User blog comment:MezzoDragon/Buddyfight's Dropped Plotlines/@comment-6102960-20180414102639/@comment-408026-20180414123213

Some of its best writing is from casual, slice-of-life episodes. Gao vs. Slide is one of my favorites because he shows Gao at his best. He's not an overhyped savior of worlds. He's just a buddyfighter helping another buddyfighter out.

So yeah, I agree. It might be due to needing to promote the cards while having a story to justify it.