New Pokémon Winds and Waves Leak Teases a Legendary Monster Twist

Published Oct 5, 2026, 1:16 PM EDT

Patricia is the former editor-in-chief of Kotaku, where she spent a decade writing and editing. Prior to that, she served as the Culture Editor at Polygon, and as a reporter at The Verge. Hernandez specializes in Pokémon TCG, Nintendo, and offbeat internet culture stories.

The details hail from a 2024 information trove that leaked after Pokémon developers Game Freak suffered a massive data breach. The incident, also known as the Terraleak, contained countless documents and media purporting to show a decade's worth of unreleased Pokémon games. The leak also gave an inside look at the behind-the-scenes workings of already released Pokémon games, like the apparent budgets for older titles.

Pokémon Winds and Waves — or an early version of them — have featured heavily in the leaks. The most recent tidbit comes from Pokémon insider Centro Leaks, who has shared what they claim are dialogue text files from the start of the game. This dialogue states that Pokémon Winds and Waves' region is composed of 100 islands, and that much of this landscape has "untouched wilderness." The dialogue asserts that players will begin their adventure at the center of the entire world. Given Winds and Waves' tropical theme, this idea seems plausible: regions around the equator are known for their diverse flora and fauna.

The text also mentions something called "Majinization," and invites players to go on a Majinize Tour to see "uncharted experiences no one has ever known." Players will reportedly have to collect a Majin Band before taking on the region's first gym.

Image: The Pokemon Company

Centro says that players will meet the new legendary right at the start of the game, and that this monster somehow connects to the Majin mechanic. The legendary's name, Konetsu, alongside its internal codename, suggests that it is a child of heat.

Pokémon Winds and Waves leaks tease legendaries

The dialogue includes someone asking about the game's legendary, and the response — "Poyaa!" — sounds like the creature was enthusiastically responding to the question. In Japanese, "poyo" is used as onomatopoeia for something cute and round. As such, fans are speculating that the player may meet or receive the legendary monster in a baby-like form at the start of the game. This speculation is further reinforced by earlier rumors that Winds and Waves will introduce Seed Pokémon that evolve based on how the trainer raises them. A legendary would be a perfect fit for a dynamic evolution mechanic, and would allow starters to keep their signature static evolution lines.

With all this said, it's worth remembering that these leaks are based on years-old information that may have been out of date when it originally released. Pokémon Winds and Waves will enjoy the longest development timeline of any mainline Pokémon ever made, allowing time for reworked ideas and extra polish. The intro text might not reflect gameplay ideas one-to-one. For example, the dialogue mentions 100 islands — but that doesn't necessarily mean the player will be able to visit that many areas.

Still, previous leaks make it sound like Winds and Waves will be a massive game. The game's inaugural trailer was reportedly recorded entirely on the starting island, leakers say. There's also some hope that rumors of procedurally generated islands will prove true. If so, that could easily be a way to offer dozens of playable areas without the game succumbing to open-world bloat.

Whatever the case, fans hope Game Freak will settle all the rumors with some official information sometime soon.