Rumour: The Starter Evolutions For Pokémon Sword And Shield Might Have Been Leaked

Wow, I’ve never seen such ugly final evolutions. Hopefully Scorbunny final evolution doesn’t perfect the triforce of ugliness.

EDIT: Scorbunny’s final evolution looks like those really bad Pokémon OC fan arts... looks like the budget for Pokémon design team have also been cut judging by these designs.

So it seems that NL hates toby fox's involvment in this game. Why? Why hate on this dude at all? I saw so many comments dismissing his game as a "shitty game maker thing". Have you even played his games or listened to his music? You dont need to like undertale, but Im mad at seeing people hate on the dude for DURR SANS IS A MEME UNDERTALE IS FOR KIDS CUZ BAD FANDOM DURR

I never understood the point of these articles. You're an outlet that actually has the game! Your reviewer can easily tell you what is true and what isn't. So, essentially you're deliberately running an article for views, filled with conjecture. I'm not saying confirm what's real and what isn't, but why belittle yourselves with mistruths and misdirection. You're better than that.

@PBandSmelly I didn't know or notice this, but even if people don't like Undertale, you'd think they could appreciate the music...it's great!

This has to be fake. Not even the final evolution of the fire starter from Black/White looked this bad. I won't believe this, though I won't be able to buy it until 2020 due having my eye on other games.

I’m less concerned with the designs and more interested in the typings...

I hate them all except final grooky. He cool

"I heard a rumour

They said those are the evo form."

Bananarama

@PBandSmelly Undertale was a great game, it was the community that makes it painful to deal with.

I really hope thats not Sobbles final form.
It looks terrible.

@iLikeUrAttitude
I find it more funny than anything. The second I saw it I had a fit of laughter, like I was caught off guard for a jump scare. Its bad, but oh so worth the reaction

Sobble's final form looks like a lounge lizard.

Looking at Grookey's supposed final evo, it doesn't look bad imo.

@theinstruct0r this is a news outlet, and possible leaked photos of Pokémon on reddit is news, so naturally they have an article about this news

I dont care, im going to feed my anorexic boy with a lot of curry.

If those Sobble and Grooky final evos are real, then Scorbunny better come with something🔥🔥🔥. I think they both look really cool and have me second guessing my decision to pick Scorbunny.

And that possible Galarian Meowth is something wild and wacky, lol

@Venus_Adept Now that you mention it, it would be cool if future games include a feature to change the weight of the pokemon, based on which food we give them.

@Snow-Dust The Triforce of Ugliness! 😆

Sobble’s final form looks cool. At least is different from all this buffed up starters final forms. (Example Grookey)
Let’s see scorbunny so I can make my choice.

Grookey's final evolution I think looks pretty dope. Not a fan of Sobble's, though. Good thing I was team Grookey from the start. Hopefully Scorebunny's is good too.

The fox is Zorro if he actually was a fox. He just needs his little sword and hat.

Game Freak and Creatures Inc really knocked it out of the park with the base starters, and I would argue Scorbunny, Grookey, and Sobble are the best set to come since Gen 3.

These final evolutions though just feel weird. Grookey’s final is admittedly not that bad, but Sobble’s took an absolute 180. I’m fine with them going for this “secret agent” sort of vibe to Sobble, but I wish there was at least a little more going on in the design. Scorbunny’s final evolution leaked elsewhere, and in my opinion, it’s by far the most uninspired, although the only image out there for it right now is very blurry.

If these are real, no wonder they kept the evolutions a secret thus far. Yikes. I hope these are fake.

In my opinion, worst starters so far.

Think I've seen some Lot Lizards that looked quite similar to Sobble's final form. Yikes!

@Snow-Dust gen 2 and 3 were Pretty bad for everyone. Gen 6, chestnaught isn't great and I don't care what anyone says, Delphox is the worst design out of every starter in every gen

@Elithal I really don't know about that. The base forms are pretty good. The final evos, well 2 and 3 for me are the straight worst. All of the final form startera are godawful. Last gen had some really good final designs. Though, then again, x&y had Delphox. God, I think Delphox is ugly.

