Duolingo Comments on Pokemon Winds and Waves' New Grass Starter

Language learning app Duolingo has commented after Pokemon Winds and Waves revealed its Grass-type starter. The comment makes a humorous jab at the new Pokemon Winds and Waves starter, continuing the app’s history of weighing in on pop culture using its iconic green owl mascot front and center.

The latest Pokemon Presents offered fans a glimpse into the future of Pokemon games, including new content coming to existing games such as Pokemon GO, Pokemon Unite, and Pokemon Sleep. The most significant announcement was the confirmation that the long-rumored Pokemon Winds and Waves actually exist, bringing Generation 10 exclusively to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. This announcement offered a look at Pokemon Winds and Waves‘ three starter Pokemon: Browt (Grass-type), Pombon (Fire-type), and Gecqua (Water-type). All three have been an instant hit with fans, and now the wait begins to see how they evolve as they level up. The appearance of Gen 10’s Grass-type starter, Browt, has already caught the eye of the language app Duolingo.

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Duolingo Pokes Fun at New Grass Starter in Pokemon Winds and Waves

Over on X, the Brazilian account for Duolingo weighed in after Grass-type Browt was revealed for Pokemon Generation 10. Machine-translated from Portuguese, the post says, “WE WON! REPRESENTATION OF GREEN BIRDS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS MATTERS!” This is clearly a reference to Browt’s similarity to Duolingo’s iconic green owl mascot. While the two aren’t identical in their designs, Duolingo draws the comparison based on the fact that they’re both green birds that are placed front and center in their respective products. Looking at the two side-by-side, it’s pretty clear that the placement and shape of the beak and eyes are extremely similar, so it’s easy to see why Duolingo has jumped in to comment here.

Duolingo is never far from the scene when it comes to major pop culture events. Over the last few years, the language app has done an excellent job at pushing its green owl across social media platforms, going viral numerous times during this period. It even killed off the Duolingo owl as a publicity stunt, prompting responses from multiple game companies in early 2025. Seeing that Pokemon Winds and Waves‘ Grass-type starter was a cute green bird, a Duolingo response almost felt inevitable.

Browt is just one of many Pokemon confirmed for Generation 10. It’s cool to see how, after 10 generations and over 1,000 designs, Game Freak continues to impress with its adorable new Pokemon. Given that Pokemon Winds and Waves are not set to launch until 2027, there is plenty of time for The Pokemon Company to reveal even more designs planned for the game. It’s unclear whether it will keep the evolutionary lines a secret for all three starters, or whether they’ll be revealed pre-release.

Following the latest Pokemon Presents, fans finally know what to expect from the franchise over the next couple of years. It’s going to be an exciting ride as the franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have also been released on Nintendo Switch, giving fans the opportunity to revisit two classic titles before Generation 10 is released next year.