As leakers wrap their paws around the leaked rom for Pokémon Scarlet, new and exciting Pokémon have seemingly been appearing around the internet with every minute. While some may prefer to steer clear of these leaks, going into the new titles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sight-unseen, others have celebrated with each new design that surfaces or mechanic that has been updated. One leaked creature resembles a very lovable pup and will likely be an instant favorite for many.
The new canine-like Pokémon’s name is Maschiff, a play on words of the Mastiff breed. This Pokémon is a dark-type, and its Tera-type is ground. This is a bit against their namesake, as Mastiff’s are generally friendly and obedient dogs, so the dark-type being attributed to them may rub some dog lovers the wrong way. There’s simply no way someone could come across this Pokémon and not immediately fall in love.
Aside from its appearance and type, not much is known about the Maschiff. It’s reasonable to presume that dark-like attacks which work well with canines, such as Bite (with a 30% to force its target to flinch) would be a primary move for the creature. Dark-types have a natural immunity to Psychic types, and Mastiff will likely be a strong pair with the strange new fairy-types of Pokémon that have also leaked. It appears the Mastiff would be closest to Zarude in terms of Pokémon that have already been released, considering its type hybrid.
As is always the case when dealing with leaks, these should be taken as likely information but not set into stone. Neither the Pokémon Company nor Nintendo have spoken about the validity of the leaks that have spread across the internet recently, and they cannot be verified until the title officially launches on November 18.
