Pokémon Winds and Waves Revealed, Gen 10 Starter Debates Are Live

 

# Pokémon Winds and Waves Revealed, Gen 10 Starter Debates Are Live

**Published: February 28, 2026**

You know that feeling when you've been waiting for something for years, and when it finally happens, the internet just… explodes?

That's exactly what happened yesterday.

The Pokémon Company celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Pokémon Presents livestream that finally—finally—unveiled the next generation of mainline games. **Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves** are coming in 2027, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 .

And with them come three new starters that have already split the fanbase right down the middle.

Meet Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua—the Bean Chick, the Puppy, and the Water Gecko. The debates are already raging. Which one is the cutest? Which one will have the best evolutions? Which one are YOU picking on day one?

Let me walk you through everything we know about Gen 10, the new starters, and why the internet is already losing its collective mind over a tiny gecko.

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## The Short Version: What You Need to Know

**The games:** Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, the 10th generation of mainline Pokémon games, were officially announced during the Pokémon Day 2026 Pokémon Presents livestream on February 27 .

**The release window:** Sometime in 2027, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 .

**The setting:** A tropical region of "windswept islands and a vast, glittering ocean" inspired by Southeast Asian archipelagos .

**The new starters:**

- **Browt** (Grass) – The Bean Chick Pokémon. Lively but a bit clumsy.

- **Pombon** (Fire) – The Puppy Pokémon. Guileless and friendly.

- **Gecqua** (Water) – The Water Gecko Pokémon. Highly intelligent and a bit dramatic.

**The early favorite:** Gecqua is currently running away with the popularity contest, but the debates are just getting started .

**What else we got:** Pokémon Champions (April 2026), Pokémon Pokopia (March 5, 2026), and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness coming to Switch 2 via NSO .

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## The 30th Anniversary Celebration: A Quick Recap

Before we dive into the Gen 10 news, it's worth stepping back and appreciating the moment.

Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on February 27, 1996. Thirty years later, the franchise has become the highest-grossing media franchise in the world, spanning games, trading cards, anime, movies, and more .

The Pokémon Day 2026 presentation was packed with announcements :

- **Pokémon Champions** – A competitive-focused battle game coming to Switch in April 2026, with mobile version later .

- **Pokémon Pokopia** – A "cozy" life-sim spin-off launching March 5, 2026 on Switch 2 .

- **Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness** – The GameCube classic hits Switch 2 via NSO in March .

- **Mega Garchomp Z** – A new Mega Evolution revealed for Pokémon Legends: Z-A .

- **Pokémon TCG** – A celebratory expansion with global simultaneous launch coming in 2026 .

But let's be honest: the main event was always going to be Gen 10.

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## Pokémon Winds and Waves: The Setting

The new games take place in a region that looks absolutely stunning. Early leaks from last year's Game Freak "teraleak" had suggested a Southeast Asian-inspired setting, and those leaks have now been confirmed .

**The official description from The Pokémon Company:** "Beautiful windswept islands and a vast ocean with glittering waves" .

The reveal trailer showed off sandy beaches, lava-filled caverns, lush tropical jungles, and what looks like an absolutely massive open world to explore . And because these are Switch 2 exclusives, the visual leap is real. This is the best-looking Pokémon game we've ever seen .

**Version differences:** Your character's outfit will change depending on which version you play—Winds or Waves—adding a small but meaningful touch of uniqueness .

**The Pikachu variants:** The trailer also teased two special Pikachu sporting tropical vacation looks. They're called **Mr. Windychu** and **Ms. Wavychu**, and they'll apparently play an important role in the player's adventure .

**Language support:** For the first time, the games will officially support Brazilian Portuguese as a selectable language .

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## The Starters: Meet the Trio

Now for what you actually came here for.

**Table 1: Pokémon Gen 10 Starters – Official Stats**

| **Pokémon** | **Type** | **Category** | **Height** | **Weight** | **Ability** | **Description** |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| **Browt** | Grass | Bean Chick Pokémon | 1′ (0.3 m) | 7.7 lbs (3.5 kg) | Overgrow | This Pokémon runs about energetically while photosynthesising using the leaves on its brow. It's lively, but it can also be a bit clumsy . |

| **Pombon** | Fire | Puppy Pokémon | 1′4″ (0.4 m) | 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg) | Blaze | The area below its throat glows faintly from the heat-generating organ within its lungs. This Pokémon is guileless and friendly . |

| **Gecqua** | Water | Water Gecko Pokémon | 1′ (0.3 m) | 9.5 lbs (4.3 kg) | Torrent | This Pokémon launches springy balls of water from its tail. Gecqua is very intelligent and maneuvers shrewdly while putting on airs . |

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## The Early Favorite: Why Gecqua Is Winning

If you've been on social media at all in the past 24 hours, you've seen it: the Gecqua hype train is already at full speed.

**Olivia Richman at The Escapist** put it bluntly: "the only thing I cared about was Gecqua" . She's not alone.

**Why Gecqua?** Several reasons:

1. **The design.** It's a tiny gecko with big, expressive eyes and what can only be described as "attitude." The official description says it "maneuvers shrewdly while putting on airs"—basically, it's a drama queen in lizard form. Fans love that.

