The first major riddle for Pokemon Winds and Waves may finally be here, and it could be teasing several new Pokemon coming in Generation 10.
As always with Pokemon Winds & Waves leaks and riddles, this should be taken with a grain of salt. There is always a chance that this is completely fake.
That said, this riddle has started spreading quickly, and several people in the Pokemon community believe it may be connected to legitimate information.
Based on the image and the theories surrounding it, there could be as many as nine new Pokemon being hinted at. Some appear to be early-game Pokemon, while others may be tied to the pseudo-legendary line or even additional legendary Pokemon outside of the box art pair.
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Pokemon leaks have used riddles and image clues for years, and this latest one seems to follow that same format. Instead of directly showing new Pokemon, the riddle appears to use real-world animals, characters and visual hints to tease what may be coming in Pokemon Winds and Waves.
Since the region is believed to be inspired by Southeast Asia, many of the animals shown in the riddle fit the rumored setting well. That includes a maleo bird, a black-and-white ruffed lemur, a Komodo dragon, an echidna, a Malayan tapir and a hornbill.
Here is a breakdown of what each clue could mean.
The riddle image was shared on Reddit here.
Pokemon Winds and Waves Riddle Teases 9 New Pokemon?
One of the first animals shown appears to be a maleo bird. This immediately stands out as a possible early route bird Pokemon.
Every Pokemon generation tends to introduce a regional bird line early in the game. Pokemon like Pidgey, Starly, Fletchling, Rookidee and Pikipek have filled that role in the past.
If this riddle is real, the maleo bird could be the Pokemon Winds and Waves version of that classic early-game bird.
The pirate imagery next to the bird is especially interesting. It could suggest that the Pokemon has a pirate-inspired design, possibly with a pirate hat, a peg-leg-style detail or an evolution that becomes more obviously pirate-themed.
Typing-wise, Normal and Flying would be the obvious guess. However, because this is a region that may feature islands, coastlines and tropical environments, Water and Flying could also make sense.
That would put it closer to something like Wingull from Generation 3.
The black-and-white ruffed lemur is another interesting clue. This could be the region’s early route mammal or “regional rodent” style Pokemon, similar to Rattata, Sentret, Patrat, Yungoos, Skwovet or Lechonk.
The snowy mountain imagery and fighting pose make this one harder to predict. It could point toward a Fighting type, an Ice type or possibly both.
An early-game Ice and Fighting type would be a very exciting direction. That typing has been used before with Crabominable, but giving it to a faster, more accessible early route Pokemon would immediately make it stand out.
Normal and Fighting is another possibility if Game Freak wanted to keep it closer to a traditional early route mammal while still giving it a more aggressive identity.
Ground and Fighting could also make sense if the mountain clue is more about terrain than snow.
The biggest clue in the riddle may be the Komodo dragon. There have already been rumors that Pokemon Winds and Waves could feature a Komodo dragon pseudo-legendary, and this riddle seems to support that idea.
The possible evolution line appears to start as a smaller Komodo dragon, grow into a larger reptile and eventually become a more fantasy-inspired dragon with wings, fire-breathing features and a much stronger final design.
Poison and Dragon feels like the most likely typing. That combination already exists with Dragalge, but a Komodo dragon pseudo-legendary would likely play very differently.
Dragalge is more of a special attacking and special defensive Pokemon. A Komodo dragon pseudo-legendary could lean more toward physical attack, physical bulk and raw power.
One of the most exciting parts of this theory is that the final evolution may stay on all fours. Many fans have become tired of Pokemon that start as quadrupeds and eventually become bipedal.
If this pseudo-legendary remains a massive, grounded Komodo dragon, it could feel very different from several previous pseudo-legendary designs.
Another clue appears to show an echidna, which is sometimes described as a spiny anteater. The riddle also seems to reference Ana from Overwatch, which may be a hint toward the Pokemon’s role or ability.
Ana is known for using a sniper rifle and for being able to both damage enemies and heal allies. If that reference is intentional, this Pokemon could have the Sniper ability or a long-range attacking theme built around its snout.
There is also an interesting support possibility here. This Pokemon could have a move that damages opponents but heals allies, similar in concept to Pollen Puff.
A poison-based version of that idea would be very cool, especially if it could poison enemies while restoring health to teammates.
Poison typing feels like a strong possibility, especially given the Southeast Asia inspiration and the number of venomous or poisonous animals that could influence the region.
Water or Ground could also work depending on how the final design handles the echidna inspiration.
