It seems we can't even phone him.

You'll be able to phone him later, but he doesn't say much. You can't fight Scott.

Scott plays the role of a talent scout, sort of like Simon Cowell. He knows what a trainer with potential looks like, but he can't or doesn't necessarily battle himself. You could say that you fight Scott when you battle the Hoenn Frontier Brains though, as he directly employs them, and you can't access them until you have his permission.

I have just now, after nine years, understood his naming scheme.