The magic of the world wide web has graced us with many things we get to see that would have been considered lost media today. Pokémon is no exception to this as, during the development of Red and Green for Japan, there were over 200 designs made for the game, but we know the Kanto region only consisted of 151 in the final version. But in 2018, leaks came out for the Pokémon sequels, Gold and Silver.
Beta versions for the two games were revealed in 1997 Nintendo Space World, but original designs have been uncovered from never-before-seen footage and leaks online. And not too long ago, Diamond and Pearl leaks also have just been revealed. It will be a matter of time for other generations of Pokémon to have their beta designs shown, but for now, here are ten beta Pokémon we are very shocked about.
10 Raikou/Suicune
The legendary beasts trio went through a lot of changes in the drawing board, including having other beta versions that are honestly rather cool. This design of Suicune/Raikou happens to be drawn by Muneo Saitō, who was also responsible for the final versions of those two as well as Entei.
If Raikou and Suicune were to have a baby together, this is not too far off on what it would look like. It does look outdated compared to today’s Pokémon designs, but it wouldn’t be surprising either if this hybrid resulted in the concept of Pokémon fusion in Black 2 and White 2.
9 Madame
Artwork via: Racie Briggs
Farfetch’d was one of those Pokémon that stood out particularly by having a held item that was considered a wasteful held item, but over time, it became valuable to guarantee critical hits. Then fans got to take a journey into the Galar region and are not only surprised by a Galarian Farfetch’d being present, but it also gained an evolution.
Before that, there was consideration for an evolution of Farfetch’d called Madame. The name does imply to be a female evolved form, but the ratio is 50/50 and has to be at level 24 in order to evolve from Farfetch’d. After all these years, it is amazing how funnily named Pokémon got an evolution and a variation in the Galar region. With the potential Game Freak had to give it an evolution, it is well-deserved after 24 years.
8 Rampardos
The beta leaks for Diamond and Pearl may not have that mysterious and nostalgic aura, but it is nonetheless still nice to see what certain fourth-generation Pokémon looked like before. The beat design for Cranidos looks more fierce and a bit closer to what Rampardos would eventually become, but it took a drastic change in color.
Rampardos just so happens to be one of the few Pokémon that looks cool in both its beta and current designs. Going from blue to gray is strange, but it’s not that far off from looking just as fearsome.
7 Jaranra
At first glance, Jaranra seems to appear as a distant relative or evolution for Tangela, and you would be right on that. Jaranra is in fact what Tangrowth would have been if the design wasn’t scrapped to begin with for Gold and Silver.
It was perhaps best for Tangrowth to appear as it is now thanks to the capabilities the Nintendo DS had for Pokémon sprites and 3D models for future games. Jaranra may have a sinister look and Tangrowth looks a bit goofy, both offer something for Tangela to evolve into.
6 Garchomp
Beta Garchomp looks like it has seen better days. Compared to the final version, it makes us glad that the Mach Pokémon came out with the design we know and love today. The colors do give off its design as a land shark, but it looks somewhat sillier.
Whether it would still have had the dual typing of Dragon and Ground, that is a possibility. Even though there are some beta designs that people will prefer over the final, it’s safe to say that it was a good thing Garchomp has a darker color scheme. It would honestly be funny to imagine what Beta Garchomp would look like in its Mega Evolution.
5 Arceus
If you thought the final versions and origins of Giratina and Darkrai are nightmare driven, you have not seen what could have possibly been for the beta design for Arceus. It looks far from finished and there’s no concrete way of telling what Arceus was originally supposed to look like, but we are just appreciative that the current design looks intimidating and powerful.
4 Latias/Blaziken
This unused design of what looks to be a fusion of Blaziken and Latias is definitely uncanny. Known by fans as Latiaziken or Latiken, this beta Pokémon was going in the right direction for being in the third generation games, although it’s hard to un-see a hybrid of Latias and Blaziken due to being used to their separate designs.
If Latiken was still considered to be a part of the games, would it have been the first Fire and Dragon-type Pokémon? Or even perhaps Fire and Psychic? Maybe it was this design that influenced fans to create fan art of fusion Pokémon?
3 Twinz
Baby Pokémon was all the rage in Gold and Silver. Even if their existence was mostly for the purpose of gameplay mechanics, it is still cool to see what Pokémon like Clefairy and Pikachu were like if they had smaller forms. Girafarig also had a beta design with its darker side having a different and full-sized head.
Not only that, but Girafarig also had a pre-evolution named Twinz. It is a Dark and Normal-type Pokémon based on conjoined twins with a ghost-like appearance. The idea of an evolution line for Girafarig sounds cool, and maybe there’s a chance to see a spiritual successor of Twinz.
2 Nameeru
The fact that Lickitung was intended to have an evolution in the second generation is mind-boggling. Here we thought that the fourth generation games brought back old classics to get stronger, but Gold and Silver originally took that idea first. Nameeru is something we could see the Licking Pokémon evolve into, but we got Lickilicky instead.
Nameeru’s design does have some unique features and its tongue is what Lickilicky should have gotten since it does grow in the first place. The additional rings on its body also contribute nicely. The mustache and turban seem a bit out of place, but it adds a unique charm.
1 Norowara
Norowara and its evolution Kyonpan have perhaps one of the strangest methods of evolving. At just level one, it can evolve into the pure Ghost-type Pokémon. Their designs are fit for the ghastly type and it is such a shame that Norowara did not make the cut in Gold and Silver alongside Kyonpan.
The influence Norowara brought for the franchise is unforgettable. When it reaches level 100, it can learn Nail, which is known as Curse today. In the move’s animations, at least when Ghost-types use it, it involves the use of a nail similar to Norowara’s to sacrifice its hit points and place the curse on its opponent.
