Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Leaked Cherubi and Tauros Are Fakes

Sorry, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans – the “leaked” images of Cherubi and Tauros are fakes. Earlier this month, supposed new regional forms of Cherubi and Tauros from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet appeared on the Internet, with some sites claiming that the 3D images were real despite some obvious red flags. Today, the Cherubi and Tauros were confirmed to be fan-made, as a well-known Fakemon creator known as Doodle Beard on Instagram came forward and took credit for the fake Pokemon. You can check out his version of Cherubi (and him claiming credit for the fake Pokemon) below: 

Still, the two “Fakemon” are admittedly pretty cool looking. Doodle Beard took inspiration from Pokemon Violet’s grape motif for Cherubi, while Tauros sports a black coat of fur with a nose ring in reference to the Spanish Fighting bull. The biggest tell for both Cherubi and Tauros were their use of realistic shadows that matched their silhouettes. While actual Pokemon Scarlet and Violet images show both Pokemon and people with shadows, their shading and angles appear to be significantly different. It’s a good reminder that while there have been legitimate leaks of upcoming Pokemon games, there are also a lot of “fake” leaks or people tossing out fun theories and seeing if more gullible people will run with them as facts. 

While these regional forms ended up being fake, we shouldn’t have to wait too long for more news about the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games. The Pokemon Company traditionally releases news near the beginning of the month, so there’s a strong possibility we’ll get more news this week. We still don’t know the name of the region or if they’ll be a new “gimmick” similar to Mega Evolution or Dynamaxing in the new games, so there’s still lots more information to be revealed.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will be released on November 18th.