The eighth generation of the Pokémon franchise is now well-known as Pokémon Sword & Shield, but that wasn't always the case. All the mainline games go through plenty of phases and planning stages, and the games fans get aren't always what was originally planned. For instance, the upcoming 10th gen has been confirmed as Pokémon Winds & Waves, but there are plenty of rumors and leaks that might not make it into the final games.
Sword & Shield, in particular, have been subject to speculation for a long time. According to rumors, the games were originally going to look quite different from what was actually released back in 2019. Now, nearly a decade later, new images and information have surfaced that reveal the games we almost got, instead.
The canceled eighth generation was going to be called Pokémon King & Queen, according to reputable leaker Centro LEAKS, on X. The games were going to be in the Teyla region, and would be based on Great Britain, but otherwise would have looked completely different from Sword & Shield.
Instead of Dynamax, Pokémon would team up in pairs for a temporary Co-evolution mechanic. This would allow weaker creatures to become smaller, codependent parasites with their...
