Now that we’ve officially seen Pokémon Winds and Waves thanks to a trailer in February, a lot of speculation is turning to what new and returning Pokémon we’ll see in the Gen 10 Pokédex when the games arrive in 2027. Considering Winds and Waves‘ tropical setting that seems to include a number of islands, and considering the names of the games, we expect to see a ton of Flying and Water types.
There are a few Pokémon staples that feel like they’re always guaranteed to return in mainline games: Pikachu, Gyarados, and Eevee are just a few of these. We’ll be avoiding those here, instead focusing on returning Pokémon that would be good fits for the new region while also playing into the Gen 10 games’ theme of “winds” and “waves.”
10
Squawkabilly From Gen 9
Just Begging For New Variants In Gen 10
There’s nothing particularly exciting about Scarlet and Violet‘s Squawkabilly, other than the fact it comes in various forms in the Gen 9 games. However, Winds and Waves could add even more variants and give players a reason to invest in this parrot-like Pokémon. Considering the games are called Winds and Waves, I’d expect to see a lot of Flying- and Water-types returning, and a tropical bird like Squawkabilly should be right at home on the Gen 10 region’s islands.
9
Oranguru From Gen 7
Alongside A New Evolution Or Variant
Oranguru, possibly with a new evolution or region variant, has been widely speculated (or, at the least, has been a product of wishful thinking) since the Gen 10 games were first rumored to be focused on islands at least partially inspired by Asia. It would make sense for Oranguru, and even its counterpart Passimian, to get some upgrades in Winds and Waves, so hopefully they’ll both return. Considering the parallels between Alola and the new Gen 10 region, these Gen 7 fan-favorites would be cool to see again.
8
Wingull (& Pelipper) From Gen 3
Along With Regional Variants
Very few Pokémon encapsulate both “winds” and “waves” the way Wingull and its evolved form Pelipper do, so these Gen 3 staples feel like a no-brainer, and we’ve spotted Wingull in the first trailer for the games. These are both older Pokémon, however, so it would be cool to see some kind of Gen 10 regional variants for both. It could breathe new life into these Pokémon while hitting on the nostalgia factor for everyone who played Ruby and Sapphire back in the day.
7
Vileplume From Gen 1
Time For A Regional Variant
We’ve already seen both Oddish and Gloom in the Winds and Waves trailer, so Vileplume will certainly be making an appearance (assuming there are Leaf Stones in Gen 10, which feels like a safe bet). As with Wingull and Pelipper, it would be nice to see Vileplume getting a regional variant or some kind of update for the new games. The Gen 1 Grass- and Poison-type Pokémon could also benefit from different typing with this variant, considering how crowded the Grass- and Poison-type playing field is already.
6
Milotic From Gen 3
This Water Pokémon Deserves More Love
Look, Feebus is basically a useless Magikarp clone, but its evolution, Milotic, has a gorgeous design and is arguably one of the most beautiful-looking Water-type Pokémon ever. Despite showing up in more recent games, this Gen 3 serpent hasn’t given us much to work with lately, or provided us with a real reason to keep it in our parties. A return in Winds and Waves could be the perfect way to give it more love. It could also serve as a comeback for this deserving Pokémon.
5
Corviknight From Gen 8
The Coolest Bird Pokémon Should Return
Considering Gen 10 is called Winds and Waves, it should be expected that we’ll see plenty of bird and fish Pokémon in the wild. Corviknight is closely tied to the lore and setting of Sword and Shield‘s Galar region, but that shouldn’t stop it and its earlier evolutions from showing up. Corviknight is one of the coolest bird designs of all time, so getting it into Gen 10 would be awesome. Even if there’s no regional variant, it would just be nice to see Corviknight reappear.
Finally, Some Answers Regarding Its Home
Melmetal is included with Gen 7, since that was the active generation when it first appeared, but the Mythical Pokémon is mostly just connected with Pokémon GO. So far, its origins are still listed as being from “an unknown region.” Perhaps Gen 10’s new region can resolve one of Pokémon’s biggest mysteries. We’re approaching the 10-year mark since Melmetal (and Meltan) were introduced, so it’s about time we finally got some answers.
3
Kyogre From Gen 3
This Legendary Pokémon Should Return
Kyogre is one of the coolest Legendaries ever, but the Hoenn Pokémon could play an important role in Winds and Waves. Assuming this would be a post-game catch, like most Legendary Pokémon are, it would still be nice to see this Gen 3 favorite return in a mainline game that’s not just a catch ’em all gauntlet in DLC. If it returns in a way that’s important to the main story of Gen 10, then even better.
2
Keldeo From Gen 5
Another Water Legendary To Catch
Keldeo may be closely tied to Gen 5, but the Water-type Legendary deserves to be important again. While it could be caught in some recent games, including the Crown Tundra DLC for Sword and Shield, it would be cool to see Keldeo being brought back for a mainline game’s story. It has a cool design, but this Legendary has been underutilized so far. The setting for Winds and Waves could be the perfect place to rectify that.
1
Vaporeon From Gen 1
A Regional Variant To Boost Eeveelution Hype
There’s been a lot of speculation over a new Eeveelution in Winds and Waves, and having a new regional variant for Kanto’s Vaporeon could be a way to do that without completely inventing a new evolution. Vaporeon would tie into the Gen 10 games’ region well, and a first-ever regional variant of an Eevee evolution would certainly cause hype. It could be exactly what Pokémon needs to revamp the current Eevee line.
As we approach the 2027 release of Pokémon Winds and Waves, we’ll hopefully learn more about returning Pokémon, regional variants, and more. With the launch of these games still at least a year away, we expect to hear more news regarding the Gen 10 Pokédex over the course of 2026. It looks like we’re in for an exciting year!
- Released
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2027
- Developer(s)
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Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
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The Pokemon Company, Nintendo
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
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Single-player