2. **The "slay" factor.** Back in January, a leaker described the Water starter as the one that "absolutely serves and slays" . That description went viral, and now that we've actually seen Gecqua, it fits perfectly.

3. **The evolution potential.** Early leaks describing the final evolutions suggested that Gecqua's evolution is the "total standout" of the trio . While we haven't seen the evolutions yet, that leak has given Gecqua an early edge.

4. **The history of Water starters.** Water-type starters have a strong track record. Mudkip, Totodile, Froakie—some of the most beloved starters of all time are Water types. Gecqua is already being mentioned in the same breath.

**The Eurogamer team** has already picked sides, with one writer declaring Pombon their personal favorite . But in the comments and on social media, Gecqua is running away with it.

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## The Case for Pombon: The Fire Puppy

Don't count Pombon out just yet.

Fire-type starters have historically been the most popular. Charizard. Typhlosion. Infernape. Cinderace. The pattern is clear: people love their fire types.

**Pombon's advantages:**

- **It's a puppy.** Literally. The "Puppy Pokémon" category and the description "guileless and friendly" are basically designed to tug at heartstrings . This is the starter for everyone who's ever wished they could have a Growlithe from the beginning.

- **The glow effect.** The description mentions its throat glowing faintly from the heat-generating organ in its lungs. That's a visual detail that could look amazing in-game and in battle animations.

- **The cute factor.** The leaker who described the starters back in January called the Fire-type "extremely cute" and predicted it would be a "fan favorite" . So far, that prediction is holding up.

- **The dog lover demographic.** Let's be real—there's a huge segment of the Pokémon fanbase that picks starters based on "which one would make the best pet." Pombon is the clear winner there.

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## The Case for Browt: The Underdog

Poor Browt. The Grass-type starter always has the hardest road.

Grass types have historically been the least popular starter choice. They have more type disadvantages early game, and their designs often get labeled as "underwhelming" compared to their flashier Fire and Water counterparts.

**Browt's situation:**

The leaker from January described the Grass starter as "kinda goofy or underwhelming at first, but it grows on you" . And honestly? That's exactly the reaction Browt is getting.

It's a tiny green bird with what looks like a permanent scowl and leaves growing out of its forehead. It's not conventionally cute like Pombon or stylish like Gecqua. But there's something endearing about it.

**The "derpy" charm:** The same leaker used the word "derpy" to describe it . And in the Pokémon fandom, "derpy" can be a compliment. Some of the most beloved Pokémon of all time—Wooper, Psyduck, Slowpoke—owe their popularity to being a little goofy.

**The redemption arc:** If the evolution leaks are accurate, Browt's final form will be the one that "grows on you" . That suggests a Magikarp-style journey from underwhelming to awesome. And players love that narrative.

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## The Evolution Leaks: What We (Might) Know

Here's where we have to put on our skeptical hats.

Back in January, a leaker described the Gen 10 starter evolutions based on what they claimed to have seen :

- **Grass:** Kinda goofy or underwhelming at first, but it grows on you (also described as derpy).

- **Fire:** Extremely cute, has all the makings of a fan favorite.

- **Water:** Absolutely serves and slays, total standout.

Given that the leaker's descriptions of the base forms were spot-on (they called Browt "derpy," Pombon "extremely cute," and Gecqua the one that "serves"), there's reason to believe the evolution descriptions might be accurate too .

But we should still take this with a grain of salt. As **VICE** noted, even if the leak is real, it's one person's opinion of the designs . "Serves and slays" is subjective.

**What we don't know:** The actual typing of the final evolutions. Will they stay pure Grass/Fire/Water, or will they gain secondary types? Will any of them end up on two legs (the eternal fear of starter fans)? We'll have to wait for more info.

---

## The Fan Reaction: Social Media Melts Down

As you'd expect, the Pokémon fanbase has Opinions.

**The Gecqua stans** are already claiming victory. "Gecqua is literally perfect and I would die for them" is a sentiment you'll see repeated across Twitter, Reddit, and Discord. The "serves and slays" meme is already in full effect.

**The Pombon defenders** are fighting back. "Pombon is the goodest boy and anyone who picks Gecqua is just being trendy" is the general vibe.

**The Browt fans** are quieter, but they're there. There's a certain pride in picking the underdog. "Browt will have the best evolution, just wait" is the rallying cry.

**The "wait for evolutions" crowd** is playing it smart. They remember the Sobble line—cute little crying lizard that evolved into an absolute assassin. They remember the Fuecoco line—goofy croc that became a Day of the Dead skeleton. They're not committing until they see the full picture.

**The competitive players** are already theorycrafting. What abilities will they have? What moves? What stats? The debates will only intensify as we get closer to 2027.

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## What Else We Learned About Gen 10

Beyond the starters, the Pokémon Day presentation gave us some additional details about Winds and Waves.

### The Region

The new region is officially unnamed (at least for now), but it's clearly inspired by Southeast Asian archipelagos . The trailer showed:

- Sandy beaches and tropical waters

- Lush jungles with ancient ruins

- Volcanic areas with lava flows

- Wind-swept islands connected by waterways

The emphasis on "winds and waves" suggests that weather and water exploration will play a major role .

