Its kind of hard for your opponent to just take 8 to the face in most situations, but thats what theyre going to have to do sometimes
Additionally, the small insight into their opponents strategy a player would receive through their face-up active pokemon would allow them to see which pokemon types theyll be going up against, and better infer what items, energy, or trainer cards they may need to prioritize in their starting hand
low-to-the-ground aggro decks arent interested in two-mana cantrips like Anticipate, after all
It also combines well with its backside, Awaken the Blood Avatar, a card that thrives on sacrifice
Hyper Rare cards aren't typically valued highly, though Obsidian Flames' relatively low card values make space for this unusual inclusion