Since its reveal as the Fire-type starter for Pokemon Winds and Waves, Pombon has become one of the breakout favorites of Gen 10’s starter trio, thanks to its fluffy design and instant charm. Its adorable pomeranian-inspired has naturally ignited some excitement from fans, with many already imagining what later evolution stages might look like once the game finally launches next year. While official evolutions for Pokemon Winds and Waves’ starter Pokemon haven’t been revealed yet, the community has decided not to wait around for it. Artists across social media have already begun sketching out Pombon’s full evolution line, with some wildly different but thoughtful takes on what the pup’s second and final evolution stages might look like.
But some fanmade designs for Pombon’s evolutionary journey in Pokemon Winds and Waves stand out more than others, whether on account of their extreme attention to detail or the extra dose of cuteness they add to the Pokemon’s look. Some lean into mythology, reimagining Pombon as a regal fire guardian. Others double down on its pomeranian DNA, simply scaling it up into a fiercer but still unmistakably fluffy powerhouse. A few designs experiment even more extensively with the Pokemon, making it look like a character straight out of Fire Emblem.
Pombon’s Final Evolution by Iker_320
First up is Iker_320’s design posted on Reddit of a potential final evolution for Pombon. It is currently one of the top-voted fan-made designs for the Pokemon on r/pokemon, and it’s easy to see why. While the artist hasn’t confirmed it, this design was evidently inspired by Barong—the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda from Indonesian mythology.
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Most of the comments below the design praise the idea, with many even linking its apparent inspiration to Barong. However, some others pour cold water on the artist’s fire (pun intended) by suggesting that it’s unrealistic for a starter Pokemon to end up looking like this in its final stage of evolution. For one thing, it does have the appearance of a legendary Pokemon, which would exclude it from being a starter, but many fans also express skepticism that Pombon’s final form would remain quadrupedal rather than bipedal—as Pokemon like Fennekin and Litten are in their final forms.
Pombon, Chowcoal, and Pyrewolf by pierreodactyl
Another great Pombon design comes from pierreodactyl on Threads, and is one of the more detailed fan-made versions of the Pokemon’s evolutionary stages posted online. This particular design doesn’t just show Pombon’s three unique visual stages but gives them names as well, with Pombon evolving into Chowcoal, and Chowcoal evolving into Pyrewolf.
Like Iker_320’s design for Pombon, pierreodactyl’s keeps the Pokemon on all fours throughout each stage of its evolution. But what’s most interesting about this particular design is that it maintains Pombon’s core features throughout its evolutionary journey, which isn’t typical, especially for starter Pokemon. It’s common for a Pokemon to adopt an entirely different look in its final form than it had in its first, although the roots are generally still visible. In this case, Pokemon Winds and Waves’ Pombon merely increases in size, its fangs, claws, ears, and eyebrows lengthen, and it gains body armor of sorts that looks like it’s composed of hardened magma.
If Toby Fox Designed Pombon by 2019_yoty2021
This Pombon design by Reddit user 2019_yoty2021 might be more of a humorous take on the Pokemon’s three evolutions, but it’s nonetheless one worth looking at. The design shows bipedal Pombon taking up a Pokeball shield and a sword in its second form, with its final form donning a full set of armor and a pup-headed spear.
It didn’t take fans long to comment below the image that this would essentially be what Pombon looked like if it were designed by Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale, and they’re not too far off. It does seem to follow a lot of the design principles Fox became known for with Undertale, like exaggerated proportions, simple but expressive facial features, and a playful blend of fantasy tropes with a dash of offbeat charm. While it may not be the most realistic prediction for what Game Freak might ultimately do with Pombon, it captures the idea that a starter’s evolution can completely reinvent its identity while still retaining its root features.
The Increasingly Fluffy Pombon by quasnoflaut
Reddit user quasnoflaut’s design of Pombon comes with a very simple request for Game Freak: let the Pokemon just get fluffier as it evolves while changing nothing else. Unfortunately, that’s a lot to ask of Pokemon, since pretty much every Pokemon’s appearance significantly changes as it evolves. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from upvoting quasnoflaut’s Pombon and praising the idea of nothing changing but the volume of its fluff.
The comments below the image have some humorous nicknames for quasnoflaut’s version of Pombon that are worth mentioning as well. User Stretch5678 calls it “Super Saiyan Floof” and another user echoes that sentiment with an image of the widely shared Super Saiyan 100 meme. Another user mentioned its nickname for Pombon’s final form would be LordPoofyflames, while others suggested either Flamoyed or Pombe. Finally, user SoggyTriangles would be okay with Pombon’s final stage of evolution seeing the canine become nothing but a fireball with a simple pup face.
From Pombon to Houndferno by Ash_Mon
A final fan-made design of Pombon worth mentioning comes from Reddit user Ash_Mon, who not only included a colored drawing of the Pokemon’s final stage of evolution but also a name and some stats to go with it. Here, Pombon’s final form is Houndferno, a Fire/Dark-type Pokemon whose signature abilities are Blaze and Moxy. Furthermore, rather than retaining its innocent yellow-orange appearance, Pombon’s fur eventually becomes black or dark gray, and its expression more violent.
One user mentioned that Ash_Mon’s Pombon design is essentially Houndoom, only fluffier, but fans didn’t seem to mind that. Other fans mentioned they would love to see Pombon stay on all fours, regardless of how the Pokemon’s appearance changes throughout its evolutionary journey. Finally, some fans think Ash_Mon’s design is unrealistic, but whose is in the long run anyway?
Released
2027
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
