was going to be hanging around Meteor Falls if you wanted to see him (hinting at where you should go if you would like to challenge him for the "ultimate final battle").

Sounds like a good idea. Using the Match Call other gym leaders would also say their gyms have been 'reopened' and are ready for your challenge. This can be done indefinitely so that you'd get some training and things for whatever it is we find on the added areas. The 'ultimate final battle' could come later, though. Until you finish whatever it is you'll do in the added areas, he'll just say that we have a chance of finding Bagon somewhere further in the Falls, or something of that sort.

 

[Pepperton]

There are lots of things they could do with Juan. They could make the 8th gym battle a rotation battle with Juan and Wallace as a tag team. If they don't do that, they could alter it based on the player's gender. If female was chosen, the gym leader would be Juan, and if male was chosen, the gym leader would be Wallace. It could also vary depending on the version bought, with OR getting Juan as the leader and AS featuring Wallace, or vice versa.