What to Expect from Pokemon Gen 10 in 2026

2025 was a relatively quiet year for Pokemon, although it did see the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A and its DLC this year. That said, there are many exciting things on the horizon for 2026 that ultimately trump it. There’s the confirmed release date of Pokemon Pokopia, for one, but also strong indications that Gen 10 is right around the corner.

Although nothing official for Pokemon Gen 10 has been confirmed by Nintendo or The Pokemon Company at this time, fans can go ahead and prepare for Gen 10, its new region, its new Pokemon, and new evolutions for the franchise.

Will Pokemon Gen 10 Release in 2026?

Almost certainly yes. Earlier this year, there was a massive leak dubbed the Pokemon Teraleak 2 that revealed internal plans. According to these documents, the Gen 10 games are far along in development and are set to release in 2026 as Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives. Fans can reasonably expect brand new information at Pokemon Day in February, with a fall or winter 2026 release. This would be similar to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s schedule; the two games were revealed in February 2022 and came out in November of that year.

It’s worth noting that, since the Pokemon series began in 1996, there has never been a gap of more than four years between generations. Most generations have been released three years apart, with the exceptions being Diamond and Pearl (four years after Ruby and Sapphire) and Black and White (four years after Diamond and Pearl). It seems highly unlikely that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company would want to break such a consistent pattern, practically guaranteeing that Gen 10 arrives in 2026.

What We Know About Pokemon Gen 10

Current information regarding the Generation 10 games primarily comes from the Teraleak 2, as well as some subsequent smaller leaks throughout the second half of 2025.

• Game Titles: Pokemon Wind (or Winds) and Pokemon Wave (or Waves)
• Region: A large chain of approximately 30 islands inspired by Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia
• Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive

Mechanics

The Gen 10 games will focus heavily on movement and traversal. Like Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Rotom Bike, the player will have a Rotom-based transportation method—in this case, a scooter. According to Centro Leaks, players will be able to “leash” Pokemon to the Rotom Scooter to utilize their traversal abilities, such as flight and underwater travel. Centro Leaks reported that players could initially ride all Pokemon, but this was considered too ambitious and the Rotom Scooter was implemented instead.

The islands comprising Generation 10’s region will reportedly encompass a variety of biomes, including deserts, jungles, and volcanoes. Teraleak 2 stated that some of the islands would be procedurally generated, but Centro Leaks later stated that this had been dialed back as part of the general scaling down of the overly ambitious Generation 10 concept. It is not confirmed whether procedural generation was removed entirely or the number of procedurally generated islands was made much smaller. However, some “MMORPG-like” multiplayer elements will be implemented, including raids, social hubs, and possibly “shareable maps.”

The primary gimmick for the generation, following Gen 8’s Dynamaxing and Gen 9’s Terastalization, will reportedly be weather-based moves, which fit with the games’ leaked titles. Details about how “weather moves” will work are currently scarce, but theories include certain moves becoming more powerful or only being accessible during specific weather conditions.

Leaks indicate that Pokemon’s Gen 10 games will return to turn-based combat, rather than the real-time combat featured in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. However, the leaker did indicate that area of effect moves, which were received positively by Z-A players, will return in a significant capacity, possibly as part of the weather-based mechanics.

Gen 10 Pokemon: Starters, Legendaries, and More

Leaks indicate that Gen 10 will, in addition to the traditional box art Legendary Pokemon, feature a special creature called a “Seed Pokemon.”

• Its initial form will likely be “cute and small,” similar to a Baby Pokemon.
• It will be acquired near the start of the game.
• The Seed Pokemon will evolve when visiting a special island, and its evolution will feature “infinite variations,” possibly pattern-based, similar to Spinda’s various patterns (to a higher degree).
• The Seed Pokemon will be required to battle each game’s Box Legendary.

