Seeing what new forms Pokémon evolve into is one of the joys of Nintendo's wildly-popular game franchise, and the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon are no different. Nintendo has slowly but surely been revealing new creatures over the past couple of months, but a recent leak may have just spoiled the big surprise most fans are waiting for.
Major potential spoilers for Pokémon Sun and Moon below — read on at your own risk!
Though fans don't yet know what the second evolution forms of Alola regions starters Litten, Popplio and Rowlet are, leaked concept art may reveal what their third and final forms look like. The creatures don't have names and are simply referred to as Owl 3, Tiger 3 and Sea Lion 3, but it certainly looks like these could be the final forms of the starter Pokémon players will start their Pokémon Sun and Moon journeys with later this year.
Litten looks to transform into a fearsome bipedal tiger, seen doing wrestling moves in the concept art. Its type is currently unknown, but it's likely fire/fighting or fire/dark. Rowlet gets a cloak and even uses its feathers for arrows in its final form, while Popplio takes on a much more feminine appearance in its third form.
According to NeoGAF user Watch Da Birdie, this particular batch of concept art has been floating around the web the last few months, but its authenticity at the time was questionable. However, it's looking much more real now that a previously-unknown NPC character featured in the concept art was just officially revealed in a new trailer for the game. It's possible the concept art could be for the Pokémon anime and not the games themselves, given the presence of numerous anime characters in the concept art, but that also remains unconfirmed.
It's a lot to take in for fans. So far, it seems like Rowlet will continue to be the runaway fan favorite, while more than a few fans on the original NeoGAF post sound disappointed over Litten's new look and potential fire/fighting type. Will these be the official third evolutions of the Pokémon Sun and Moon starters? Fans will have to wait and see, though hopefully, the wait won't be long. It's likely Nintendo will officially reveal the creatures prior to the game's Nov. 18 release.
