Pokémon Scarlet and Violet leaks indicate Magikarp and Gyarados were planned to get the Wiglett treatment

What would they have looked like?

Image via The Pokémon Company

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Spoiler warning for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: don’t read further if you want to remain clueless about the new games. Pokémon fans got early copies of Scarlet and Violet, leaking images and details about the game throughout the internet. Leakers are now accessing the games’ files, discovering codes and names in the files that aren’t in the game. Within the codes, fans found data for a new convergent species of Magikarp and Gyarados, similar to Wiglett.

Divergent Magikarp and Gyarados were supposed to be in the games rather than Toedscool and Toedscruel, divergent versions for Tentacool and Tentacruel. Toedscruel data is still named OKAGYARADOSU in the game’s file, suggesting the change got made late in the development. The leak doesn’t reveal what kind of Pokémon divergent Magikarp and Gyarados would look like. Considering Toedscool and Toedscruel ended up being walking mushrooms rather than jellyfish, divergent Magikarp and Gyarados may have been more land-based creatures. However, that’s only speculation on our part. It’s also possible divergent Magikarp and Gyarados will still make it in the game as new downloadable content.

Magikarp and Gyarados were originally planned to have Convergent Species instead of Tentacool and Tentacruel.

In fact the codename of Toedscruel still is OKAGYARADOSU, they didn't even bother to change it. pic.twitter.com/VK2SRk3GHm
— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) November 15, 2022

Convergent Pokémon is a species of Pokémon that look and behave very similarly to previously existing Pokémon but are classified as a separate species. For example, Wiglett is a convergent Pokémon for Diglett. Whereas Diglett is a tiny mole Pokémon who hides its body in the ground, Wiglett is a water eel that sticks out its face and neck from above. Both Pokémon look and behave very similarly yet are considered their own separate species.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18. The game takes place in the Paldea Region, based on the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. The game takes a lot of influence from cultures in Spain, Portugal, and Central and South America. Several Pokémon were leaked in the last few weeks, including the evolutions for all three starters: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.