I agree, this is probably one of the worst things I've ever seen in any game period. Glad you don't need to rely on it.
The second area gets really slow with a lot of energy use per turn and you gotta fight the 'boss' a lot. Gonna stick with it a few days and see how things go.
Also, is it just me, or is anyone else having issues with the battles? Every time I finish one I can't click on the button to continue, see rewards, and stuff. I just have to reload the game. Luckily I still get the rewards and exp and such, but it's a pain.