In addition to the Seed Pokemon, the tradition of each game featuring a “Box Legendary” will continue. These Legendary Pokemon reportedly feature designs inspired by waves and storms, being described in leaked documents as a “grandmother” and “grandfather.” Wind’s Legendary is reportedly the grandfather, and Wave’s the grandmother. These Legendary Pokemon live on a special island away from humanity and will only allow those who have raised their Seed Pokemon well to meet and catch them.

A few more scattered details regarding Pokemon in Generation 10 were included in the leaks. Some Pokemon from Generation 1, including Pikachu, Charizard, Machamp, and Snorlax—which appeared in a leaked screenshot—are reportedly receiving updated, redesigned models. The redesigned Pikachu was briefly shared by Centro Leaks before being taken down, where it received a negative response from fans. Other Pokemon appearing in leaked screenshots include Lucario and Sandygast.

• Pikachu
• Charizard
• Machamp
• Snorlax
• Lucario
• Sandygast

Battles against large “boss-like” Pokemon, such as the Titans in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, are seemingly returning, according to leaked assets and data. Perhaps most importantly, it seems that players will be able to pet every single Pokemon they encounter in Generation 10, a feature that has been long requested by fans of the franchise. (However, given that the “ride every Pokemon” feature was removed, it may be that petting was removed as well.)

Story and Structure

Players will reportedly begin their Generation 10 experience in a large, touristy city, where they will encounter their Starter Pokemon during a traffic jam. They will catch the Starter Pokemon, rather than be given one by a Professor. However, the games will feature a professor, reportedly a survivalist studying the region’s weather. Leaked data also indicates that the player’s journey will encompass 18 Gyms, one for each Pokemon type. It has not been confirmed if these will be traditional Gyms or “Trials” like those featured in Pokemon Sun and Moon, although the aforementioned battles against large “boss” Pokemon do seem to be part of this system.

The central story of the game will see the player learn about survival and living in harmony with Pokemon, with the villains being a group that wants to construct more cities and buildings in the region to increase tourism. Sustainability will reportedly be a major theme of Generation 10. One mentioned mechanic, “Pokemon Rescue,” may draw from real-world wildlife conservation efforts, with the player possibly needing to seek out ill, injured, or lost Pokemon using a Rotom Drone and then assisting them. “Pokemon Rescue” also brings to mind the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, which often involved helping Pokemon in dangerous situations.

According to the Teraleak 2, the Gen 10 Pokemon games will feature multiple endings heavily dependent on player choices. Factors that may affect which ending the player receives include:

• Choosing to skip or challenge Gyms (most or all may be non-mandatory)
• Evolving the Seed Pokemon
• Fighting/catching the Box Legendaries
• Confronting the villainous group

Reportedly, the games’ open-ended structure will allow players to pursue an ending as soon as the game’s island traversal system is unlocked, although this will likely involve facing some pretty tricky battles with low-leveled Pokemon. Being able to beeline straight for an ending may make the Gen 10 games quite popular with the speedrunning and challenge-running community, however.

More Information Is Likely Coming On Pokemon Day 2026

Pokemon Day takes place annually on February 27, the anniversary of the original Pokemon Red and Green’s launch in Japan. There is typically a “Pokemon Presents” stream on this day that reveals lots of exciting new information. It seems likely that Pokemon Day 2026 will see the reveal of the Gen 10 games, likely including their official launch date and a look at the starter Pokemon. Given that 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise, its Pokemon Day celebration could potentially be bigger than ever.

Pokemon fans should keep an eye out for Pokemon Day 2026 for more information about the rumored Gen 10 games. While it seems likely that players will have to wait until fall or winter of 2026 to actually get their hands on Pokemon Generation 10, cozy life simulator Pokemon Pokopia will be releasing on March 5, giving Pokemon enthusiasts something to tide them over until the next main games.

After a relatively quiet 2025, 2026 is almost certainly going to be a huge year for the Pokemon franchise, with a new generation on the horizon and several other exciting projects reportedly in development. Pokemon Day is only a few months away, so fans don’t have to wait much longer to learn more.