The Pokémon Gold and Silver Beta Sprites leak refers to the massive data dump of the 1997 Nintendo Spaceworld demo, which surfaced online in 2018. This leak revealed dozens of scrapped Pokémon designs, early evolutions, and alternate forms that never made it into the final version of the Generation II games. Fans were particularly fascinated by the round tiger-like Kotora, the original 'Beta Pichu,' and the strangely realistic legendary beast prototypes. The meme is typically used to mourn lost designs, poke fun at the bizarre early concepts, or compare the cursed beta versions to the polished final products, serving as a staple of internet nostalgia for the global Pokémon community.