Many people go on a Pokémon journey at some point. Leave home, maybe with a friend or two, their starter. It is something like a coming of age thing for many. Not everyone finishes the entire challenge. Most people don't. Not necessarily the point. They get one, two, three, prove that they can. Decide that travel, or being a trainer isn't for them. Go home with better understanding of their partner and Pokemon in general.

But you are correct. The Gyms and the League challenge, in a way, are to test and encourage people to grow.

Now. The actual, high-level competitive battling circuits— [ and like, through the telepathy Akechi will probably get a strong undercurrent of the fun ones, ] those, you will find elsewhere!