Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow leaks explained

The Pokemon Teraleak has consumed much of the discussion surrounding the franchise, and for good reason. This particular leak has revealed more about the franchise than any other leak before, and these revelations contain some insightful information about the original Pokemon games.

One cannot emphasize enough how much came from this Pokemon Leaks, as evidenced by how they have taken over the internet. For many, these leaks (or “the” Teraleak, as their sum is known) have completely redefined the way many view the franchise – particularly the canceled short stories and character bios. While rumors of upcoming sequels to the franchise have been high, it’s the story of scrapped Pokémon, unused lore, and prototype sprites that’s been brought to light that’s really captivated fans.

The leaks about the Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow explained

Much of what the Teraleak reveals concerns Pokémon from Gen 3 onwards, but there is still plenty of material for those investing in Gen 1. Especially for those who are interested Pokémon Yellow (and in a broader sense Red And Blue), will be pleased to know that there is a treasure trove of information available – albeit a much smaller one than that of subsequent generations. The main aggregator for these leaks is Centro Leaks on

Early 1st generation sprites

A big part of it Pokemon Leaks have revealed scrapped sprites, be they prototypes of finished Pokémon or Pokémon that never saw the light of day. For Gen 1 Pokémon YellowScratchpad files were unearthed via Teraleak showing some early sprites. The sprites were spread across two folders, both from 1998 and both with a similar range of dates.

Many of these sprites are more reminiscent of the original Red And Blue than their finished counterparts in Pokémon Yellowwith notable examples of this trend including Wartortle, Blastoise and Gyarados. Gyrarados actually appears twice in this particular leak, with another early sprite in the second folder that’s almost identical to its final rendering – albeit with a single incorrect pixel whose color was changed in the final release. In the same folder as Gyrarados’ very minor changes, Exeggute and Rhydon can be found in the same condition; Both are almost complete in their representation, apart from a few misplaced pixels.

The Yellow Sprite Leak doesn’t really show much design history in itself, as most of the early sprites here are close to their final selves. Where there are differences in these sprites, they mainly relate to a change in pose. This is the case with Pokemon like Nidoking, Poliwrath, and Scyther, both of which are drawn from different angles and with different poses. Aside from these Pokémon, however, this is one of the slimmer parts of the Game Freak Teraleak, with most of these folders’ offerings being rougher versions of the final sprites. That’s not to say this information doesn’t have historical value, but it just scratches the surface of what may still be there.

Fans probably haven’t seen the latest information about Gen 1 yet

The Pokemon Teraleak is just that, a terabyte of information. There is still much to discover in this overwhelming collection of files. Centro Leaks claimed on October 13 that only 10% of the leak had been uncovered at that time. At the time of writing, more details are being spun from the source code – a boost for The Cutting Room Floor. Further analysis of the code will likely reveal more secrets about Gen 1, and these sprites show that the Teraleak certainly dates back to 1998, and possibly even further.