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Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada

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Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada
Pokémon characters
From left to right: Floragato, Meowscarada, and Sprigatito as they appear in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
First gamePokémon Scarlet and Violet (2022)
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeGrass (Sprigatito, Floragato)
Grass and Dark (Meowscarada)

Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada—known in Japan as Nyahoja (Japanese: ニャオハ, Hepburn: Nyaoha), Nyarote (ニャローテ, Nyarōte), and Masquernya (マスカーニャ, Masukānya) respectively—are Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, they have since appeared in multiple games, as well as various merchandise.

Classified as a Grass-type Pokémon, Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada are a trio of cat-like Pokémon. Sprigatito is the first stage of its evolutionary line, evolving into Floragato and eventually Meowscarada. It is one of the three Pokémon available at the start of Scarlet and Violet, alongside Fuecoco and Quaxly. The three have been subject to much discussion, primarily around Sprigatito and the designs of its evolutionary forms compared to past designs in the series. Various aspects of the evolutionary line have resulted in internet memes.

Conception and development

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Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada are a trio of species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[1] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[2] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[3] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[2]

Sprigatito is a small green cat-like Pokémon. It is one of the three Pokemon players can obtain as their first in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it can evolve into Floragato and Meowscarada after gaining enough experience.[4] In the anime, Sprigatito is voiced by Kira Buckland in English[5] and Megumi Hayashibara voices both it[6] and Floragato in Japanese.[7]

Appearances

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Sprigatito first appeared in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as one of the three Pokémon available for the player to select as their first Pokémon, alongside Fuecoco and Quaxly.[8] Sprigatito evolves into Floragato and eventually Meowscarada. All three forms are Grass-type Pokémon, though Meowscarada gains a Dark type.[9] If the player chooses a different Pokémon, Sprigatito will either be owned by Nemona[10] or Director Clavell,[11] depending on which is chosen. Sprigatito also appears in other games, such as Pokémon Go[12] and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.[13] In the anime, the main protagonist of Pokémon Horizons: The Series, Liko, obtains a Sprigatito as her first Pokémon. Though it is not fond of Liko at first, it slowly begins to show affection for her as the series progresses.[14] Sprigatito eventually evolves into Floragato.[15] Sprigatito and its evolutions have been used in promotion material for the series, with plushes being produced.[16][17]

Reception

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Sprigatito was well-received by fans and critics, being considered a cute Pokémon.[18] In a Famitsu poll, Sprigatito was named the most popular of the three Starter Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, receiving more than 40 percent of the votes. Meanwhile, a Nintendo Life poll ranked Sprigatito in second place, behind Fuecoco.[8] Inside Games writer Chappurin felt its cute design led to it ranking second in the website's poll, in which it received 36 percent of the votes.[19] Polygon writer Cass Marshall considered Sprigatito her personal favorite of the three Scarlet and Violet starters, owing it to her enjoyment of cats.[20] Sprigatito has been the subject of memes surrounding marijuana, given the nickname "Weed Cat." The Mary Sue writer Chelsea Steiner was excited for Sprigatito, particularly in terms of design due in part to the weed angle.[21] Comic Book Resources writer Christian Markle and Screen Rant writer Carlyle Edmundson both drew comparisons between Sprigatito and Ash Ketchum's Pikachu in the anime.[22][23]

(From left to right) Litten, Torracat, and Incineroar as they appear in artwork for the series. Litten's progression into a bidpedal, humanoid Pokémon was a large reason for the debate around Sprigatito's potential evolutions.

