>>54591875the problem with HMs is that it's the only time moves having effects outside of battle matters in any meaningful capacity. by putting more emphasis on field moves, you train the player to see pokemon for their travel utility as well as their battle strength. so when they encounter an obstacle they can't pass with their current team, they're more receptive to the idea of catching something new to get past it. this also encourages them to look for and catch different kinds of pokemon, which is kinda the entire point of the game.