Yes, because nothing says "exploration" like a lab aide giving you Flash for catching 10 Pokémon or getting Strength by talking to a sailor in a restaurant.
The motivation to go to the next town and get the next badge should be enough to want you to explore. Plus, things like Legendaries and plot exist.
You don't get it, though. A game where you play as a Gym Leader or E4 Member would have a completely different playstyle than the standard Main Series formula. It would be more story-based and not revolve around the get 8 badges/beat Evil Team/become Champion formula.
You see, this reaction is why GF is so conservative about breaking the formula. Not pointing fingers at you or anything, but far too many people look at the games solely through a competitive battling lens and riot if a game doesn't let them build their "perfect team" for beating other people with or have the "metagame" as an end goal. This is why a certain section of the fandom automatically dismisses any and all spinoffs, regardless of whether or not the games actually deserve it.