

In the past, curious parties were able to see every Pokémon in a given game through hacking, but that is (generally) no longer the case. One benefit newer Pokémon games enjoy is the addition Legendary or Mythical Pokémon via online updates, meaning these creatures don't need to be included in the game's code at launch. The most recent Pokémon games to be leaked early were Pokémon Sword and Shield, as the Galar Pokédex, as well as the identities of which Pokémon were planned to be added in post-launch updates, were shared before release. Over a week ahead of release, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining PearlROMs have been leaked online, meaning the games can be run and played on emulators. The Pokémonfranchise has been plagued by leaks for years, with early copies of the games circulating online and dataminers revealing all of their secrets before they have even launched. Reddit user SwitchPirates has explained the short process and photographic proof of Shining Pearl running on a Switch. Update ( 2:15 PM CST): In addition to the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond ROM, hackers have now accessed Pokémon Shining Pearl on Nintendo Switch.
