The Pokémon Firm has launched a brand new piece of official paintings for Pokémon Winds & Waves, the 2027 Nintendo Change 2 recreation tied to Pokémon’s Thirtieth anniversary. It offers followers one other have a look at the Generation 10 starters: Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua.
The anniversary image, illustrated by sowsow for a collaboration with the NHK Symphony Orchestra’s 100th anniversary, places the Grass-, Fire-, and Water-type trio alongside every past starter, starting with Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The reaction was immediate. Some fans are already locking in favorites, while others think the new designs play it a little too safe.
That’s led straight into the usual starter discourse: final evolutions, possible secondary typings, and whether the game’s setting might push these three further. There’s still chatter about a tropical archipelago region inspired by Southeast Asia, along with rumored open-world ocean travel, though The Pokémon Company still hasn’t confirmed any of that. If those rumors are real, the trio could end up feeling a lot more island-coded.
Pombon, at least for now, seems to be the early favorite.
Anyone who keeps up with Pokémon will probably want to see this Winds & Waves reveal for themselves, especially because first impressions on starters don’t always hold. People doubt them early, then the animations show up, evolutions get revealed, and suddenly the whole conversation changes once the creatures are actually moving around in-game.
Pokémon Winds & Waves is scheduled for a worldwide release in 2027, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2.
