Recently Game Freak’s servers were hacked, with a lot of development information about games, primarily for generations three to seven thus far, leaked. While we don’t condone such actions, we do enjoy seeing this insight into beta designs and development of Pokémon designs. Much like our dive into the Johto Starter Pokémon designs (see below), we now examine the Hoenn trio for the Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire games. It turns out they had an interesting history as well!

Grass – formally Scraggy

Zurūzu	Archaeon/Grovyle

No Treecko in sight! We have a Grovyle, but its original name was closer to ‘Archaeon’ (アーケオン). Truth is, it was an entirely different Pokémon line.

The first Pokémon in this two-stage line, ズルーズ (Zurūzu) had no type assigned to it at the time it was found in the game files (1st November 2001). It appears to be like a lizard with baggy pants made of skin… much like Scraggy, a generation five Pokémon! Evidently, Scraggy was cut and the concept revisited for the Unova titles Pokémon Black and White. But even then it had a different concept – for the ‘Grovyle’ in this build of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire had a type assigned to it – Rock/Flying! Seemingly the spare skin became a way for it to glide through the air in some manner. That was a neat idea, but for whatever reason, Zurūzu was cut and that left Grovyle alone.

It is quite possible too that Zurūzu and its evolution served the role of a fossil Pokémon, as neither Lileep nor Anorith existed at the time. (While there is a cut Pokémon that resembles Lileep’s line, it had a different name, and no other Rock-type is clearly identified as a candidate Fossil Pokémon if any other was intended at this stage of development.) Data for those appeared for the first time in a 17th July 2002 build. Furthermore, the following translation of Grovyle’s Pokédex entry on 2nd May 2002 in Ruby states the following:

うでの ウロコが はねの かたちに なった。グライダーの ように かっくうして とぶ。きょうりゅうの じだいから いる いきたかせき。

The scales on its arms have come to resemble wings. It jumps like a glider. A living fossil from the dinosaur age.

The Cutting Room Floor

However, this does not match its Sapphire Pokédex entry!

ウロコの はねは とても かたく するどい。てっぱんを きりさく きょうりょくな ぶきだ。10ぴきほどの むれで こうどうしている

The feathers on its scales are very sharp and hard, acting as weapons that are strong enough to cut iron. They move in a flock of about 10 individuals.

This indicates that, even after the existence of Treecko’s design, that they had not yet finished incorporating changes to Grovyle into these builds of the game. It is also possible that they hadn’t yet decided on Grovyle’s role, but given Treecko’s form seen prior and data for a third-stage Grass-type along these two, this scenario feels less likely. To muddy the waters further, the following image shows they were not yet settled on what Archaeon’s colouration should be – maybe they were initially unsure of what to do with it after ditching Zurūzu? But they also could have been experimenting for the line overall before making the cut.

However, there is no evidence, at least yet found, of a Grass-type Starter design existing before Treecko. Name data does exist for Treecko in the game in 20th April 2002, but no Grass-type existed beforehand that had been cut. It may well have been created after someone decided to take Grovyle and use it as the middle stage for the Grass-type Starter role.

The general poses Grovyle had changed remarkably little overall. The front sprite in particular has only minor changes (ignoring the colour scheme), such as the head shape and eyes, details on the feet, and the ‘feathers’ or now leaves. It now has a long ponytail rather than a few leaves on its head. Its back pose reflects its updated head, and also now shows an outstretched claw.

The earliest designs of Treecko itself first appeared, as far as we know, in October 2010, reportedly shared at ‘Game On of Federation Square’. These look closer to geckos than the Treecko we know now, so we have some idea how it was being developed. The rendition on the right, alongside two other earlier designs for the Hoenn Starters, was revealed very recently and was dated 13th March 2002. It looks fairly similar to how the final version ended up – the most obvious difference being its dark red eyes, rather than the lighter yellow it now has. There are no other designs besides the final Treecko, other than a fully drawn back sprite which is cropped in the final game.

