A recent leak claims that the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves games will feature an Elite Four line-up that breaks with series tradition by including type specialists never before seen in that role. This matters to fans because the Elite Four, the gruelling four-battle gauntlet players must clear before facing the regional champion, has historically drawn from a fairly narrow pool of elemental types across nine generations of games, so any genuine departure is notable for a long-running franchise.

According to leaker BallGuy, the Elite Four will include specialists in fire, grass, water, electric and normal types, with grass and electric never having anchored an Elite Four member before. The champion, reassuringly for some fans, will not be a normal-type trainer, avoiding what could have seemed too simplistic a choice for the game's climactic battle. Separate earlier leaks reportedly reveal the game's open-world map and gym leader types, including grass, poison, flying, fighting, dark, normal, steel and fairy, though these claims remain unverified and no release date has yet been announced for Pokémon Winds and Waves.