Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum leaks explained

Pokémon was recently hit with what is now arguably the biggest leak in the series' history. True to its name, Teraleak contained more than a Terabyte of previously unreleased information, all of which was data sourced directly from Game Freak itself. Of course, a leak of this magnitude has left no stone unturned when it comes to Pokémon series as a whole.

However, this does not mean that every game in the series has received “equal treatment”. For example, there was hardly anything to share Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow leaks. Likewise, Gen 2's major unreleased content had already been leaked before. Despite coming much later than the previous two episodes of the series, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum seems to have met a similar fate. While the low amount of cut content can be disappointing, it hides revelations that are so much more exciting.

Everything the massive Pokemon leak revealed about diamond, gem and platinum

Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum leaks have one glaring omission

Until now, Teraleak's main attraction has been the Pokémon themselves. Whether they're beta designs of existing Pokemon or never-before-seen unreleased Pokemon, there have been a number of leaked Pokemon designs at the forefront of this conversation. These can currently be seen in the full Teraleak archive published by Centro Leaks,

Unfortunately for Gen 4 fans, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum is largely absent from this episode. This is currently a bit of a mystery, compared to Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal leaks, where the games have simply already been mined for all they're worth. Also Pokémon series seem to have become more extensively documented over time, meaning one might have expected Gen 4 to keep up with its peers. Thankfully, one key aspect of the Gen 4 was still ripe for leaks.

Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Leaks have a distinct Saving Grace

What Generation 4 lacks in unused Pokemon, it more than makes up for with unique design documents. Diamond and pearl marked something of a transition period for the series, where the characters became more fleshed out and the world building became just as ambitious. Both of these features have been fully realized in the latest leaks surrounding Gen 4.

Similar Pokemon black and white leaks, generation 4 design documents include character bios. These were obviously never meant to see the light of day and therefore should not be considered canon in any capacity. But they provide interesting insights into the thought process developers had when creating several key characters.

Likewise, they have become the subject of much fan discussion in their own right. For example, Cyrus is the leader of Gen 4's Team Galactic, and his bio suggests he may be destined to be on the autism spectrum. The nature of the translation has given rise to some conflicting accounts, but there is nothing wrong with the head canon that has been created regardless.

Pokemon Generation 4 Leaks Hide Deep Lore About The Series

Also, Generation 4's section of Teraleak actually hides some depth Pokémon lore. The world building of Pokémon has been relatively easy in the past and prefers a story strategy instead of any kind of deep dive. This leak has finally cracked the shell wide open, seemingly revealing Game Freak's intended vision for the creation myth of Pokémon world.

Legendary and Mythical Pokémon have always had an ambiguous relationship, but a diagram in Teraleak seems to suggest that they exist as two halves of a shared pantheon. This paints legendary Pokemon as literal gods and mythical Pokemon as lesser divine beings with a direct familial relationship to their legendary counterparts. Pokemon designs have always straddled the line between wild beasts and mythical creatures, and these secret documents make that intention clearer than ever.

At first glance, there may appear to be less leaked content about the Sinnoh region compared to its peers. However, this could not be further from the truth. The Teraleak has revealed information that gives much more clarity to both the characters and the story of Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. Some of the deeper learning comes as a complete surprise, but it's certainly a welcome one.