The Exp. Share is the game's Easy Mode. It's probably not going anywhere.
I agree with stage7_4 above here: The games are almost as difficult as they can be, if you don't have everything memorized. Knowing the type chart, relative power and usefulness of moves, and even the typing of the Pokémon you encounter gives you a huge, huge advantage the games can't really be designed around. New players would be completely lost if everything turned challenging according to our standards. Of course the games are easy when you know how to make optimal choices in every situation from the very beginning.
My stance on difficulty in Pokémon is simple enough: If you want a challenge, make one. Also, I somehow doubt you could make a Pokémon game truly difficult with the current mechanics, at least without making it frustrating in the process. Grinding will overcome everything, but is quite tedious and should never be a requirement to proceed. A competent AI trainer can be beaten by devising a counter-strategy, and whipping up a counter-strategy to a set team with a set strategy is second nature to Smogonites. Is the foe using weather? Change it. Relying on boosting? Phaze. Switching a lot? Use entry hazards. We're so used to finding the perfect solution that, even if the games required it, we'd still do it without much thought. But if you're not used to it, the games would tear you to shreds and just be frustrating. All in all, I think it's nearly impossible to make the game fun to play for everyone while still giving experienced players a challenge. We simply have to make our own difficulty.
I agree with stage7_4 above here: The games are almost as difficult as they can be, if you don't have everything memorized. Knowing the type chart, relative power and usefulness of moves, and even the typing of the Pokémon you encounter gives you a huge, huge advantage the games can't really be designed around. New players would be completely lost if everything turned challenging according to our standards. Of course the games are easy when you know how to make optimal choices in every situation from the very beginning.
My stance on difficulty in Pokémon is simple enough: If you want a challenge, make one. Also, I somehow doubt you could make a Pokémon game truly difficult with the current mechanics, at least without making it frustrating in the process. Grinding will overcome everything, but is quite tedious and should never be a requirement to proceed. A competent AI trainer can be beaten by devising a counter-strategy, and whipping up a counter-strategy to a set team with a set strategy is second nature to Smogonites. Is the foe using weather? Change it. Relying on boosting? Phaze. Switching a lot? Use entry hazards. We're so used to finding the perfect solution that, even if the games required it, we'd still do it without much thought. But if you're not used to it, the games would tear you to shreds and just be frustrating. All in all, I think it's nearly impossible to make the game fun to play for everyone while still giving experienced players a challenge. We simply have to make our own difficulty.