"Is it just me, or did our rival in Generation 1 cause an Elite 4 member to be fired?"

Just got back into playing FireRed, and it struck me odd that Lance comments that I would have become the Champion after I defeated him, were it not for my rival having just beaten him previously. In every generation beyond gen 1, one becomes champion by beating the current champion after defeating the elite four. Assuming gen 1 also follows this rule, I assume that makes it that Lance was the previous champion before my rival defeated him, lowering him to a member of the elite four.If such is the case, does that mean there was an elite four member that my rival fought that I didn’t, since he lost his position with Lance being lowered to an elite four member? via /r/pokemon https://ift.tt/2X8S8jC