For players who enjoy the competitive side of Pokemon, this is also the type of theory that could matter later for Pokemon Champions guides, builds and tier lists or team planning with the Pokemon Team Builder.
The Malayan tapir clue is another one that fits the region very well. The image appears to place the tapir near a Buddhist statue, which could suggest a sacred, calm or spiritual theme.
That immediately makes Psychic typing feel possible. A tapir Pokemon with a meditative or monk-like design could work well as a Psychic type, a Ground type or even a Ground and Psychic type.
The only concern is that Pokemon already has Drowzee and Hypno, which are also based on tapirs and have Psychic typing.
If Pokemon Winds and Waves introduces another Psychic tapir, it would need to have a very different design, role or secondary type to avoid feeling too similar.
Ground and Psychic may be the best way to make it stand apart. That would give the Pokemon a stronger regional identity while still fitting the spiritual clue from the riddle.
One of the more mysterious clues appears to point toward a rabbit connected to the moon. There have also been rumors that a new anime character, possibly named Navi, could receive or be connected to a new Generation 10 Pokemon.
If this clue is real, the rabbit could be a new legendary Pokemon. A moon rabbit theme would make Fairy typing a strong possibility, especially because of moves like Moonblast and the general connection between the moon and Fairy-type Pokemon.
There is also a chance that this could be connected to a larger celestial theme. Some fans have wanted a new Pokemon type for years, and Generation 10 would be a major moment to introduce one.
That said, there is no clear proof that a new type is coming, so Fairy remains the safer guess for now.
The key will be making sure the design does not feel too close to Lopunny or other existing rabbit Pokemon. If this is a legendary, it should have a much more distinct identity.
The final major animal clue appears to be a hornbill. Some fans initially compared it to Toucannon, but the large bill and horn-like structure point more clearly toward a hornbill.
If the moon rabbit theory is correct, the hornbill could serve as a sun-themed counterpart. That could make Fire typing possible, especially if the hornbill has a fiery beak or solar design.
However, this is where the theory gets tricky. Pokemon already explored major sun and moon legendary themes with Solgaleo and Lunala in Generation 7.
If Pokemon Winds and Waves uses another sun and moon pairing, it would need to approach the idea differently.
Instead of making these Pokemon direct sun and moon legendaries, they may simply draw power from those celestial bodies or be tied to regional mythology in a less obvious way.
There are also several alternative theories circulating around this riddle.
One theory suggests that the pirate and bird could be two separate Pokemon that work together, similar to Dondozo and Tatsugiri.
In that case, one Pokemon could ride or command the other in battle.
Another theory is that the moon rabbit and hornbill are not legendary Pokemon at all. Instead, they may simply be important regional Pokemon, anime-related Pokemon or split evolutions.
The hornbill could even be a Fire-type relative of Toucannon.
The echidna theory still seems to point toward a sniper-style Pokemon with a long snout, while the tapir may be treated as a sacred animal.
The lemur could be more of a boxer-style Fighting type, and the Komodo dragon could potentially be used by a Poison-type gym leader if previous gym leader rumors are also accurate.
Another comparison some fans may make for a Ground and Fighting typing is Great Tusk, which remains one of the more notable Pokemon with that type combination.
If every clue represents a different Pokemon or evolution line, this riddle may be teasing around nine Pokemon total.
The most likely breakdown would be:
That would be a major early look at the Generation 10 Pokedex, especially if the box legendaries and previously rumored Pokemon are also included in future reveals.
For a larger running list, check out Every Pokemon in Pokemon Winds and Waves.
For now, there is no way to know for sure. This could be a legitimate early riddle, or it could be completely fake.
Still, the animal choices make sense for a Southeast Asia-inspired region, and several of the theories line up with previous rumors.
The Komodo dragon pseudo legendary, in particular, feels like something that would make a lot of sense for this game.
With Pokemon Winds and Waves still likely more than a year away, official information may still be limited for a while.
However, if a trailer arrives later this year, early route Pokemon, the box legendaries, the Pokemon Winds and Waves starters or a few major new Pokemon would be logical reveals.
Until then, this first riddle gives fans plenty to speculate about. Whether it ends up being real or fake, the idea of a Komodo dragon pseudo legendary, a pirate bird, a moon rabbit legendary and a sniper-style echidna is already getting the Pokemon community talking.
Read More: Every Pokemon in Pokemon Winds and Waves
More Pokemon: Explore the full National Pokedex
More Guides: Pokemon guides, news, leaks and more
Pokemon Pokopia: Pokemon Pokopia guides
Pokemon Champions: Pokemon Champions guides, builds and tier lists
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