Using pedal assist would definitely make you a better cyclist vs not riding at all. Even if you never pedaled, you'd probably still be better at handling the bike.

For what it's worth, an e-bike is actually what got me back into cycling. I still ride e-bikes sometimes but at least half the time I'm riding either a folding bicycle or a full size 3x7.

As for the batter/extra weight, yeah, that's a significant drawback: I've heard of more than a few eMTBers screwing themselves over like that.