For what it's worth, nostalgia also factors into what people keep expecting from rival characters. The rivals in the first two generations were straight up antagonists with little depth (Silver's backstory wasn't a thing until HGSS), but that was what a lot of people grew up with, so they latched onto that. Any rivals since are judged not just on how well they are as characters, but how well they match that nostalgia. It takes something truly extraordinary (like N and his whole setup) to break through that.
In that way, one reason why Bede didn't catch on as well despite being a jerk rival is because he has depth and isn't just some smug sonuvabitch you want to beat. Kind of concerning, really.
Oh yeah, I actually completely forgot about the featherweight tournament. Okay, that means the upcoming speedster tournament or any future ones do not tell us anything about who will not be next.