Especially since he has a Patrat. >_>
But it seems like he'll have more plot relevance than just being the first gym leader. He doesn't even seem to have a gym. Maybe we'll be battling him more than once throughout the game.
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http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4418/dsc02035h.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/2zqtqur.jpg