Winds and Waves Starters: Everything We Know About Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua
Pokémon’s tenth generation is officially on the horizon, and with it comes one of the most important decisions in any new Pokémon adventure: which starter are you picking?
Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves were officially revealed on February 27, 2026, introducing three completely new first-partner Pokémon: Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua. The games are being developed by Game Freak exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 and are scheduled for a worldwide release sometime in 2027.
Unlike the mixed-generation starter lineup used in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Winds and Waves returns to the traditional formula of introducing three brand-new Pokémon representing Grass, Fire, and Water.
The Pokémon Winds and Waves Starter Pokémon
Unlike the mixed-generation starter lineup used in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Winds and Waves returns to the traditional formula of introducing three brand-new Pokémon representing Grass, Fire, and Water.
Browt — The Grass-Type Bean Chick Pokémon
Browt is probably the strangest member of the new trio at first glance. The tiny bird has a round, pale-yellow body, black legs and a large pair of green leaves growing directly above its eyes, creating what looks like a permanent leafy unibrow. We assume its name means.... "Brow Sprout".
Those leaves aren't merely decorative. According to Pokémon, Browt actually photosynthesizes using the leaves on its brow, apparently producing energy while it runs around. Pokémon describes Browt as “lively, but it can also be a bit clumsy.”
That combination gives Browt considerably more personality than its perpetually angry expression might suggest. Official footage shows it happily running around and interacting with the tropical environment rather than behaving like the grumpy little bird its artwork initially suggests.
Its English name almost certainly plays on its unusually prominent brow, while the plant imagery may contribute another portion of the name, although Pokémon has not published an official name etymology.
he “Bean Chick Pokémon” classification is particularly intriguing. Whether the bean theme develops further as Browt evolves—or simply refers to its small, rounded body—is currently unknown. What could Browt evolve into?
Its bird anatomy naturally opens the possibility of a larger avian evolution, while the prominent leaves give Game Freak plenty of room to expand Browt's plant elements as it grows. But nothing shown by Pokémon so far confirms that Browt will become a flying bird, gain the Flying type, or even retain the same basic body plan.
There is, however, an alleged secondary typing circulating in leaks. More on that below.
Pombon — The Fire-Type Puppy Pokémon
Pombon is Winds and Waves' Fire-type starter, and it may have the most immediately recognizable real-world inspiration of the group.
Officially classified simply as the Puppy Pokémon, Pombon's enormous coat of fluffy orange fur, curled tail and compact face strongly resemble a Pomeranian. Even the “Pom” beginning its name seems difficult to ignore, although Game Freak has not formally explained its etymology.
There is more going on under all that fluff than there first appears.
Official sources says Pombon possesses a heat-generating organ inside its lungs. The heat causes the area underneath its throat to glow faintly, providing a biological explanation for the bright red markings visible underneath its coat. Despite literally carrying a furnace around inside its chest, Pombon is described as “guileless and friendly.”
The flame-shaped tufts on its head and the fiery markings hidden beneath its fur suggest that the heat-producing organ may become increasingly important as Pombon evolves.
Gecqua — The Water-Type Water Gecko Pokémon
Gecqua is Winds and Waves' Water starter and perhaps the most obviously specialized of the three.
The Water Gecko Pokémon has an oversized head, expressive pink eyes, four-fingered limbs and a thick, water-drop-shaped tail. Its name appears to combine some form of gecko with aqua, fitting both its species and elemental type.
The Water Gecko Pokémon has an oversized head, expressive pink eyes, four-fingered limbs and a thick, water-drop-shaped tail. Its name appears to combine some form of gecko with aqua, fitting both its species and elemental type.
That tail is more than visual decoration.
Pokémon says Gecqua can use it to launch springy balls of water, potentially giving us our first clue toward the fighting style its evolutionary line could eventually develop
Gecqua also seems to possess a very different personality from its fellow starters. While Browt is energetic and clumsy and Pombon is friendly and innocent, Pokémon describes Gecqua as “very intelligent” and says it maneuvers shrewdly while “putting on airs.”
In other words, this little gecko apparently knows exactly how clever it is.
Whether Gecqua eventually becomes more terrestrial, more aquatic, or something else entirely remains unknown.
Have the Winds and Waves Starter Evolutions Leaked?
In July 2026, a set of claims began circulating regarding the final typings of all three starter Pokémon. The rumor was amplified by Pokémon leak accounts including Centro Leaks and subsequently reported by several gaming outlets.
According to the claim, the final evolutionary lines would become:
omicBook reported the same three typings but noted that no images of the supposed evolutions accompanied the information.
VICE traced discussion of the rumor in part to Pokémon leaker Light88 and reported an additional claim concerning Pombon. According to that rumor, Pombon's final evolution supposedly remains quadrupedal and resembles a dog/lion. The original claim described it as: “Pombon supposedly stays quadrupedal in its final evolution line and looks like a dog/lion.”
How seriously should we take the starter leak?
For now: not very. Although the typings do seem to fit relatively well.
There is a strange situation surrounding Winds and Waves because genuine pre-release information about the project appears to have circulated long before its official reveal. Some older leaked material successfully anticipated major aspects of the games, including their general island-and-ocean direction.
That does not, however, authenticate every newer claim labeled a “Winds and Waves leak.”
The July starter-evolution rumor has considerably weaker sourcing. VICE itself notes that the Pombon information lacks a direct underlying source and that it is unclear whether the claim actually originated from previously leaked Game Freak material.
For that reason, PokéLore currently considers Grass/Ground Browt, Fire/Fairy Pombon and Water/Psychic Gecqua to be medium-confidence rumors rather than leaked facts.
What We Still Don't Know
Despite showing all three starters in their announcement trailer, Game Freak has actually kept most of the important details hidden.
We have not officially seen Browt, Pombon or Gecqua's middle evolutions or final evolutions. Their final typings are unknown. We don't know their base stats, signature moves, Hidden Abilities or complete learnsets.
And with Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves not scheduled to launch until 2027, there is still plenty of time for Game Freak to reveal what these three little Pokémon eventually become.
For now, the choice comes down almost entirely to personality: the clumsy little plant bird, the friendly fire puppy, or the smug water gecko.
We'll update this page as soon as Pokémon reveals new information about Browt, Pombon, Gecqua or their evolutions.