random battles can be better, it's just they need to re-think what random battles actually mean for the game itself.
i think if they could untie progression from them that'd be something. like, instead of having these things be for the player to grind on, being a safety net and all that - undermining whatever challenge they could possibly have - make them strictly an obstacle.
also if they're a bit more rare they can be a bit more challenging.
https://imgur.com/a7zbPmp.gif