See, I felt like I was going crazy because I feel the exact same way, but I had a couple co-workers (with at least one who hasn't played since GSC) who think that approach would be bad for the games since it has a "power gamer's focus" and "puts the multiplayer above the single player". The argument is that having redundant and/or weak is important because it makes the Pokémon world feel more realistic/immersive, rewards players for being discerning and making correct choices when building a party, and encourages swapping out early game Pokémon for later game Pokémon. Apparently, I just don't appreciate the "experience" and focus too much on "power gaming".
Of course, I fundamentally disagreed, and there was somewhat of a heated argument (trivial, I know). Considering we could be considered a game development team and nobody else there disagreed with their position, I felt like I was losing my mind.
But yeah, venting over. Needless to say I agree.