However, the final stage of this line, Sceptile, did not yet have data for its name as of 14th May 2002. Its details are only first evident in 20th April 2002 as existing as a stage 3 of the Grass-type Starter but with no name or other details available. On a build dated 2nd May 2002, it had Pokédex entries that match the final version. One alternate version of its sprites (undated scratchpads) can be seen below – only minor changes happened since (tail location shifted, its yellow ‘knee pads’ are removed, and it gained the arm blades for the final release as shown on the left).

We also have access to early Moveset data (dated 15th July 2002), and early stat distributions (dated 17th July 2002). Compared to their final versions, Treecko learnt Lick and Swift instead of Quick Attack and Pursuit – the latter suggests more of a focus on it being fast in its attacking style. The same applies to Grovyle and Sceptile, in addition to Giga Drain known in place of False Swipe, and two scratching/cutting-adjacent attacks, Fury Cutter and Leaf Blade, missing. This aligns with the lack of leaf blades on Sceptile’s arms in its earlier sprite, and gives an indication on when it existed!

As for base stats, Grovyle had 10 less Attack and Special Attack, and 15 less Speed. The bump up in Speed would align with changing two attacks to Quick Attack and Pursuit. However, another aspect to consider is the base stat total (BST) of Grovyle here (380, as opposed to 405). All other (final version) middle-stage Starter Pokémon in generations 1 to 4 have a BST of 405. It is possible that the lower stats reflected Grovyle’s previous life as a potential Fossil Pokémon. That would still be on the low side for a final form of a two-stage Fossil line however, so this is purely speculation. Still, it could have been a factor.

Water – Mystery bunny

Mudkip was not the originally designed Water-type starter, based on the rendition dated 13th March 2002. ワラビット (“Warabbit”) instead appeared, a white rabbit with blue ears, and a water tube or floaty around its waist.

So what else do we know of this rabbit?

Well… nothing. There are no other images, no move data, no Pokédex information, etc. to be found as yet for the Water starter role. Oh well! You’ll have to let your imagination run wild on what its potential evolutions would have looked like.

So what about Mudkip? While no Pokédex entry existed for it in 14th February 2002, in 2nd May 2002 it has Pokédex entries for itself and its line matching the final version, and a classification as a ‘Swamp Fish’. That is, sans for one detail: both Marshtomp and Swampert are pure Water types. This is matched in some earlier moveset details. Mudkip learnt Double Edge instead of Endeavor, and was missing Bide, Mud Sport, Take Down, and Whirlpool. However, Marshtomp and Swampert were missing the likes of Earthquake, Mud Shot, Mud Sport, and Muddy Water, all Ground-based moves that are significantly associated with the line! There is one exception – all three stages learnt Dig naturally, which is not the case in the final version. Nonetheless, it had a much more Water focus than Water/Ground (e.g. the 2nd and 3rd stages also used to learn Hydro Pump on level up). Also, Marshtomp and Swampert did not have any Japanese names as late as 14th May 2002.

Marshtomp had an identical sprite to the final version. Mudkip above had the full back sprite visible, but also no changes. As for Swampert, only the back sprite changed slightly – the dorsal fin on its spine is longer, and its left shoulder is raised slightly higher up. Pretty darn close! So we don’t have any insights into how this line changed in development appearance wise once it was decided to replace a rabbit design.

Marshtomp had 10 less HP and Defense than the final build, as well as 5 less Attack, while Swampert had 10 less HP. This does suggest that the decision for matching BSTs to previous generation Starters did not happen at that stage (mid-July 2002), or otherwise they were actively in-development stat distributions, not considered to be final (given typings and movesets still were in flux, this is fairly possible).

Fire – A flying bird? Now I’ve seen everything!

Let’s start with Torchic for the Fire Starter line. We have a lot of different designs, and dates for them as well! The first on the left is new to us, and the most different to what we ended up with. It had no type or other information assigned to it, sans what is presumed to be developer feedback stating they wanted Piyokko to look “more bug-like, more fantastical”. Presumably it might have been meant to be a Bug-type. But this got cut, with the general shape and colour retained for what eventually became Torchic.

