If you’re a fan of aquatic creatures and puppies, the Paldea region is the place for you.
As part of a new round of leaks, two new Pokémon have been revealed for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, though have not yet been officially announced by the Pokémon Company as of yet. One is yet another dog-based Pokémon—a Dark-type named Maschiff—and a new tadpole Pokémon named Tadbulb, which appears to be the pre-evolution of Bellibolt.
Maschiff joins a plethora of dogs that call the Paldea region home, including the previously-announced Fairy-type Fidough and Ghost-type Greavard. According to a leaked Paldea Pokédex, there may be another new puppy joining the ever-evolving list of creatures to create a quartet, though no further information is currently available. It is not clear if Maschiff will evolve or will remain solely in this form.
Tadbulb fully encompasses the idea of a tadpole looking completely different than a frog, appearing as just a small body with eyes and long tail—similar to another tadpole Pokémon, Tympole. It is likely an Electric-type Pokémon and will evolve into Bellibolt in some unconfirmed way.
The in-game screenshot of Maschiff depicts the Dark type at level 13, seeming to imply players can catch this Pokémon early on in their adventure. Another screenshot showing Tadbulb has a player fighting it at level 19, meaning it also can be added to players’ parties within the first few hours of gameplay.
As all of this info stems from leaks, fans should be skeptical of their legitimacy prior to the official release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Nov. 18 for the Nintendo Switch.