Brock’s Training · Hidden Fates (HIF) #55

1 comment

1. 

   Ambassador

   (1 month ago)

   This card’s artwork is reminiscent of the artwork of Brock’s Training Method – along similar lines, the background of HIF Geodude is reminiscent of the background used for Brock’s Geodude (G1-66) HIF Graveler’s background is reminiscent of the background of Brock’s Graveler (G1-40), and HIF Golem’s background is very similar to the background of Brock’s Golem (G1-20), albeit mirrored.

   There is a pretty straightforward reason for all this – these cards originate from a Brock-focused preconstructed theme deck released in 2019¹, and got somewhat arbitrarily thrown into Hidden Fates. You can also see traces of the deck in some of the Brock-centric Supporter cards as well as the Pewter City Gym card. The Pokémon listed on this card are an otherwise arbitrary selection unless you realize they’re all the cards that were included in the deck. Te last four Pokémon were essentially reprints of the cards we know as FLI Cubone, BUS Rhyhorn, BUS Rhydon, and LOT Sudowoodo, so there’s no special throwback artwork for them and their omission from Hidden Fates is understandable ..almost. Since BUS Rhydon’s artwork features a Team Skull Grunt, it would’ve been out of place in a Brock theme deck, so it had a special alternate art print. The background of that card’s artwork is reminiscent of the background used for Brock’s Rhydon (G1-2)².

   One last thing is worth noting here – since Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge are a bit mixed up in terms of how WOTC threw things together, it’s worth emphasizing that all these throwbacks aren’t just references to the Gym block, but are even more specific than that – all the cards being referenced were included in the *original* Pewter City Gym deck³.

   ¹ https://www.pokemon-card.com/products/sm/smk.html
   ² https://www.pokemon-card.com/card-search/details.php/card/36237/regu/all
   ³ https://archive.is/wip/GjqKm

   Reply