@Xansies Gen 2 was pretty bad but Typhlosion and Meganium was just simple, not... this. I thought people liked Blaziken, I remember seeing my sweet my flip turning in swampert, ewww.

Gen 6 has the superior Greninja, I just don’t like Delphox being female in appearance when 75% of the gender is male.

I am absolutely loving the Galarian Meowth and fox Pokémon. Personally not so fond of the purple one though.

@Diddy64 i mean, its a low res screen grab of the Pokedex. Grookies final form looks off, but it really isn't bad. Sobble's isn't bad, but it's kinda boring. It's better than serperior, though. That one is just a green tube. Look, I dunno. There are some really bad ones, but at the end it's subjective. I like emboar, but think Blaziken is by far the ugliest starter, period. Maybe even top 5 ugliest pokemon

@Snow-Dust I actually don't mind sobble's final, the issue with grookies for me is the SSJ 3 grass hair texture. The design isn't bad, really, I actually really like grookies final Evo, the texture is bad and that might just be the pic being super zoomed in.

I think with sobble it's just not really matching with the first form and anthropomorphized Pokemon are always a bit weird and it's weird that all 3 are probably going to be the most human like startera.

Both for me are, like, okay. These also appear to be taken from a menu or Pokedex and zoomed in. In gameplay and motion they probably look a bit different

@Xansies That is so true. Delphox is a horror. Haha.

I think it's all fake. If not I might be done with the series because so many of these designs are so uninspired and uninteresting. Especially Sobble's "final evo". That is like something you would see in Gex, not Pokemon. The Grookie final evo is a lot more believable.

@Elithal unpopular opinion but Delphox was my favorite from gen 6. I just like the type combination.

Hey! Didja hear that Sobble's evolutions are gonna be Ice for type 2?
Yeah, apparently they're a real boon to *cry*ogenics.

https://youtu.be/RAi_7HbPcjU

@Xansies yeah, there are different tastes depending on the person. So far I like Grookey's last evolution. I hope that at least Grookey's evo is real.

Grookey is alright, but please don't let that be the final evolution for Sobble! Why do they all have to be anthropomorphised now?!

Also the colour scheme for Sobble's mid-form doesn't really seem to match the other 2, so I'm not sure how real it is.

Is that purple Pokemon electric/poison? That type combo is way overdue so I sure hope so!

@Gravitron I liked Delphox too, not sure what all the hate is about. I didn't at first but it grew on me and it's a fix wizard. Who doesn't like fox wizards?

Burn them all except for Grookey's middle stage and the cobra/Sandile looking thing.

And the so-called Meowth forms look like alternate forms of the imp Pokémon that had previously been revealed.

Those final evolutions for the starters are amazing! It's the first time in for a Pokemon game that I don't know which starter I should choose...

And more important than anything else, they look much better than the Sun and Moon starters (yuck!)

By the way... I may imagine things but does that fox look like it wants to take my money!?

Grooky final form is just Donkey Kong Jungle Beats

Thank you for actually putting up the pictures. GameXplain wimped out!

These are pretty cool!

@iLikeUrAttitude I dig it. Sobble seemed super shy in the starter trailer, so it's kinda nice seeing it become more confident as it grows. Also it kinda reminds me of Gex.

@Snow-Dust my thoughts exactly, very ugly.

Oof I really hope the final evolutions dont end up as just one type thats just lame.

To be fair Nintendo should have at least revealed the starter evolutions by now anyway. You might pick Charmander because he’s cute but secretly you can’t wait until he evolves into a badass Charizard. Ditto Squirtle to Blastoise.

It’s your starter, the one with you until the end of the game. You need to make an informed choice, not get saddled with a crap 3rd stage evolution.

They're all awful. I thought the starters were pretty dull enough as they were and they evolve into moody teenagers? Ewww.

