Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Leak Reveals More Than 100 Scrapped Designs, Including Unseen Creatures and Missing Evolutions - IGN

What the report says

IGN reports that Pokémon Diamond and Pearl fans are examining a newly surfaced Game Freak documentary that appears to show more than 100 unused or early Pokémon designs from the Nintendo DS games’ development. The material, described as an internal staff film made around the time of the games’ creation, was reportedly distributed on DVD to employees and kept private until now. IGN says fans have since cataloged highlights from the footage, with archives circulating through Lewtwo, YouTube and the Internet Archive.

According to IGN, the documentary includes evidence of cut evolutions and pre-evolutions tied to established Pokémon, including possible designs related to Delibird, Kecleon, Stantler, Lapras, Plusle and Minun. It also shows apparently abandoned species inspired by animals and plants such as cranes, crickets, snails, molluscs, goats, mice, a platypus, a swordfish, beansprouts and clover. Early alternatives for the Sinnoh starter lineup are also visible, including designs IGN describes as a foam-headed Water-type dog and a Grass-type wolf.

The report frames the leak as significant because Game Freak is known for closely guarding the Pokémon design process, leaving fans with few official looks at how creatures and regions are developed. IGN says the documentary also contains nearly an hour of footage inside Game Freak’s offices, showing staff at work and the creation of Sinnoh through sketches, paper maps and physical models.

IGN notes that interest is also driven by Pokémon history preservation and by the possibility that old unused concepts can later resurface in altered form. The article compares the discovery with past major Pokémon leaks, while distinguishing this documentary as a long-private internal record rather than current official material.