"Should losing to your rival stop progression in the game?"

So I've just finished my second play through of Sword and found myself thinking, why does losing to your rival stop you progressing further through the game? Surely it would make more sense that you could lose and they get a bit stronger ready for a match later on? Even in the league final, you should be able to lose, they become champion and you get to challenge them for the title properly. via /r/pokemon https://ift.tt/3jG7xAT