PAX Pokemon League

What would you administrators think to allowing Gym Leaders to have cronies that they fight to get to the Gym Leader? Something like 2 Pokémon that would qualify a challenger to fight with the Gym Leader as an example. All ideas that could enhance this or debate this would be much appreciated. I know that time is sort of an issue when it comes down to the last day of Pax, so it could be tossed around for discussion a bit.
Thanks in advance! I know you guys are great at responding!
-StarVVolph

Please no? Since time [ieic]is[/ieic] an issue we should be avoiding adding obstacles to the overall goal of badge earning. As I said before, if we have projected participation for underlings, just promote 'em to leaders instead (alleviating the issue of leader mobbing).

Heleor, I think you have something, suggesting that if the challengers can find and defeating the underlings, they are guaranteed a fight with that gym leader. If it can be publicized enough that challengers who go directly for the Leader understand that there is a chance that they will be cut in line, then it could work well. Maybe even limit the amount of times underlings can be defeated, so it would be more exclusive. It would reduce the amount of challengers jumping ahead in a previously mentioned 40 challenger line. The underlings could give out a business card or something of the like to signify them defeating the underlings.

My two cents:

I dislike this idea. It sounds good in theory. A lot of the gym leaders made themselves available at meetups and such, which made them targets for lines, which we want to shrink. However, when they were wandering around, I found maybe three of the eleven that way. What you're suggesting is to make it three times as difficult, in the sense that we now have to track down three people for each gym rather than one, if we want a guaranteed fight. It doesn't seem like a guaranteed fight at all, especially if you spend the time that you would normally wait in (and maybe longer) trying to hunt down said underlings. You're spending just as much time and effort (and more) and if you lose, you STILL have to go wait in line for a "maybe" fight.

If the underlings end up doing all the fighting Friday and Saturday, that would free up the Gym leaders for activities, however, if underlings are beaten, that still leaves the Gym leaders having to sit still for three hours facing challengers. In addition, the challengers would be extremely frustrated if they lose and have to track down a gym leader again for a rematch after three battles just for one badge.

I'd rather just wait in line, length or no. I would have just as much of a shot of getting to fight him/her and I would only have to look for one scarf.

I did like the 3x3 battles that Hiker Bill had. That seemed to cut down on my time at least. Though, he still took a while with the huge list. :/