Pokemon Scrapped Gen 5 Mega Evolutions Over Black & White Pokedex Hate

Key things

The massive data leak that affected Game Freak continues to produce new information.
In a new series of leaks, it was revealed that Game Freak originally intended for Black and White 2 to have new Pokémon, but it was scrapped due to fan backlash.
Fans wanted the older Pokémon, and Game Freak obliged by moving many of the designs and elements into what is now Pokémon X and Y.

You've probably heard by now that Game Freak has become the latest target of a massive data breach. The breach, which continues to provide new leaked information, has already given rise to a Switch 2 codename, as well as details on Gen 10 Pokemon, along with anime plots, among other things.

On Sunday, a statement from Game Freak was shared online, where the company admitted to the data breach. According to the statement, the breach occurred in August and the company has taken the necessary steps to mitigate any future breaches.

As stated above, more and more information continues to leak out, and the latest batch of leaks paint a picture of what could have been had it not been for the fan backlash.

Pikachu treasure chest in front of Pokemon legends Scarlet and Violet

Saving old Pokemon is my new favorite hobby

Charity shops and thrift stores are goldmines for Pokemon fans.

Game Freak had bigger plans for Black and White 2

As first shared on Twitter by Centro Leaks, which is responsible for much of the info dump, Game Freak originally intended to have more all-new Pokémon in Black and White 2. However, due to poor reception in the West when it came to older Pokémon, those plans were apparently scrapped .

The designs that were conceived were then used in Pokémon X and Y. The Kalos region of X and Y and the creatures that inhabit it served as the sixth generation of Pokémon, although the impact of nostalgia was still prevalent as X and Y still had many of the original characters. .

Information about the plans comes from a series of leaked interviews where the employee notes that “Pokémon isn't a local game that's translated for the world. It's a global game now.” The conversation continues and another says, “I'm afraid we'll have to put the old Pokemon in the sequel and skip the new ones.”

This is because, despite the large amount of work, “we cannot have any region with poor income. The brand requires all regions to appeal to people.” The backlash also seemingly forced the scrapping of Gen V mega evolutions. Instead, these mega evolutions were placed on older Pokémon such as Charizard.

Depending on which side of the fandom you fall on, this is either a happy or unfortunate development. While some certainly love the presence of the original Pokémon, there's also no shortage of people who would love to see some new creatures and ideas instead. Either way, it's interesting to see how much fan feedback influences things.