Keeping track of 18 types, each of them with 2-12 strengths and weaknesses in defense, and 2-12 strengths and weaknesses in offense… it's kind of insane that we're expected to memorize it all.
Grass type alone has 19 things to track. Fire has 17 and water has 12. From the starters alone that's nearly 50 different data points to keep track of, and without going around and doing the actual math,there's over 200 different stabs and weaknesses to track! ANd that's not even getting into when dual types make it better or worse or cancel out a weakness or whatever. Plus toss in how fairy types changed things, or that you might have gotten really used to steel working in certain way before it got nerfed a little?
Sure its not too bad for long time vets who have had 20 years to learn it, but that's downright insane and cruel for any potential new players, even with the slow gentle introduction of new types. (Heck, even vets get the attributes of rock and ground mixed up all the time.)
Then throw that across 800-850 monsters, plus megas!, with varied movesets and up to three different potential abilities? No one can keep that all 100% straight in their head.
It may be "handholding", but honestly its kind of requisite at this point and probably should have been introduced generations ago, just like reusable tms or getting running shoes immediately. Barring an BW scenario where you just lock it down to 150 new monsters again, that is waaaaay too much info for even experienced players to track, let alone new ones.
(Not to mention, once you're in an area and facing the same monsters 80 times in a row, you learn what move works on them pretty fast anyway and just keep spamming it anyway.
You still have to beat a thing once to learn what it is, still have to make and balance your team, you still have to weigh and choose what 4 moves you keep, and STABS, and status effects, and how many pp a move has, and accuracy, and the fact that if you hit a tentacruel it might poison you, and all the other stuff. It's simply sparing you having to memorize an insanely complicated chart that let's be honest, none of us have 100% off the top of our heads.
It's not putting doctors in the middle of every cave, neutering your rival, getting rid of the need for hms, or having gym leaders only use three monsters... its a straightforward quality of gaming life update that's great.... and especially for new players.
(And most moves are going to be neutral anyway...)
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