Wow, If that's what Sobble's final form is then I know who my starter will be.
Fox pokemon looks cool too.
Not long and we'll find out.

@RadioHedgeFund And nobody picks Bulbasaur 😂

Best to worst Gen starters: 1>2>4>6>5>3>7>8
They are meant to look like monsters, who cares if they have ‘inspired themes’ going on, makes them look ugly. For sobble they clearly pictured a spy and turned it into a pokemon. They should picture a pokemon and turn it into a spy. Or better yet, just picture a pokemon! ... *Delphox was a failure

Apart from Greninja I haven't like any starter since gen 2. So I'll pick one and abandon it in a box post haste!

@KayFiOS That's kind of what I thought as well. It's a complete 180 in body language to Sobble. And it kind of threw me off in a good way. I was not expecting that (if it's real). It also gives me Greninja vibes. Probably my favorite final form since Feraligatr. So that might be why I like the look (again, if it's real)

Sobble all the way! Hopefully scorbunny turns out to be a badass on the same level as incineroar, always a fan of Greninja from X too even with its weird tongue-scarf!

Looking forward to the release date, just tear me away from Luigi's mansion first!!

I like them. Especially Sobble's final form looks really interesting. They really have a unique design and it is something we haven't seen before. Not every starter final form can be another Charizard or Greninja and I'm glad that they aren't, otherwise, it would be boring and repetitive.

The other Pokémon like the red fox and the adder (and yes, for me that is an adder, although it has anaconda in its name) look also really sweet. I hope there is also a badger, an owl, a toad, and a weasel, then you can make yourself a team that is a homage of the Animals to Farthing Wood, which is a novel from Great Britain, the region Galar is based on.

Thanks, I hate it. Was team Sobble, gonna have to change to Grooky now. Goddam. Woof.

@RareFan That or Wind in The Willows😆 I'll take these evolutions as confirmed rather than rumours thanks. There have already been a few exclusive playable betas around now eg. Pokémon Centre London so at this point so close to the actually game's release date it's not so much a leak as a 'leak'🙄 NL knows this too hence happily splashing this out all over this very page =T

That Sobble is just sobbing and going on about a switch to Sure these aren’t my favorite but for me this Pokemon game is my most looked forward to in the series, simply for being able to play on the big screen. I’ve never been a handheld gamer but do love some good Pokemon gameplay. I am a little concerned with the gigantic Pokémon feature now but this game looks good in other aspects to me. I guess I’d go with grookie in this one and just maybe other starters from past games will be found in the wild, there’s always that.

Ooh that cinderace!! Cool

Sobs My baby grookey is all grown up! LONG LIVE THE GROOKEY GANG

Ahahaha. Sandaconda 🤣🤣🤣

I don't see much wrong with the designs myself considering they seem to be well in line with previous rumors and leaks. The idea of Sobble becoming a spy is actually a nice touch really

LOL Adult Sobble is literally just blue Gex.

I'm kind of digging cave-hobo Meowth, though.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I dunno, I find a fifty foot tall pile of sentient trash to be an idea that's simultaneously intriguing, disgusting, and terrifying.

@RainbowGazelle Uuuuh. Hello? Are you blind? A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN SINCE GEN 3.

Not too big on the final starter evolutions. Grookey is okay I guess but we just got 2 new monkeys last gen and it reminds me a lot of Oranguru. Scorbunny looks way too basic for a final form. Sobble is flat out hideous, nothing more to say about that one.
Doesn't matter though since I like pretty much every other new Pokemon that was shown/leaked, so I'll just replace them.

@theinstruct0r Not sure about the rules of journalism, but my guess is that, while covering leaks is fair game, leaking info themselves or confirming/denying leaks could warrant the wrath of Nintendo

@RainbowGazelle I think if it's real, it's a shiny. But that means somebody got the game and soft reset for sobble's and grookies shiny immediately

@danemord The fox do look like that. It's supposed to be an urban fox. They suck.

