The Worst Pokemon Winds and Waves Starter Is Already Done (Based on Leaks)

Pokemon winds and waves might not rear its head again this year, with more news and content to show ahead of the 2027 release, but there have been some interesting leaks so far. Among them is one that claims to show the entire map, including different locations on each island that make up the archipelago, as well as different seas or ocean areas that will presumably be explorable underwater. The concept doesn't seem that different from what Pokemon Scarlet and Violet did, with different biomes and their respective achievements or Gym battles, meaning that Pokemon winds and waves can give players equal or greater freedom in how they choose to explore.

It's unclear exactly what the islands will feature in terms of new Pokemon, exact challenges, and possible equivalents to Gen 9's “Titan Pokemon” story boss battles. However, Pokemon winds and waves' starters can already be pitted against what this map has in terms of gym battles, and if this leak is true, it's clear that one of the three starters will be worse than the others in some capacity. Stats, abilities, and movesets always play a big part in how good a Pokemon can be, but so does its type or type combination. In this case, Browt is already ready to be the worst.

Why Browt is the worst starter in Pokemon Winds and Waves

Pokemon winds and wavesThe leaked map comes with a list of locations for each island, and while it's currently unclear if there will be level scaling or how free exploration will really be, the gym battles favor Pombo quite heavily. The gym is:

• Grass Gym (Island 1)

• Poison Gym (Island 2)

• Flying Gym (island 6)

• Fighting Gym (island 7)

• Dark Gym (island 8)

• Normal gym (island 9)

• Steel Gym (Island 11)

• Fairy Gym (Island 14)

Again, it's hard to say if there will be level scaling and if one will have to challenge the gyms in this exact order, but regardless of these two points, Pokemon winds and waves' Pombon is clearly the best starter to deal with them, while Browt is the worst. The reasons are as follows:

• Grass Gym – Best Pokemon: Pombon

  • Browt is a grass-type Pokemon, meaning the first gym resists its STAB attacks. Pombon is a Fire Pokemon, so it takes less damage from this gym and deals more damage as well. Gecqua deals less damage to Grass Pokemon and also takes double damage from them due to its water type.

• Poison Gym – Best Pokemon: Pombon and Gecqua

  • Browt is weak to Poison and also deals reduced damage to it with Grass moves. Pombon is neutral against Poison both offensively and defensively, and so is Gecqua.

• Flying Gym – Best Pokemon: Pombon and Gecqua

  • Browt is weak to Flying and deals less damage to it with STAB moves. Both Pombon and Gecqua are neutral against Flying.

• Fighting Gym – Best Pokemon: All Beginners Equal

  • All three starters are neutral both offensively and defensively against fighting-type moves.

• Dark Gym – Best Pokemon: All Beginners Equal

  • Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua all deal out and take neutral damage against Dark.

• Normal Gym – Best Pokemon: All Beginners Equal

  • Again, all three starters are neutral against Normal Pokemon.

• Steel Gym – Best Pokemon: Pombon

  • Much like the first gym, Pombon is the best starter here as it deals super effective damage against Steel Pokemon, while also resisting it. Instead, both Browt and Gecqua deal half damage to Steel Pokemon, but are neutral against them defensively.

• Fairy Gym – Best Pokemon: Pombon

  • While all three starters are neutral against Fairy-type Pokémon offensively, Pombon's Fire-type means it resists Fairy attacks.

Why Pombo is the best appetizer in Gen 10

Image via The Pokemon Company

Also, Pombon is primed to be the first ever Fire/Fairy Pokémon, which could change the matchups slightly. It would be neutral offensively and weak defensively against Poison Gyms, but it would resist Fighting and Dark Gyms instead. It would lose its resistance to Steel and only be neutral defensively against it, but still super effective offensively with Fire moves. This is based more on the Pokemon's design than actual leaks, so it's very speculative.

Pokemon Winds and Waves' leaked map makes Browt the worst starter

But if the leaked map is accurate, it means the worst enforcer to explore Pokemon winds and waves' the region is Browt, at least when it comes to gyms. While Pombo would have a significant advantage against three gyms that the other two starters don't, and would be good against everyone else, even if not super effective against them, Browt is in the opposite situation. Browt is poised to be the worst starter in Gen 10 for its type, as it would struggle pretty hard against the first three gyms, and it would have no advantage against all of the remaining ones. It would actually fight the Steel Gym as well.

Unfortunately, Grass is a very poor type defensively, and Browt's only saving grace may be its evolution. For example, if Pokemon winds and waves' starter trifecta skips Fighting, it could be something like Grass/Dragon for Browt, Fire/Fairy for Pombon and Water/Poison for Gecqua. Still, if the leaked map turns out to be the actual in-game map, it's hard to argue against Pombo as a starter as much as it's hard to argue in Browt's favor.

System

Released

2027

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer