Pokémon Fans Are In Love With Piplup's Regal New Evolution

One of the most defining features of the Pokémon franchise as a whole is undoubtedly the starter 'mons players get to choose between at the start of each generation. Though the original three will always be the most iconic, each subsequent release has plenty of strengths (and some notable weaknesses) that mark them out as unique.

That said, Generation IV is seen as a real high point for many, with all three of the typing options proving to be very popular among fans. Though Chimchar and Turtwig are great in their own right, it's the adorable little penguin Piplup that stands above the rest, for this writer at the very least.

Now, new information has started to emerge which shows that its evolutionary line could have been very different, and some fans are lamenting what might have been.

Over on Twitter/X, the user Centro LEAKS shared some images drawn from the recent Pokémon Diamond and Pearl leaks, which detailed a bunch of what was going on behind the scenes during the production of those games. As part of that, we got a look at several potential drafts for Piplup's evolutionary line, including the magnificent final evolution shown above.

As you might expect, fans were also delighted with what they saw, even if they were a little miffed that the design never saw the light of day.

"They should bring this back as a regional variant, Ice/Steel," one response read.

While another added, "I wish they’d find a way to work some of these beta designs back into the games, like regional variants or Mega Evolutions or something."

"They should make these official! Would be great as different forms or even making that [design] Empoleon's Mega would be cool," a third said.

Others suggest a fresh design could also be the perfect time to address issues in the typing, saying, "I always wondered why Empoleon was Water/Steel and not Water/Ice, even as a kid. It's a penguin, after all."

All of this distracting nostalgia for the old games comes at the same time as the franchise's 30th anniversary, which is bringing the spotlight back onto all areas of its history. Happily, there's also plenty to look forward to over the next year or two, with the tenth generation finally set to launch with the arrival of Pokémon Winds and Waves, which should be coming out towards the back half of 2027, if estimates prove correct.