Massive Pokémon leak unveils unused Game Freak designs for Diamond and Pearl

A comprehensive behind-the-scenes documentary detailing the creation of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl has surfaced, providing enthusiasts with an unprecedented look at the Nintendo DS era’s development process, including a treasure trove of abandoned monster designs.

The internal documentary, titled Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Behind the Scenes DVD — Make All, was originally produced exclusively for Game Freak’s development team. The footage was recently unearthed after fans secured a copy of the disc, resulting in its preservation on the Internet Archive.

The film unveils a fascinating array of early creature concepts. Viewers can spot early iterations of starter Pokémon like Turtwig, Piplup, and Chimchar—the latter appearing with notably vibrant red markings. Turtwig seems to have originated as an armadillo-inspired concept before the team pivoted toward its final tortoise aesthetic. Furthermore, the early color palette of the Piplup evolutionary line suggests that Empoleon may have been envisioned as a Water/Ice dual-type rather than the final Water/Steel typing.

The Make All documentary also showcases curious outliers, such as a discarded “Foam Dog” water starter, a gnome-like take on Delibird, and prototype designs for Sandyghast. Enthusiastic members of the ResetEra community are actively cataloging these finds, noting designs that bear a striking resemblance to newer additions like Scarlet and Violet’s Chien-Pao, alongside potential prototypes for regional bird staples like Starly.

As noted by prominent Pokémon archivist Lewtwo, the footage catalogs dozens of concepts—some of which were polished into the icons we recognize today, some were resurrected for later generations, and others were left on the cutting room floor. A deep dive into these findings is available in his analytical breakdown below.

While the full 43-minute documentary is currently available via the KASHIWA 3RD YouTube channel, it remains in its original Japanese language. High-quality archival copies can be accessed for personal viewing through the Internet Archive.

The discovery was made possible after the rare disc appeared on a Japanese auction site, where it was successfully acquired and preserved by collectors. Further details regarding the recovery of this lost piece of Pokémon history can be found on LewTwo.net.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl first debuted in Japan nearly two decades ago in September 2006, arriving in Western markets by early 2007. The titles eventually received modern reinterpretations in 2021 with the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl for the Nintendo Switch.