A previously unseen Game Freak documentary has leaked online, revealing more than 100 scrapped designs from the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, including cut creatures, missing evolutions and alternative early versions of familiar species. The find matters to fans because Game Freak keeps its design process tightly guarded, and material like this offers a rare, unfiltered look at how the Sinnoh region's Pokémon were conceived nearly two decades ago.

The footage shows discarded evolutions for Delibird and Kecleon, pre-evolutions for Stantler and Lapras, baby forms resembling Plusle and Minun, and entirely cut creatures based on animals such as a crane, a platypus and a swordfish, alongside plant-based designs. It also reveals alternative starter Pokémon, including a foam-headed water-type dog and a grass-type wolf. The documentary, originally distributed privately to staff on DVD, has now surfaced after 20 years and been compiled by fans, with copies available on YouTube and the Internet Archive; some designs, such as a yellow Shellos, appear to hint at features expected in the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves.