>>20176904No, no.
When OP says that Flare is shit, he doesn't mean that they were weak. He means that they sucked as a plot device.
Did any of you actually WANT to deal with them? Did you ever look forward to the next encounter with them? No, you merely tolerated them, because you knew that the *actual* gameplay was just around the corner.
The evil team serves no purpose in this game. It's not like in - dare I say it - Kanto, where taking out bad guys was something you did when YOU wanted to. Now, it's just another item on a list of chores you have to do before you can play the game at your own pace.
We wouldn't be so upset if that list weren't half the damn game.