A Pokémon design concept from 20 years ago may have been abandoned.

A recently uncovered documentary about the development of 2007’s Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl has surfaced, offering a goldmine of insights for dedicated fans. This footage provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Game Freak conceptualizes starter Pokémon, showcases early designs for some beloved characters, and reveals fascinating details that connect to contemporary Pokémon titles. Notably, some ideas conceived two decades ago by the developers only found their way into the game world with the release of Pokémon Pokopia, and they may resurface in the upcoming Pokémon WindsandWaves next year.

Around the 18-minute mark of the documentary analysis, Pokémon archivist Lewtwo draws attention to a segment that encapsulates the extensive effort behind this discovery. While reviewing the footage, Lewtwo spotted stacks of papers in the background filled with various Pokémon designs. Although these designs weren’t the main focus, they were intriguing enough to warrant further investigation. The footage is low resolution at just 480p, prompting the archivists to spend hours enhancing the contrast to decipher the faint outlines of these designs, a process Lewtwo described as “absolute hell.”

Among the highlights is an early design for Gastrodon, the sea slug Pokémon that varies by region. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, players encounter a brown version from the West Sea and a green variant from the East Sea. The initial concept was developed by game director Junichi Masuda during the creation of Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, but it didn’t materialize until five years later with Shellos, which evolves into Gastrodon.

Interestingly, the documentary reveals a previously unseen design for a yellow Gastrodon, diverging from the brown and green versions. This detail gains significance as the writers of Pokémon Pokopia have woven this scrapped idea into the game’s lore, mentioning that researchers in the Pokopia universe are on the hunt for a yellow Shellos. It appears that this small piece of lore has its roots deep within Game Freak’s archives.

“It is such a mind-bendingly unbelievable full-circle moment for one of Sinnoh’s fan-favorite designs,” Lewtwo remarks.

While Shellos doesn’t appear in Pokopia, there are whispers that Pokémon WindsandWaves will introduce 300 new creatures, many of which are expected to be regional variants, aligning perfectly with the theme of Shellos. Additionally, it’s known that the upcoming Switch 2 Pokémon games will feature 3D ocean exploration, where sea slugs are prevalent in real life.

Who knows? A quirky idea conceived 20 years ago might finally come to fruition in Pokémon WindsandWaves.

Pokémon WindsandWaves are set to launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2027, and this new monster type could influence weather patterns, legendary Pokémon, and more.