Despite 30 years and over 1,000 Pokémon, there are still loads of gamers who will argue until they're blue in the face that the series simply never got better than the first generation, at least as far as monster designs are concerned. Given this obsession with Kanto, it makes sense that Pokémon Winds & Waves and its new tropical open-world region will reportedly give us a brand-new regional variant for one of the first generation's most-loved monsters.
Regional variants in Pokémon games were originally introduced way back in 2016, when Pokémon Sun & Moon released on the Nintendo 3DS. Since then, we've been treated to a huge number of new evolutions and unique forms for classic Pokémon like Sandslash, Raichu, and even Zapdos. These new forms typically grant the Pokémon a brand-new type, such as the dual Psychic/Electric power of Alolan Raichu. It's a great way to introduce new designs without expanding the overall number of Pokémon, because I do believe with all my heart there are too many damn Pokémon in 2026.
While nothing has been officially confirmed yet, it's effectively guaranteed that Pokémon Winds & Waves will introduce even more regional variants. But which Pokémon...
