TCG sets are ALWAYS better and more soulful when they have a cohesive interesting theme. It adds a lot to my enjoyment of collecting. Its like piecing together a setting.
>>55628233cool thread OP. breakthrough/fates collide is bizarre. We can only speculate on a lot of the details, and what we do know is totally bonkers. the goldenBREAK pkmn are probably just a TCG gameplay mechanic and I doubt a lore master laid out how this would all make sense plotwise. They probably brainstormed up a few bullet points, designed 2 versions of a city, and let the artists loose. Like a creativity exercise all-around. On one hand this leaves a lot to be desired as we are left wondering what it all means. On the other hand I like how much it leaves to the imagination using disconnected images to tell a story.
I like to think that the Omastar and Aerodactyl cards imply that those fossilmons never went extinct in the rustic tree world. Headcanon, but it would explain why they're there and seemingly out of place among modern architecture. Omanyte is consistently paired with Atlantis ruins in the TCG which is super interesting.
"Rocket" set had a lot of dark pkmn and wacky surreal equipment that isn't seen in the games. "Aquapolis" defintiely had an identity. Delta species was a whole block set on Holon (would LOVE to return here.
>>55629695 I agree)
this set is weird because, like some people mentioned, the nature VS urban theme/split timeline was a Black and White era concept. But it wasn't until gen 6 that the Mega timeline really cracked open the pokemon multiverse. ORAS's Delta episode mentioned the concept of throwing Deoxys into a portal to save Hoenn, but that doing so would throw some alternate timeline version of Hoenn under the bus. I assumed it referred to the advance/DS timeline but it could have been any BECAUSE the rainbow rocket quest in USUM implies Giovanni has been jumping to tons of timelines. Mostly doomed ones. Pretty interesting stuff!