The second version of Torchic was a very cute round form, with no name. This was sighted over a decade ago, also at a Game On exhibition in 2012 – concept designs actually displayed to the public like Treecko’s above. Yet we didn’t see any for Mudkip… Notably, this form of the Fire Starter had winged ears/hair features, and this persisted for another three versions, each named Fiyoko. It appeared to be very settled!

Then at the end of March 2002, that changed in the span of one day. While overall the changes aren’t too drastic, we saw the winged ears dropped and replaced with a tuft of feathers, minor changes to e.g. the beak, and a new name, which is the Torchic we now know. The old name was crossed out! Minor changes, namely in colour, followed. So what prompted this?

It is possible it happened due to changes to its evolutions – namely, the final form. Now we return to older information on Blaziken, supplemented by a new sprite and backed up with data details assigned to it and Combusken. But for those not familiar with it, the following image (known since 2010) would be quite the shock!

That’s right – Latias and Blaziken were once the one design. While we didn’t have much information beyond this art piece, you could have guessed that it may have been at least part Flying type, and this was indeed the case during development! Meet (エルホーク) Elhawk, listed as a pure Flying type.

Through the recent leaks, we see that this concept art had developed into sprites as well. Developer feedback notes also mentioned that it looked like a Delibird evolution, and perhaps this was a motivator to change its design. We should also highlight that being a pure Flying type meant that it might not have been initially intended as a Starter Pokémon until it became Blaziken.

But we still didn’t go straight to the Blaziken we know! This version on the left still had wings, for one. Other design differences were yet to come as well, such as the eye shape and fur on its chest – and what appears to be sports tape or bandages disappeared by the final release. Its Pokédex entry early February also referred to its wings:

くさきを くろコゲにする こうねつの ねっぷうをつばさの はばたきで まきおこす。くらい ばしょでは ほとんど めが みえない。

By flapping its wings, it generates high-temperature Heat Waves that turn plant matter into char. It can barely see in dark areas.

It also was four inches taller than the final version, perhaps counting added height from the wings. Blaziken did end up becoming a Fire/Fighting type in development, such as by July 17th. Some changes were still to be made – it had 5 less base HP and 10 less Attack, but 15 more Speed (perhaps also related to its previous ability to fly), and an Ability of Flash Fire (the only Starter at that stage to actually have an assigned Ability – so the concept of Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow had perhaps not yet existed). Combusken however was much weaker before, with 35 less BST than the final version. It also was a pure Fire type – so it had not yet inherited the Fighting type when they shifted from a Fire or Fire/Flying to a Fire/Fighting final stage.

Moveset data from 15th July also reflect a more Flying-based type for all three Pokémon. Peck, Sand-Attack, and Mirror Move were all learnt earlier (and by that, Peck was a level 1 move rather than 16 for Torchic!). Fury Attack and Drill Peck were also in the earlier movesets, and Fighting-esque moves such as Focus Energy, Double Kick, Bulk Up (as well as Slash) were missing for Combusken. In Torchic’s case, Focus Energy, Fire Spin, and Slash are missing, and Blaziken originally had Fire Punch and Sky Attack. Lastly, Flamethrower was in the moveset for Combusken and Blaziken, while its then more unique moves of Blaze Kick and Sky Uppercut were not yet in the game. All this together suggests that by mid-July, the Fire/Fighting Starter line hadn’t yet been fully put together.

All other images show the Torchic line in their final form, sans the back sprite for Torchic being more cropped, à la Mudkip and Treecko above. But what a wild ride – we had a potential Bug-type… thing and a Pokémon that split off into Blaziken and Latias (maybe also Latios!).

That concludes our dive into the development history of the Hoenn Starter Pokémon! Which one was your favourite, and what concept would you have rather appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire?

Thanks to The Cutting Room Floor (TCRF) for extensive documentation and resources; and Cherrim, Rivvon, and Sotomura for translation.
Edited by Arcaneum and Sheep.

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