In a little over three weeks, a brand new generation of Pokemon will make its debut on the Nintendo Switch. Like all new games in the series,Pokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldwill introduce a whole new region called Galar, new gameplay features such as Gigantamax,remove forced tutorials for veteransof the series, and of course, have dozens of new Pokemon for players to catch and train.
In the build-up to a new generation, one of the most important announcements is the reveal of the three starter Pokemon that players will be able to choose from when the game begins. ForPokemon SwordandShield, the developer revealed Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble in the announcement trailer and have continued to slowly reveal more Pokemon and new Galarian forms in various Nintendo Directs and trailers ever since. However, one thing that still hasn’t been revealed are the starters' evolved forms.
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Last week, a new rumor made the round on 4chan which “leaked” thestarter evolutions description and typeand pointed toward a currently unannounced Nintendo Direct which is due to take place in November ahead ofPokemon Sword and Shield’srelease next month. While there’s no way to backup the current slate of rumors, based on Nintendo and The Pokemon Company’s past history of announcements, November appears to be a safe bet for when the starter evolutions are going to be revealed.
Dating as far back as 2012, Nintendo typically holds major Nintendo Direct in the months of January, April, June, September, and November. These are usually fairly substantial reveals that focus on the current state of Nintendo, covering the system at the time and upcoming games for that platform. For the rest of the year, all other Nintendo directs vary from year to year and are far more specific in nature, generally only covering a specific game or topic i.e.Pokemon Sword and Shieldor a Nindies Showcase.
The possibility of aNovember Nintendo DirectforPokemon Sword and Shieldisn’t too farfetched; in fact, it’s almost guaranteed to happen in one form or another. From November 2012 through 2015, Nintendo held a full-scale Nintendo Direct in November every year that always took place on the first or second Wednesday of the month and focused on the WiiU and Nintendo 3DS - the system, apps, and upcoming games.
In the years since the release of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has continued to hold Nintendo Direct’s each November, however, the day of the week and primary focus has varied. If Nintendo follows trend then fans can safely expect a Nintendo Direct to take place sometime around Wednesday, November 13 - two days before the release ofPokemon Sword and Shield- and it’ll likely feature some sort of new footage, potentially revealing theevolutions to Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble.
Over the last two generations, The Pokemon Company has made a bigger deal about the reveal of the starter evolutions.Pokemon Sun and Moonwere announced on Jul 19, 2025, during a Nintendo Direct. Throughout 2016, each of the three stages of the starter Pokemon all received their own separate reveal trailers before the games full release on August 08, 2025. That’s a pretty big step-up fromPokemon X and Y, where the starter Pokemon were revealed in January 2013, the first evolutions in September, and no announcement for the final evolutions before release.
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Earlier in the year, a similar leak on 4chan stated that the Grass-type Pokemon Grookey would evolve into a giant Gorilla with a wooden drum, the Fire-type Scorbunny would evolve into a Pokemon called Raboot, and the Water-type Sobble would evolve into Intelleon, a spy-themed Water/Psychic-type Pokemon. TheSeptember Nintendo Directconfirmed a number of these details with the announcement of both Polteageist and Cramorant, as well as the organization, Team Yell.
Whether or not Nintendo and The Pokemon Company choose to reveal the starter evolutions before the release ofPokemon Sword and Shieldremains to be seen; however, one thing we do know is that a Nintendo Direct will be taking place in early November. For those who so choose, pre-orders for the newDouble-Pack Steelbook Editionare available now.
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