SerGoldenhandtheJust
Deluded Dreamer
You're so close to getting the pointIt’s literally a case that they didn’t take part because the region wasn’t even conceptualized when it happened. Notice that in the gimmick rule there’s Mega Evolution, Z-Moves and Dynamax but no Terrastalization despite the fact that, by your logic, they took part in this and it’s not like a character has to be a representative of that region to use its gimmicks as is shown with Cynthia using Mega Evolution and Dynamax and Lance uses Dynamax. So at that point, they left out the gimmick of a region that’s supposedly competing thus putting them at a disadvantage if you keep the logic that everyone was in it even beyond the 8 regions that actually existed when the tournament was created. As things stand, there’s no reason to believe that regions beyond the 8 were competing. It’s literally in the anime’s DNA that this kind of thing happens all the time because of the expansive nature of the franchise. It’s literally no different than how Pokémon from later regions suddenly started showing up in Kanto after Ash and friends went to newer regions.
Exactly yeah, a soft retcon of Paldean trainers having been in the PWC would be alright. Sure it'll be a soft retcon since Paldea never existed back then and we never saw Paldean trainers, plus the terrastilising point you mentioned
But they can soft retcon that yeah Paldean trainers also participated and whatnot even if they couldn't reach the masters 8
That would make sense
What wouldn't make sense is contradicting them by saying they don't CARE about the PWC, which is absolutely nonsense as we see Paldea has that competitive battling scene
So that would be changing the entire Paldean battle atmosphere in the anime and contradicting their character. That's a nonsensical choice
So I'll rather a soft retcon like we have had in the past than a nonsense choice in the narrative that makes zero sense