And seriously, is switching places with your teammate really that difficult in the middle of a battle? Is it easier for a pokémon to go back in a pokéball and get another one sent out to take a hit than just have the one ALREADY OUT take it? Because to me it just is a mechanic limitation.

In the perspective of a Double Battle, Ally Switch is more like making a "surprise switch", so the opponent didn't expect to hit another target. Normally, switching places would not work because the opponent is eyeing on what they are supposed to target, making switching places at a normal pace not productive. For a Triple battle, there is shifting involved, although it's only one place at a time and is a normal priority, so a faster Pokemon could hit a slower Pokemon attempting to shift positions. Remember that Ally Switch moves at the same pace as Quick Attack (Priority: +1), so again, it's like a "surprise switch". Basically, switching positions with a teammate is slower-paced.

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