This way, even if they get removed before the final chapter, youve still gotten something for your mana
Trainer cards are assistants that provide an unlimited number of valuable features
Five mana is a bit steep but in the late game it matters a lot less about the cost and a lot more about the immediate impact, this flexibility makes the card much stronger rather like Mull Drifter which is somewhat of a back up plan in one of its curve slots
Like most Pokmon cards, the value of Mudkip depends on a few consistent factors: its rarity, the printing and finish (regular or foil), its physical condition, and the set it was printed in (Emerald)
new cards allow the game to add new ideas, increase the card pool for a multitude of strategies as well as create never-before-seen strategies, and give us more examples of vanilla creatures used to teach people how to draft