'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Pokemon made its first announcement for Gen 5 in February 2010, with the reveal of Zorua and Zoroark to tie in with upcoming movies at that time. Soon after that, Pokemon Black and White were revealed. They were released in Japan in September 2010 and globally in March 2011. These games immediately caught fans' attention due to improved graphics, fresh electric music, and a collection of brand-new creatures. The titles were set in the Unova Region and had 156 new pocket monsters that made fans instantly fall in love with them.
These games, along with a fascinating storyline, introduced some interesting characters and the mighty Legendary Tao Trio, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem. The game quickly became so popular that follow-up sequels were released in June 2012 as Black 2 and White 2.
Trending
Years later, two videos surfaced on the YouTube channel of 'Dr. Lava's Lost Pokemon'. These compiled a list of creatures that didn't make it into the final list of the official Gen 5 release.
🚨 Calculate how strong your evolved Pokémon will become with our newly launched Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator 🚨
Some scrapped creatures among these were loved by many because of the design choices they made, and other designs were just as intriguing and could have paved the way for many future possibilities.
Let's take a look at some of these concepts and designs that never made it to the Black and White versions.
Unveiling the Lost Pokemon Designs of Generation 5
In an intriguing series of videos, the dedicated YouTuber has undertaken the task of translating long-overlooked interviews with Ken Sugimori, the franchise's lead designer, featured in the elusive Nintendo Magazines and interviews over the course of years.
These interviews shed light on the development process behind Generation 5, revealing scrapped monster designs that never made it into the final games, Black and White.
1) The origins of Hydreigon
In Volume 205 of Nintendo Dream Magazine, Sugimori discloses that the Hydreigon line initially began as the Tank Dragons, likely a combination of Steel and Dragon-type pocket monsters.
However, the designs did not meet the team's expectations and were quickly put away. Later in development, the designers were asked to create a powerful three-stage dragon family, leading them to revisit and revise the Tank Dragons.
Hydreigon's final form drew inspiration from the mythical Yamata No Orochi, an eight-headed and eight-tailed Japanese dragon while retaining the appearance of an eight-headed dragon silhouette. The purple tread marks on the belly of the final designs were remnants of their earlier identity as Tank Dragons.
2) Stunfisk's original design
Volume 204's interview reveals that Stunfisk was initially a blue dual-type Water and Electric type, inspired by the deep-sea anglerfish known as the goosefish. However, during game balancing, its typing was changed to Ground and Electric, transforming it from a blue goosefish into a brown flounder.
3) Sawsbuck's beta design
Although Sawsbuck's final designs were based on the concept of seasons, the idea of a seasonal mechanic did not exist when they were first created. A rare glimpse of the early Sawsbuck design was found in a low-resolution recording from a school festival in Tokyo in 2010.
Known as Ruto Yagi, or Root Goat, this creature featured a dual Grass and Ground typing and evolved through stages of budding seeds, leaves, and tree saplings. The concept of seasons later influenced the final Sawsbuck family design.
4) Chandelure's Evolution
Originally, the Litwick family concept involved a flame evolving into a candle and then into a lamp. However, the idea of a flame evolving into a candle didn't resonate with the design team.
To maintain a three-stage concept, they added a chandelier at the end of the evolutionary line, resulting in Chandelure. The unused flame stage likely remains hidden in Gamefreak headquarters.
5) Petilil's Lost Evolution
The Petilil family was initially designed with three stages, but one was ultimately scrapped due to type balance for the generation. It's speculated that this missing stage could have served as the middle stage between Petilil and Lilligant, effectively filling the role of the Oddish family in Gen 5.
Unfortunately, this lost grass design may never see the light of day in future generations.
6) The Quest for the Smallest
Sugimori's team has long desired to create the world's smallest being, possibly inspired by an ant-like creature. However, the challenges of making such a tiny creature engage in battles may have hindered its realization resulting in the world's smallest creature being an idea or a wish for the design team.
7) Crustle's Original Concept
Dwebble and Crustle were initially conceived as Furnace pocket monsters with kiln-fired pottery shells. However, the ceramic shell made them appear slow and awkward, leading to a revision into the more earthy designs we know today. Their original designs may have featured a Fire typing, evident in Crustle's red color and Shiny variant.
8) Snail Rivals
The design team had planned for a rivalry between Karrablast's beetle family and a family of snails. The rivalry concept was abandoned when they merged the development of Shelmet with the beetle-snail rivalry. Consequently, the snail family was discarded, and we never saw them in the final games.
9) Micro Group Turtle
In a 1997 interview with Micro Group Game Review, Sugimori shared three original monster designs that influenced future designs. While Tyranitar's original design made it to the franchise and Hitmontop's early design inspired what we know now, fans have always wondered what happened to the Micro Group Turtle.
The mysterious turtle design is speculated to have evolved into Tortuga in Generation 5 and Dreadnaw in Generation 8, as Ken Sugimori has revealed he often revisits his old designs.
10) Throh's Evolution
The idea for a Judo fighter, which would later become Throh, was first conceived during the days of Diamond and Pearl. However, the design was not used in those games. During the development of Black and White, Sugimori revisited and refined the early Throh design, introducing the rival Karate master, Sawk.
Throh was scrapped due to its appearance being similar to Tornadus, as the Legendary entity had a similar color scheme. At that time, Landerus did not exist. Changes were made to Tornadus and Thunderus to distinguish them from the Throh and Sawk designs known today.
Through these long-lost interviews, fans gain a fascinating glimpse into the creative process behind Generation 5's designs, revealing intriguing abandoned concepts and the evolution of beloved creatures.
While some of these lost Pokemon designs remain only in Sugimori's descriptions, the passion of fans and the community ensures that their spirit lives on in the collective imagination of Pokemon enthusiasts.
🚨 Calculate how strong your evolved Pokémon will become with our newly launched Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator 🚨
