system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Pokemon] Who rules the world of Pokemon? Is there a government? Are there countries? Are the Gym leaders essentially warlords/chieftains running their town under the watchful eye of their Elite Four Overlords?

Essentially.....what is going on in Pokemon world?

Are the Elite 4 the heads of government supported by various gym leaders/warlords who only allow the strong to join their ranks? 

Who funds the Pokémon Centres? Do the elite four fund them to encourage fighting and to make the new generation of leaders battle hardened?

So many questions!
gpt
We know government and nation-states both exist; the Pokémon world has mayors, uniformed police, armed forces who go to war, and Pokémon Centers exist even in regions where there is no League system (Orre), implying they're government-funded.

Since any serious trainer is walking around with a belt of serious portable firepower, and trainers are everywhere, conflicts can arise rapidly. There is a cultural understanding that strong trainers are responsible for intervening when other trainers abuse the power of their Pokémon. This usually means Gym leaders and the Elite members, but on rare occasions a roaming trainer of extraordinary skill steps up to the plate.