Well that's too bad. Guess I'll be boxing my starter this generation just like in Gen 5. Oh well.

Here we go again.

“New Pokemon are ugly!”

It’s the same as every gen.

With all due respect, the Pokemon designs have always varied from good to bad. Even from
Gen 1.

I like the meowth forms and the final Grooky. The red fox doesn't look terrible either. Wouldn't bother picking the other 2 starters on any playthrough if that's what they'll end up like. They're like platforner heroes, anthromorphic posers.

Literally all of them except the red fox looks disgusting lmao

...I'm gonna assume that this generation won't have a bug/dragon type either, huh?...lol

Not that it matters, because I'm done with the series anyways.

So annoying that Pokémon is roguelike now

Not bad, not too impressive. I kinda like the Grookey and Sobble final evolution. The last starter that I considered an impressive design was Greninja. Overall there are a lot of starters in the series that I find mediocre. People should stop expecting them to all be mind blowing.

If this Grookey is real and he comes with cool animations I'll definitely go with him.

Why are there so many humanoid pokemon? Its offputting.

@Diddy64 Yeah that would be fun.

@PBandSmelly Nintendo Life is stupid.

@LUIGITORNADO I agree with you. At this point this is the expected reaction. In a few years these starters will be praised as a masterpiece class of good design.

@KingBowser86 Now this is the comment content we need more of.

@thesilverbrick Same here!

Intelleon is growing on me but honestly none of them are great. If James Turner was behind these he needs to be demoted.

Cinderace looks like a first evolution honestly

When a Digimon port has better looking monsters then the in house game.

Holy 0_o... What have they done to pokemon? The new fox and snake look decent at best, but everything else? Please dear lord let it be a fake this time.

Are you all gonna cover the gigantamax form leaks?

Another new Pokémon game, another surge of whiners complaining that the evolutions look bad.

I hope Mr. Fox only has a mustache if Male, unlike Alakazam. Stuff like that always annoys me. These Starter designs are by far the worst of any Gen, as I've liked all but 2 (Emboar & Incineroar). Though if we're stretching for positives, it looks like Scorbunny's will be pure Fire and not Fire/Fighting.

@MegaSwitch Well for some reason NintendoLife didn't show the full image, which has the regular color schemes you'd expect. These are most likely the Shiny models.

Hoping at least the final evolution of Grookey is fake, cause those fan-made evolutions be looking much better.

@MegaVel91 Yeah, but not all 3 at once.

The purple mon and the snakes don't look like Pokemon at all. They look like they're from another game, or even a cartoon.

@LUIGITORNADO This is very true.

@Roto13 Happens every time. Pokemon "fans" love to complain and whine endlessly.

They aren't fans. Fans LIKE the thing they are talking about. Normal people who don't like something, move on or stick to the older material that they do like.

That water Lizard final evolution looks like someone that would be standing on a street corner.

What, just me? I'm trying to say it looks like a perv.

@Tempestryke Looks like something out of 'How to Train Your Dragon'

I really think for the next Pokemon game, Game Freak need to not introduce any more new Pokemon. It's clear their artists have run out of ideas, but after a thousand Pokemon can you really blame them? Do we really need more?

I'd rather they spend their time and resources shaking the formula up.

I grew out of playing Pokemon games several generations ago, but I was really hoping Sword and Shield will pull me back in. It hasn't, at all.

Wow, I hope that's not how any of the starters end up looking, especially Sobble. Ew.

So uhhh are we gonna talk about how Grooky's final form is an ape with actual feet for feet?

wow, Sobble turns super yuck, almost as yuck as Primarina or Delphox.

the best starter for me was Rowlett, and Decidueye would have been great except for the ghost typing, it would have been better as a grass/psychic type or pure ground type.

Torterra was a really good design too. Meganium was cute.

Not a big fan of when them Pokemons evolve into straight up human's in costumes...so uncreative. Was special when it was rare before.

Things to do in life. number 1 play the new pokemon game. number two when you do only get the rabbit.