While Pokemon scarlet and violet are still a week away from release, it is currently Open season on leaks and spoilers as copies of the game begin to circulate in the wild. But perhaps no leak has torn the Pokémon community apart like the second and third evolutions of the Sprigatito. Players who choose the Paldea region grass starter are in for a wild ride.
Coming to Switch on November 18th Pokemon scarlet and violet‘s leaks began mid-summer when blurry screenshots were circulating online that didn’t just reveal Gym Leaders and the game’s Terastalize mechanic, but also completely new Pokémon. Leaks picked up again this week as some fans snagged physical copies of the game ahead of its official launch. We took a look at Fuecoco’s first evolution, as well as some other new additions to the Paldea region Pokédex. But nothing prepared fans for what the game has in store for Sprigatito.
One star down if the Gen 9 launchers were revealed first February saw plenty of fan theories about everyone’s new favorite grass cat. Would it change type as it evolved? Would it come from four legs to stand upright? Well we now know the answer and it will shock you. A number of Pokemon licking accounts on twitter, including CentroLeaksshared the following screenshot of the first evolution, Fluragato:
As well as going from four legs to two, Fluragato carries a long-stemmed flower that’s equal parts “come here/don’t fuck with me.” Step aside Farfetch’d. Leek is so 1996. Fan reaction to Fluragato has seemed almost universally positive, at least so far. “Sooo good I’ve already decided on Srigatito but that’s it man,” one person replied on Twitter. “Same thing and this is just mid development,” wrote another. “I can’t wait to see the finale.”
Yes. About that. Leakers also blew up a screenshot of Sprigatito’s third evolution and it tore the community apart. May I introduce you to Meowscarada:
G/O Media may receive a commission
Goodbye Zorro, hello clown school. Looking even more humanoid than mid-evolution, Meowscarada seems poised to be an understudy in a Pokémon-only version carmen. Some fans like it. Like very much. Others not so much. “GOTY,” wrote one person. “I hate it here,” explained another.
One thing Meowscarada speaks for is that the latest developments for the other starters –Skeledirge for Fuecco and Quaquaval for Quaxley–didn’t exactly set fans’ hearts aflame either, although the allegedly leaked images make it that much harder for them to judge:
Starters are always a lightning rod for controversy and fan passion, and it will take time with the actual games themselves to see what each Pokemon looks like in action. As the mainline series’ first attempt at an open-world role-playing game, Meowscarada and everyone else has plenty of room to show their personality and engage fans in new and different ways. For my part, I will still pick Fuecco. I’ll just never let him develop further.
