Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been announced for later this year, along with a reveal of the starters. They include a Grass-type cat called Sprigatito, a Fire-type crocodile named Fuecoco, and a Water-type duck named Quaxly. The upcoming games appear to be set in a Pokemon version of Spain, with its landmark and architectural designs that seem to be inspired by the real-world Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe.
The talk of the town is all about the starters, though, with fans picking up their pens for fan art, and others coming up with theories as to what their evolved forms will look like. A huge trend among these conversations revolves around the Grass-type cat starter, Sprigatito. It reminds fans of another cat starter Pokemon, Litten, and the fact that they hated the cat evolving into a bipedal design. Fans are praying all over the internet that Sprigatitio keeps all four of its pawns on the ground as it evolves.
Sprigatito: What Fans Are Saying
With nearly 7,000 up-votes, a Reddit user has written "Please for the love of god keep Sprigatito quadrupedal," explaining that the series has ruined many quadrupedal designs in the past through evolution, with Litten to Incineroar from Pokemon Sun and Moon as a prime example. Another player raised the example of Delphox from Pokemon X and Y as an example of a quadrupedal Pokemon they loved, that evolved into a less cute bipedal one. Another concern coinciding with the design is the typing. As starters evolved, they often get a second typing, and fans are worried about getting a Grass Fighting-type, as they have with Fire-types for many generations.
Among fan conversations are also a lot of funny Pokemon memes and comics. One that has been floating around as Sprigatito with all four of its legs tied to the ground so that it cannot be bipedal. A lot of artists are drawing masculine bipedal designs of what could possibly be Sprigatito evolutions with jokes like "reblog to scare Pokemon fans."
The fact is that most starters do become bipedal, and the last Pokemon to ever keep all four feet on the ground is Oshawott, which is ironic since its first form is bipedal. Primarina can sort of count, but it's a seal-Pokemon, so it does not really have four feet. As for why this trend happens, and why fans do not like it, is another entire conversation.
Why Bipedal Is Out Of Style
The worries of fans show that people want Pokemon that are less like humans and more like animals. Fans want more Pokemon like Ninetails, Eevee, Wooloo, Arcanine, Venasaur, and Boltund. These Pokemon being more like animals makes them feel less awkward to treat like pets, which most fans prefer to imagine. The more human they look, the odder the interactions with them seem.
Pokemon can be based on animals, but has never been seen quite like animals in the Pokemon universe. They are more alike to Japanese kami, as beings with power that can surpass humans. That is the reason so many bipedal designs are out there. When it comes to starters, bipedal designs have been more and more common. For example, every starter in Pokemon Sword and Shield became bipedal.
A potential hint of whether Sprigatito will be bipedal or not would be its designer, who has not been revealed. Certain artists in the development team are more prone to make bipedal Pokemon than others. Another hint could be what Sprigatito is based on, and most fans are theorizing that it's based on an Iberian lynx, which is a good sign for those that want it to stay on all fours.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.