Pokémon are now specifically designed to make good toys and be easily drawn in the Anime. Take Pidgey for example: All those fuzzy feathers make it look rougher and more "real", but are a pain to translate into a plush or continuously draw in motion.
There are Gen 1 and Gen 2 mons with very simple and easy to draw designs, of course (inb4 Electrode) and there are newer gen ones with more detailed designs, but in general, the vast majority has simple shapes with easy details slapped on.
I even like the designs of S&M, except for the horrendous legendaries, but they do look even more like toys than back then.
