Bipeds and Quadrupeds

Way back during the onset of the seventh-generation Pokémon, there was a bit of a furor that the final evolution of the seventh-generation Fire starter - Incineroar - was once again bipedal, continuing a trend that has persisted since the first generation, and in contrast to its prior evolutionary forms. Some players questioned whether a Fire starter will ultimately have a quadrupedal form. This has gotten me to think about the state of Pokémon that walk on land with two or four appendages.

Many land-based Pokémon are clearly bipedal: they walk on two legs much like a human. Humanoid Pokémon like Machamp, Hariyama, and Gallade are naturally as such because they do very much resemble humans. However, so are some simians (monkey-like creatures) of the Pokémon world, including Primeape and Infernape, the fourth-generation Fire starter final form. Even more so are the wyverns or two-legged dragons of the world, like Charizard and Dragonite, at least when they're not flying. So there's a great deal of variety of bipedal Pokémon.

The same also goes for quadrupedal Pokémon. Naturally many felines and canines fall into this category, as Incineroar's prior forms Litten and Torracat, and as early as Persian for the former, while Arcanine and Rockruff are the respective examples for the latter. Other Pokémon like Rattata (Kanto form), Zigzagoon, and Yungoos are also quadrupedal, in resemblance to their respective real-world creatures. This situation is certainly expected, and yet there are others that somewhat differ.

Those that differ is what I would term "variables", being in the gray area between both patterns. Meowth seems to be one of those "variable" Pokémon as some are quadrupedal and some are bipedal (notably, that of Team Rocket). Zangoose is often depicted as bipedal when still and quadrupedal in motion, as is Pikachu as the de facto series mascot, though both also possess the opposite pattern. Even Typhlosion, one of the final form Fire starters, seem to be a variable, as it can move and attack both as a bipedal and a quadrupedal creature. These are the ones that don't fit either pattern generally, or rather fit into both patterns rather than just one.

It's not hard to suppose that this is just the realization of variety. Some Pokémon are bipedal by appearance and quadrupedal as is naturally expected of them, and that's respectable. But then there are those others that can be both in certain circumstances. Given this, it's as reasonable to expect that new Pokémon will be classified as either pattern as they are crossing over between the patterns; of course, Fire-type starters seem to have gained expectations of their own regarding the two patterns. Whether the next Fire starter meets or does not meet these expectations remains to be seen.

One year ago: Ride the Pokémon