Torchic and it's uses were severely flawed in the third generation. It's a fire fighting which learns only two fighting moves throughout it's evolutions and at levels inconvenient for the two gyms where they are needed.
Double kick comes during the Cumbuskin stage at I believe around level 2-something thus taking too long to be used against Roxy, the first gym leader who uses the rock type. Unless one wants to hang around training for her gym for that long rather than making the faster and more practical decision to just use a shroomish.
Then Blaze kick is learned in the Blaziken stage at level 54 I believe, too late once again as you reach Norman with his normal types around 20 levels prior to that point.
On top of that, the games have NO fire type advantage gyms. It isn't until the elite four when fire will have any real use as pretty much every one of them except Steven has a weakness to it.