Like many fans, I am eager for Game Freak to unveil Pokemon Gen 10. I haven’t bought a Nintendo Switch 2 yet because none of the current exclusives are that attractive to me, but even if I have to fork out extra cash for a Switch 2 because of the RAM crisis, I’m not going to ignore new mainline Pokemon games. Like many fans, I’ve done my fair share of digging into “Teraleak 2.” So far, everything sounds like the making of a great game, but of course, it’s going to come down to the ‘mons. And I think I’ve figured out what the Water starter will be, assuming these leaks hold up.
According to the Teraleak 2, Pokemon Gen 10 will be called Pokemon Wind(s)/Pokemon Wave(s). The region is heavily inspired by Southeast Asia, complete with a massive chain of islands that may include procedural generation. Pokemon players will start in a big city where they’ll have to catch a starter, with said city being a tourist location with a nearby resort. These details are important, especially if I am right, because I believe the Water starter will be based on a proboscis monkey.
Everything in the Pokemon Gen 10 Teraleak Explained
Images and documents related to Pokemon Gen 10 games, allegedly called Pokemon Wind and Wave, have surfaced online detailing their new content.
All The Reasons Pokemon Gen 10’s Water Starter Could Be Based on a Proboscis Monkey
For those unfamiliar, a proboscis monkey (long-nosed monkey) has a large nose, typical reddish-brown fur, and a long tail. They are endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, being mostly found in mangrove forests and along the island’s coastal regions. Beyond their noses, they are notable for being able to swim and being as comfortable in the water as they are in the trees. You can probably see where I am going with this, but not only does a proboscis monkey make sense as a real-world inspiration, there are several other supporting factors.
- Location: Resort City
- It Fits into the Popular Weapon Water Starter Theory
- Gen 10 is a Great Time to finish a Perfect Trifecta of Starters
- Pokemon Concierge Could Have Been a Teaser
Pokemon Gen 10: Location, Location, Location
Based on the Teraleak, players will meet the starters in a resort city. While there’s no real need for a narrative reason to explain what a generation’s starters are, like why Professor Oak has a fire salamander, water turtle, and grass toad, it would certainly help it feel more cohesive. This holds doubly true if the Pokemon Gen 10 leak is accurate, as it’s not a lab setting, but a “real world” one. It’s not like Arceus is walking around a resort city; however, given that proboscis monkeys exist in coastal regions and the resort city implies a beach, there’s a narrative explanation for this monkey to be a starter.
In theory, I could be right about a proboscis monkey pokemon but wrong about its role as a starter. I have no defense against that other than it feels like a starter.
A Proboscis Monkey Supports the Water Starter Theory
It’s no secret that each Pokemon starter has a generalized concept or pattern. Pokemon Gen 6’s starters are based on RPG classes: Chesnaught as a Fighter/Knight, Delphox as a Witch/Mage, and Greninja as a Ninja/Rogue. Similarly, Pokemon Gen 7 is thematically based onHawaiian/Polynesian culture and showmanship, Pokemon Gen 8 is thematically British in its inspirations, and Pokemon Gen 9 is a triple threat of performers based on the culture and history of the Iberian Peninsula. Of course Pokemon Gen 10’s starters would have Southeast Asian inspirations, and the proboscis monkey fits into that well. Beyond the generation connections, though, are long-lasting type theories.
There’s the Zodiac inspiration for most Fire starters in Pokemon. Some fans believe that Water Starters are based on weapons (Blastoise- cannons, Inteleon – snipers, Samurott – katana), although it’s stretched a bit with Pokemon like Feraligatr (brass knuckles) and Primarina (musical weapons).In a similar vein, the proboscis monkey’s big snout is useful for more than getting attention from would-be lovers. The snout can be used to issue a warning call when a crocodile is attempting to sneak up on a mate; in other words, its design could lean into its nose as a war horn, fitting closer to the theory than some current Water starters in Pokemon.
Pokemon Gen 10 Could Finally Complete a Trifecta
This is less evidence and more something that would be very nice to see, but several cross-gen starters share two core species inspirations, yet never three.
- Totodile and Fuecoco are based on crocodiles, but there’s no grass crocodile.
- Squirtle and Turtwig are based on turtles, but there’s no fire turtle.
- Sprigatito and Litten are based on cats, but there’s no water cat.
However, a water monkey would complete a trifecta of starter inspos. Grookey is a grass monkey, and Chimchar is a fire monkey. Unique silhouettes are important for every Pokemon, and a proboscis monkey would stand out from these two easily. A proboscis monkey water starter would close this off, and it would be interesting to see if future Pokemon generations did something similar, one at a time, in every generation that followed. It would just make me very happy to see a trio of Monkey starters in Pokemon—it’s symmetrically and aesthetically pleasing.
That said, if Game Freak wanted to close more trifectas in Gen 10, a grass crocodile makes some sense, too. The siamese crocodile is endemic to Southeast Asia as well. Some of them build nests out of plant debris mixed with mud, and the proboscis monkey often uses its snout to warn against crocodiles. Perhaps the traffic jam at the start of Gen 10 is caused by a water monkey, a grass crocodile, and a fire starter fighting.
Pokemon Concierge Feels Like a Gen 10 Teaser Now
It’s also easier to identify new Pokemon generation teasers in hindsight, like the painting of oranges and grapes in Pokemon Sword and Shield that were ultimately teasers for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Pokemon Concierge‘s very existence feels like a Gen 10 teaser, which would be made more obvious with its release if not for the Teraleak. In short, it takes place in a resort (possibly supporting the leak of how players meet the Gen 10 starters) and the fact that it’s set at sea (possibly supporting Pokemon Wind and Waves’ SE Asia inspo).
It’s not the strongest evidence, but by supporting those points, Concierge at least feels like a teaser for Gen 10. And thematically, it would fit into what’s leaked about meeting the starters, maybe even offering some insight into their design. A proboscis monkey water starter, with an emphasis on its nose as a war horn, could still have a waiterly vibe to it. Of course, there are plenty of directions, but at least until Game Freak properly reveals the new starters, I’ve managed to convince myself.