### The Open World

Like Scarlet and Violet before them, Winds and Waves will feature a vast open world to explore . But with the power of the Switch 2, it should run significantly better than its predecessor.

### The Pikachu Variants

Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu are officially a thing. They're Pikachu dressed in tropical vacation outfits—think leis, floral prints, maybe some sunglasses. According to the trailer, they'll play an "important role" in the adventure .

What that role is remains a mystery. Are they gift Pokémon? Ride Pokémon? Something else entirely?

### The Timeline

The games are launching in 2027. That's a long wait—the longest gap between generations since the transition from Gen 2 to Gen 3 . But given the visual leap and the Switch 2 exclusivity, it's probably worth it.

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## The Other Big Announcements

While Gen 10 was the headline, there was plenty more to get excited about.

### Pokémon Champions (April 2026)

A new competitive-focused battle game coming to Switch in April, with a mobile version later . It will connect to Pokémon HOME, allowing you to bring your Pokémon from other games to battle . This could be huge for the competitive scene.

### Pokémon Pokopia (March 5, 2026)

A "cozy" life-sim spin-off where you build a town for Pokémon . Think Animal Crossing meets Pokémon. It supports up to four players and launches on Switch 2 next week .

### Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (March 2026)

The GameCube classic is coming to Switch 2 via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack . A generation of players who missed it the first time can finally experience this cult favorite.

### Mega Garchomp Z

A new Mega Evolution revealed for the Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC . Players can encounter it through a special Mystery Gift event starting today .

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## What This Means for Different People

### If You're a Longtime Fan

You've been waiting for this. Four years since Gen 9, and we finally have a new generation to look forward to. The 30th anniversary celebration is real, and the future of Pokémon looks brighter than ever.

### If You're a Starter Debater

The next year is going to be glorious. Between now and 2027, we'll get more info, more trailers, and eventually the first look at evolutions. The debates will rage on. Pick your side and defend it to the death.

### If You're a Competitive Player

Pokémon Champions coming in April gives you something to do while waiting for Gen 10. And when Winds and Waves finally arrive, you'll have a whole new meta to figure out.

### If You're Just Excited for New Pokémon

That's the beauty of this moment. Three new friends to meet. A new world to explore. New adventures waiting. It's what Pokémon has always been about.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: When will Pokémon Winds and Waves be released?**

A: Sometime in 2027. No specific date has been announced yet .

**Q: What console will they be on?**

A: Exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 .

**Q: What are the new starters?**

A: Browt (Grass-type Bean Chick), Pombon (Fire-type Puppy), and Gecqua (Water-type Water Gecko) .

**Q: Which starter is the most popular right now?**

A: Based on early fan reaction, Gecqua (the Water gecko) is currently the favorite. But the debates are just getting started .

**Q: Do we know what their evolutions look like?**

A: Not officially. There are leaks from January describing the evolutions, but nothing has been confirmed .

**Q: What's the setting of the new games?**

A: A tropical region inspired by Southeast Asian archipelagos, with "windswept islands and a vast, glittering ocean" .

**Q: What about the Pikachu variants?**

A: Mr. Windychu and Ms. Wavychu are special Pikachu in tropical vacation outfits. They'll apparently play an important role in the adventure .

**Q: Will there be a new battle gimmick?**

A: Nothing has been announced yet. The "teraleak" from 2024 mentioned something called "Majin" tied to weather effects, but that hasn't been confirmed .

**Q: Can I transfer my old Pokémon to these games?**

A: Almost certainly, through Pokémon HOME. That's been standard for several generations now.

**Q: What else was announced during Pokémon Day?**

A: Pokémon Champions (April 2026), Pokémon Pokopia (March 5, 2026), Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness coming to Switch 2 via NSO, Mega Garchomp Z for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and more .

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## The Bottom Line

Here's what I keep coming back to.

After four long years, we finally have a new generation to look forward to. The 10th generation of Pokémon is real, and it's coming in 2027 on the Switch 2. The tropical setting looks gorgeous. The visual leap is significant. And the three new starters have already given us something to argue about for the next year.

**The debates are just beginning.** Browt, Pombon, or Gecqua? Which one will you choose? Which one will have the best evolution? Which one will end up competitively viable? These questions will fuel countless forum threads, YouTube videos, and Twitter arguments between now and launch.

**Gecqua has the early lead.** The "serves and slays" leak, combined with a genuinely great design, has made the Water gecko the early fan favorite . But Pombon's puppy energy and Browt's underdog charm mean this race is far from over.

**The wait is long, but worth it.** 2027 feels like forever from now. But with Pokémon Champions coming in April and Pokopia in March, we have plenty to keep us busy in the meantime.

For now, though, let's enjoy this moment. The 30th anniversary of Pokémon. The reveal of Gen 10. The first glimpse of three new friends we'll spend years getting to know.

The debates are live. Pick your side. And may the best starter win.

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*Got thoughts on the new starters? Team Gecqua, Team Pombon, or Team Browt? Drop a comment and let me know.*