Official Pokémon Sword and Shield speculation thread (Updated June 5th, 2019)

[Jason Lannister]

The face is very well made, but the body looks strange to me, the head looks small comparing to the neck and chest

 

[TechSkylander1518]

I love how it's made to look like a photograph of a sheet of paper, as if a Game Freak employee just left it lying around their office and someone found it.

Spoiler

 

[William-Jdubz]

I mean, 99% of the time, the art itself gives it away. Very few people can match Sugimori's style on point.

That as well but just remember when the Gen 5 and 6 starter evolutions were leaked, the vast majority of the japanese fanbase called them fake and not sugimori style.

But I def think every keen enthusiast of leakers and rumours in this forum in general should always look to language and art style alike when dismissing something.

 

[prog rocker]

That as well but just remember when the Gen 5 and 6 starter evolutions were leaked, the vast majority of the japanese fanbase called them fake and not sugimori style.

But I def think every keen enthusiast of leakers and rumours in this forum in general should always look to language and art style alike when dismissing something.

I can kinda understand Gen VI starter scepticism, since if I recall correctly they were leaked via in-game screenshots, and those were common at the time so I can see why they thought they were fake.

 

[Lunala]

I thought the Gen 6 leaks were real. The majority of people actually assumed they were fake because they hated Greninja. I loved Greninja immediately, so whatever.

 

[Knightwolf09]

Yeah I remember one of the major reasons they thought they were fake mostly stemmed from the dislike of the designs. Though the only one I found iffy looking was Greninja, though seeing how creative the tongue scarf was warmed me up to it

 

[BackSet]

Before gen 6: That leak is fake and that frog is ugly and stupid.
After Gen 6: Oh my god the frog is the best!

 

[Oriden]

That as well but just remember when the Gen 5 and 6 starter evolutions were leaked, the vast majority of the japanese fanbase called them fake and not sugimori style.

But I def think every keen enthusiast of leakers and rumours in this forum in general should always look to language and art style alike when dismissing something.

XD I wasn't around for Gen 5 and don't remember the Gen 6 leaks... I was here for Gen 7, though, and as much as I hate Incineroar, I wouldn't have called it fake because the quality was there.

I find that the majority of imitation confidential sheet art have art quality issues that make them dismissable. Such as-

Fake Grass starter concept by Marix20 on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

This artist clearly struggles to draw flowers at different angles. I also have an issue with the round head on the rabbit feeling like a ball with a smilie face printed on it. It doesn't look good at a lot of angles.

Fake Fire starter concept by Marix20 on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

Too many of these are drawn from the side- it makes the jumping and running images feel flat and less dynamic. Also wow it can jump over a short fence, I'm sure that reference will be useful for the many five inch tall fences that exist in the world.

If it's not that, then it's a style issue, like seen here-

My Gen 8 Starter Fakemon: Grass Starter by TakkunArt on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

My Gen 8 Starter Fakemon: Fire Starter by TakkunArt on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

It's just clearly the wrong coloring style and the artist even acknowledges it in the description and expresses surprise that anyone believed them. XD

These guys, on the other hand... couldn't dismiss them until the artist confessed. The quality and style were both there.

Spoiler: Italian Starter Art

So that's gotta be hands down my favorite of the fake confidential sheets that I've seen. =( Still wish we could've gotten this bunny instead of Scorbunny, I find the smoke tail and neck fluff to be a more clever design element than Scorbunny's... lack of anything but a patch on its nose.


Speaking of Scorbunny (and its plain white rabbit design) has anyone suggested yet that it could become a magician for its dumb trope? You know, the pulling rabbits out of the hat thing. Granted, that could mean getting Fire/Psychic again, and we really don't need that. XP

 

[Lunala]

Before gen 6: That leak is fake and that frog is ugly and stupid.
After Gen 6: Oh my god the frog is the best!

Honestly I'm not really sure if most people actually like Greninja for its appearance now, or just how strong it is.

I'd honestly be disappointed with people if they decided to use a Pokemon they think looks like shit because it's strong.

 

[Joker901]

Guys...when was the last time the starters became something that we could actually predict? Gen 4?

 

[Oriden]

Guys...when was the last time the starters became something that we could actually predict? Gen 4?

=P I could predict that Litten would become a tiger in Gen 7- does that count?

You say that like we shouldn't bother making any guesses, though, and I can tell you that the only guaranteed way to not predict it is to not even try.

