TCG Thinkpiece - The Genius of ATM Rock
In Spring 2004 (the Expedition - EX Team Magma and Team Aqua format), evolution decks ruled the meta. Decks like Gardevoir, Blaziken, and Swampert all had 3-stage evolutionary lines with powerful ex Pokémon and their baby counterparts that accelerated energy. The most common engine for decks at this time was the reliable Delcatty/Magneton (Cattyton) draw engine, in which the energy cards discarded as an effect of Delcatty RS’s Pok é -Power, Energy Draw, could be recovered by Magneton DR’s Pok é -Power, Magnetic Field. The big basic era of the TCG from 1999 had long since past, and stage 1 and 2 Pokémon comprised the bulk of attackers and support Pokémon in the meta. To get these Pokémon into play, aside from the standard method of putting a Pokémon in play, waiting a turn, then evolving, one card allowed the evolution rules to be broken: Rare Candy. With Rare Candy, a basic Pokémon can evolve into its first or second stage instantly , without having to wait a turn to evolve it.