I'm going to play devil's advocate and say the game is designed with two audiences in mind; manchildren who want to catch em' all and actual children who do not have the capacity to catch em' all. For Little Timmy age 11, he's just rolling with it, taking what he gets and having the experience of his life that he will be nostalgic for in a decade. Big Jimmy, though? It's a "grind" for him because he HAS to have everything, and it HAS to have the right stats, and it HAS to be the right color. They're pleasing their ever-rotating main commercial audience, while keeping their hardcore audience on a short leash with their wallets ready. It's really very smart.
