ThePokemonseries is gearing up to release its newest mainline games,Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. As expected, this means that fans must navigate the exciting world of pre-release speculation. During this time, many alleged leakers will attempt to exploit fans' excitement by crafting fake leaks to induce false hype for the new titles.
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Back in the day,Pokemonrumors were little more than word-of-mouth hoaxes spread on playgrounds. In the days of the Internet, however, falsified leaks have been more and more prominent, especially since the franchise’s fifth generation. Sadly, these ten leaks turned out to be false despite how much they excited fans.
8Rumors About Black 2 & White 2
Pokemon Black 2& White 2was the series' first direct sequels,taking place years after the events ofBlack & White. This was uncharted territory for thePokemonfranchise, which in turn sparked rumors and hoaxes about the game’s content. An article in PokeJungle in early 2012 led to a lot of fan theories.
While the poster claimed they didn’t believe it, there was lots to be excited over in this blog post. It claimed thatBlack 2 & White 2would have brand-new starters: a Grass-type owl, a Fire-type elephant, and a Water-type platypus. It also claimed it would have a new region based on Western Europe, which proved very false.
7Corocoro Leaks For X & Y
The pre-release era forPokemon X& Yconsisted of a lot of hype surrounding a Japanese magazine namedCorocoro. This monthly magazine often led to new information about upcomingPokemontitles, including new Pokemon and gameplay features. However, their design was often mimicked by Photoshop experts.
Many hoaxes prior toX & Y’s release were stylized as alleged leaks from this magazine. Some fake designs, however, were pretty fascinating concepts, such as a hooded raven, a cycloptic ghost with tendrils, and a pre-evolution of Drowzee.There were also often fake starter evolutionsincluded in these falsified magazine pages.
6Pokemon Plus & Minus
Prior to the confirmation ofPokemon Sun& Moon, there were many ideas about where the franchise may head for its seventh generation. One well-circulated rumor alleged that the new games would be titled “Pokemon Plus & Minus.” This leak claimed the next generation would release for Nintendo’s next home console.
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Apparently, Plus & Minus’s region would be based on Southeast Asia. Some new Pokemon designs included a Fire/Fairy goat and a hurricane-like Legendary Pokemon. The leak also alleged that Pokemon Bank would become an actual location in the game to transfer old Pokemon, which would’ve been a cool feature.
5Generation 7 Starter Evolutions
Some of the biggest rumors surrounding a newPokemongame involve the starter evolutions. Since the starter is a Trainer’s first companion in the game, their fully-evolved forms often inform which ones players choose. As a result, many fake leaks act as wish fulfillment for eager players to see their favorite starter get even better.
Before the release ofPokemon Sun & Moon, there were many theories about the directions the games' starters would take. Popplio was assumed to evolve into a clown-like final evolution, whileLitten’s evolutions appeared more panther-like. Most leaks were on the money concerning Decidueye’s Robinhood-esque design.
4A Convincing Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Leak
Oftentimes, leaks and rumors for newPokemongames were believable solely based on the 2D artwork.It was rare that an unconfirmed leak would include footage. However, the bar was raised prior to the release ofPokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moonwhen fake leaked footage circulated around 4chan, reddit, and Twitter.
This leak displayed the battle animation for a Pokemon that was apparently Bug/Dragon-type. Its design was believable for a newPokemongame, featuring a long jaw-like mouth and tiny, bumblebee-like wings. However, this eventually turned out to be an impressive fake that fooled many excitedPokemonfans.
3Generation 8 Starter Concept Art
There were many theories about what the eighth generation of Pokemon games would do for their starter Pokemon.The trio of Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobblewouldn’t be revealed untilPokemon Sword & Shield’s reveal trailer. However, fake concept art prior to that trailer’s release had different options.
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In this quite convincing concept art, the supposed starter trio were not far off from the real ones. It featured a much different-looking Grass-type monkey, but a pretty similar interpretation of a Fire-type rabbit. However, the Water-type starter was a cute platypus, which may have been a cooler addition than Sobble (Sorry, Sobble).
2Generation 8 Pokedex Leak
Pokejungle to this day has remained a top source for upcomingPokemongame rumors and leaks. However, they’re not often correct, despite being pretty entertaining for fans who hunger for new information. In May 2019, a deconfirmed leak included the names and types of all the upcoming new Pokemon.
Though there isn’t much to go off of other than the Pokemon’s names,they do inspire some pretty interesting ideas for new creatures. For instance, the Rock/Fire-type TNTiny conjures an image of a cute, explosive Pokemon. It also alleged that Dunsparce would get a much-deserved Normal/Fairy-type evolution called Dunsprite.
1Generation 9 Pokedex Leak
Little info has been revealed aboutPokemon Scarlet & Violetsince its initial release trailer. However, that hasn’t stopped leaks from sprouting up anyway. One Pokedex leak similar to the last entry dropped not far after the first trailer, though fans quickly spotted its falsehood and had a good laugh over the easily debunked hoax.
This leak, which circulated on Twitter, included obviously fake Pokedex entries including Faekleek (Grass/Fairy) and Eeeveee (Normal/Normal). However,it had enough reasonable ideas to get fans excitedfor a moment. Some of those included a Fighting-type Tauros variant and a Water-Dragon-type named “Lobbarage.”
Pokemon ScarletandPokemon Violetrelease in late 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.
More:Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Pokemon Who Must Return In The New Games
