What is most frustrating about Cheren's team is that there is no wild card, no Pokemon that we have yet to see and were not expecting. If we look back to all the other 1st Gym Leaders (Brock, Faulkner, Roxanne, and Roark), they each had a Pokemon that was new and exciting to the player. (Onix, Pidgeotto, Nosepass, and Cranidos respectively). Even Cilan/Chili/Cress had an unforeseen type monkey that made it's first appearance in their hands.
Lillipup is only marginally more difficult to defeat than Patrat, and neither is especially challenging even with Work Up or other TM moves. I think Dunsparce would have been a really interesting addition to the end of the team (now that we know it's available in the first few routes). It's bulky enough to sponge some hits, but it's not overtly powerful enough to give the player too tough of a time.
Meh.