 

[Joker901]

=P I could predict that Litten would become a tiger in Gen 7- does that count?

You say that like we shouldn't bother making any guesses, though, and I can tell you that the only guaranteed way to not predict it is to not even try.

Yeah...but you actually guessed THAT Tiger? XD
I mean sometimes the themes are somehow evident but the actual designs are really hard to guess. Serperior lost arms and legs. Emboar became so fat it's still hard to believe. Samurott changed completly. Chesnaught is a like a mummy tank. Delphox looks like a medieval magician. Greninja has a tongue-scarf. Decidueye is a spiritual archer. Incineroar a bulky tiger wrestler and Primarina a mermaid.
It's obvious that since gen 5 Game Freak is working to make the starters not simply cool but also somehow weird and unique while all the previous starters were "just" bigger versions of their base stage (Torchic is maybe the only one who's gone wild before gen 5). This is why I don't even try to guess what those three poor guys will become this time. Speculation is fun anyway...

 

[Knightwolf09]

Speaking of Scorbunny (and its plain white rabbit design) has anyone suggested yet that it could become a magician for its dumb trope? You know, the pulling rabbits out of the hat thing. Granted, that could mean getting Fire/Psychic again, and we really don't need that. XP

I know some people claimed Fire/Fairy, it being based off the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland cause it likes to run. Although I still believe it'll become either something sporty or will become some sort of flyboy.

Only reason we haven't been able to predict how the starters turn out is because we don't think outside the box to understand the routes they take. We're so busy of just thinking about them as bigger versions of themselves, or we take certain design traits too literal. Which is why we need to think abit more broader if we want to predict.

 

[Oriden]

Yeah...but you actually guessed THAT Tiger? XD
I mean sometimes the themes are somehow evident but the actual designs are really hard to guess. Serperior lost arms and legs. Emboar became so fat it's still hard to believe. Samurott changed completly. Chesnaught is a like a mummy tank. Delphox looks like a medieval magician. Greninja has a tongue-scarf. Decidueye is a spiritual archer. Incineroar a bulky tiger wrestler and Primarina a mermaid.
It's obvious that since gen 5 Game Freak is working to make the starters not simply cool but also somehow weird and unique while all the previous starters were "just" bigger versions of their base stage (Torchic is maybe the only one who's gone wild before gen 5). This is why I don't even try to guess what those three poor guys will become this time. Speculation is fun anyway...

=P You really would've predicted that Charmander would have become a dragon in Gen 1?

I don't think anyone is figuring that they're going to guess anything other than a possible theme anyway, considering that the starters are still mostly just becoming bigger versions of their base stage- just now with stupid costume themes that we can guess at! Whoo.

 

[Joker901]

=P You really would've predicted that Charmander would have become a dragon in Gen 1?

I don't think anyone is figuring that they're going to guess anything other than a possible theme anyway, considering that the starters are still mostly just becoming bigger versions of their base stage- just now with stupid costume themes that we can guess at! Whoo.

Well take off the wings and charizard is basically charmander.

 

[Lunala]

I don't think anyone is figuring that they're going to guess anything other than a possible theme anyway, considering that the starters are still mostly just becoming bigger versions of their base stage- just now with stupid costume themes that we can guess at! Whoo.

Despite your disdain for Gen 6 and Gen 7's starters, Empolean had a costume too. And sure Primarina has a theme, but it doesn't really have a costume.

 

[Oriden]

Despite your disdain for Gen 6 and Gen 7's starters, Empolean had a costume too. And sure Primarina has a theme, but it doesn't really have a costume.

I don't really like Empoleon either? And Primarina definitely has a costume- it's wearing a literal dress.

Note that I don't necessarily hate these starters (except Incineroar because I find it disturbing) but I don't find the concept of a starter evolving into basically just an anthro wearing a generic Halloween costume to be more appealing than it growing into a larger animal.

 

[Lunala]

And Primarina definitely has a costume- it's wearing a literal dress.

No it's not. It's naked.

I don't really like Empoleon either?

Poor taste.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Scorbunny is most certainly not based on the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland lol “likes to run” literally applies to almost any rabbit

 

[Oriden]

No it's not. It's naked.

All of them are technically naked, but their features are costume-like and Primarina has some of the most costume-like features of any of the recent starters so yes- it has a costume.

Poor taste.

I could say the same to you, but I won't.