Pokémon Winds & Waves Starter Evolutions Leave Gamers Baffled

Published Sep 5, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there. Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers. Despite Pokémon Winds and Waves being set to launch in just a few months, official information surrounding the next mainline Pokémon entry remains scarce. Whilst we know that it will kick off the start of Gen 10, and that it will be set in a tropical archipelago region inspired by Southeast Asia and, as such, players will be able to navigate a series of underwater areas. We also know what the game's Starter Pokémon will be: the Grass-type Browt, the Fire-type Pombon, and the Water-type Gecqua, who will reportedly launch alongside over 300+ brand-new 'mons, although this latter information has not been officially confirmed at the time of writing. However, one thing we do not know is what type of Pokémon the Starter 'mons will potentially evolve into. However, according to a brand-new, albeit bizarre leak, we may now have a slight idea. Courtesy of Light over on Twitter/X, an image has been reuploaded showing the potential evolutions of Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua. However, whilst you may expect these to be official art, you would be wrong, as the leaker has posted mock-up images in a riddle-like format. "WINDS & WAVES STARTER EVOLUTIONS RIDDLE?" The post reads. "The same person who previously posted the Beta Bag UI has now uploaded this image. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but it’s definitely interesting enough to speculate about what the Gen 10 starters could evolve into. What are your theories?" Put simply, the images are hard to decrypt, as one even includes the use of McDonald's fries, but you are more than welcome to try and work them out yourself. However, that has not stopped fellow Pokémon fans from putting their thinking caps on and taking to the comments with their thoughts. "I'm sure that the third form doesn't refer to the final stage of the Pokémon, but rather to some gimmick," one user guessed. "I believe we'll have an ostrich where the "sprouts" will have sprouted and a super badass wizard lizard, and a wolf(?) with fiery hair maybe?" Another said, "We were all so concerned with Pombom's final evolution standing on four legs, that we didn't even consider the possibility of it having no legs at all." "Gecqua seems the most clear to me," another user guessed. "She becomes a spirit medium. She's the eyes and mouth for the dead. The three-ringed thing at the top is a bubble blower, a planchette, AND a mask all in one." Put simply, all of this remains purely speculation and the post itself may just be a complete guess, but with little to no information surrounding Pokémon Winds and Waves, we will take anything we can get. Released 2027 Developer(s) Game Freak Publisher(s) The Pokemon Company, Nintendo Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer Prequel(s) Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Franchise Pokemon Number of Players Single-player