Pokémon Winds and Waves Leaks Claim 300-Plus New Monsters as 2027 Launch Nears

Q: With over 300 new creatures rumored, is the 'gotta catch 'em all' motto now impossible?

No—at least not in any official, literal sense yet. The rumored “300 new Pokémon and forms” for *Winds and Waves* is still unconfirmed, and even if accurate, that figure appears to combine brand-new species with alternate forms and regional variants rather than 300 entirely new catch targets. What the rumor does suggest is that “catch ’em all” would become more demanding than ever. If *Winds and Waves* really adds the largest wave of creatures in series history, completing a full collection would be a much bigger time investment, especially for players trying to maintain a living Pokédex across games. That said, modern tools such as Pokémon HOME already exist to help consolidate collections across generations. The bigger practical issue is not just the number, but how Game Freak structures the Pokédex. If the game limits its regional dex, staggers additions through updates or DLC, or excludes some species from in-game availability—as recent titles have done—then “catching them all” in one cartridge may remain impossible, but completing the available dex in that game could still be manageable. So the motto is not dead, but it has long since shifted from a simple in-game goal to a broader, long-term collecting challenge. With or without 300 new additions, “gotta catch ’em all” now depends less on one game and more on how the franchise defines “all.”

3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Jul 20

Leaks tied to alleged early builds say Pokémon Winds and Waves could add more than 300 new Pokémon and forms—far above the original games’ 151 new species.
The same rumor wave points to a weather-based battle gimmick with transformations likened to Mega Evolution or Gigantamax, though leaked footage so far shows only a distorted Pikachu model.
Three starter final typings are also circulating: Browt as Grass/Ground, Pombom as Fire/Fairy, and Gecqua as Water/Psychic.
Other claims include new forms for Pokémon such as Psyduck, Onix and Shellos, a Rotom-powered scooter for open-world travel, and some level of voice recording.
Most of the details remain unverified and draw on the 2024 Teraleak, claimed build access and social media posts, with the games still about a year away from their 2027 release.