With the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the horizon and new information on its world and creatures coming out regularly, there's been some opinionated discussion on whether the fully-evolved form of starter Sprigatito should ultimately evolve into a bipedal form. In the one form of its expected evolutionary line that fans have seen so far, Sprigatito is the one quadruped amongst Scarlet and Violet's starters, walking with the gait of an ordinary cat. But since Gen 6, starter Pokémon that walk on all fours, like Fennekin and Sobble, have stood on two feet in their final forms.
It isn't hard to find discussion on the reasoning behind the design convention in modern Pokémon. As starter Pokémon are among the first creatures that players encounter in a series entry and are likely some of those they'll bond most closely to across their adventures, their designs should be marketable and personable. Putting an already compelling Pokémon design in the monster capture series on two legs makes it more humanoid and, in theory, more tame-looking and relatable to its human trainer. Additionally, nothing reflects the series' theme of evolution quite as simply as an animal shifting from one mode of ambulation to another as it grows.
But neither that line of thought nor fans' desire for a return to more variety changes the fact that there are ups and downs whether Sprigatito becomes bipedal. The forepaws of a two-legged Sprigatito evolution would likely become hands, broadening the variety of attacks it could use and enabling it to use tools. This design route in other Pokémon has allowed them to recognizably reflect real-life human fighting styles and professions as seen in previous starters like the wrestler Incineroar and the drummer Rillaboom. Then again, classic starters like Pokémon Venusaur and Blastoise, which can Gigantamax in Pokémon Sword & Shield to become even more monstrous, haven't needed to read as humanlike in any respect or hold any classic RPG class-esque gimmick to linger with love in longtime trainers' minds. A fully-evolved Sprigatito may genuinely find itself more memorable and even broadly appealing for returning to bestial designs like theirs.
Pokémon SV's Sprigatito Could Evolve Into A Biped Or Quadruped
In the end, whether Sprigatito should remain on all fours into adulthood largely depends on Game Freak's intent for its full evolutionary line - but even then, it may benefit from the unexpected. Attempting to have a four-legged creature emulate human tool use, combat, and expression can result in much more creative design solutions than giving it hands. Meanwhile, the previously-mentioned Blastoise joins other past starters like Charizard and Feraligatr in bipedalism that comes across as kaiju-like rather than humanoid. Walking on two legs doesn't preclude a monster from appearing animalistic.
The first Pokémon Scarlet and Violet full starter sneak peek will likely be polarizing, as full starter line releases almost always are. Once it inevitably drops, there won't only be grounds to suggest what the best design choices could've been for Sprigatito's evolutions. There'll also inevitably be those who fell in love with the friendly-faced kitten only to find it evolves into something that doesn't suit their taste or playstyle. By the time Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is ready to take invite trainers into its world, however, hopefully, any disappointed Sprigatito fans will have found that either Fuecoco or Quaxley promises to be the perfect partner for them to grow with throughout a Paldean adventure instead - or that they've warmed back up to the little Grass cat.
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