Sprigatito's evolutions have been the subject of commentary, with many focusing around its evolution.[24] Upon its reveal, fans of the series noticed similarities between Sprigatito and another cat-based first partner Pokémon, Litten, and grew concerned that Sprigatito would evolve to be bipedal as Litten did.[25][20][26] Polygon writer Cass Marshall noted people's worries about Sprigatito evolving into a bipedal Pokémon, citing the drastic change from the 'sweet little' Litten into the 'raging, bipedal luchador' Incineroar. Marshall personally hoped to see Sprigatito remain quadrapedal.[20] Inside Games writer Chappurin discussed the propensity of cat Pokémon changing their stance when they evolve, noting how fans called for Sprigatito to stay on four legs as a result.[27] The discussion surrounding Sprigatito's evolution led to the phrase "Sprigatito Stand" becoming one of the most used words on social media web forums in 2022[25] as well as an internet meme.[26][28]

Reception to Floragato, Sprigatito's evolution, was generally positive, despite the initial concern around its bipedal evolution. Inside Games noted that the design maintained numerous aspects of Sprigatito's design, additionally stating that it had become "stylish" while doing so.[28] Its evolution into Meowscarada was more mixed.[4] Polygon writer Ana Diaz noted that the prevalence of bipedal Pokémon had become a series cliche.[29] This concern over it standing was due in part to fans not wanting Sprigatito to become rugged in a similar manner to Incineroar.[30] Automaton Media writer Ayuo Kawase felt the reason why people did not want it to become bipedal was because people got so attached to how cute it was.[31] Despite complaints, Chappurin noted that the evolutions had begun to grow on fans.[32] Hideaki Fujiwara of Automaton Media felt that Meowscarada going with a "smarter" direction than a "strong" direction like they did with Incineroar helped influence Meowscarada's popularity.[33] Meowscarada's tendency to become jealous was also stated to have influenced Meowscarada's popularity somewhat.[33][34] It was credited with dispelling concerns regarding Sprigatito standing and overall has been well received,[18][35][26] with Inside Games stating its slender and cute cat-like design helped make it a popular Pokémon with fans.[25] In a poll conducted by GameWith, Meowscarada was the third most popular Pokémon in Japan.[36] One year later, in 2023, a poll ranked it as the most popular overall.[37]

Critics have expressed worries about Sprigatito evolving to develop sexual characteristics. The Gamer writer Eric Switzer felt that the franchise leaned too heavily on feminine Pokémon designs, worrying that Sprigatito would also evolve in a similar manner.[38] Meowscarada's bipedal design and approximately similar height to the player led to some players to interpret it to seem as if they were kissing it.[39][40][41][42] Some players noted this aspect as a potential design element, with Sprigatito evolving to be bipedal out of affection for its trainer.[43]

References

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  1. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  3. ^ Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook. Scholastic Inc. July 28, 2015. p. 5. ISBN 9780545795661.
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  5. ^ McMullen, Chris (January 15, 2024). "All English Dub Voice Actors & Cast List for Pokémon Horizons". The Escapist. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
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  7. ^ Behind the Voice Actors- Floragato (Liko's)
  8. ^ a b Norman, Jim (November 18, 2022). "Sprigatito Is Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's Most Popular Starter, According To Famitsu Survey". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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  22. ^ Markle, Christian (April 22, 2023). "Pokémon Horizons' Sprigatito Inherited the Same Spirit as Ash's Pikachu". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
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  24. ^ Sato, Koutaro (August 4, 2022). "『ポケモン スカーレット・バイオレット』新映像で、シビルドンが「立つ」。ニャオハはともかくでんきうおポケモンが歴史的原点回帰". Automaton Media. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c "『アニポケ』でニャオハが立ちそう…本日3月29日放送回で進化を匂わせ、懐かしの「ニャオハ立つな」が再び盛り上がる". インサイド (in Japanese). March 29, 2024. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c Fujiwara, Hideaki (January 13, 2023). "『ポケモンSV』ついに"公式に"ニャオハが立つ。マスカーニャお披露目で、ニャオハ立つな論争に終止符". AUTOMATON (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Chappurin (March 24, 2022). "『ポケモンSV』のニャオハに「進化しても立たないで！」と願う声！二足で歩く、歴代猫ポケモンを調べてみた". Inside Games. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "【ネタバレ注意】「ニャオハ立つな」論争ついに決着！ユーザーの反応は…？『ポケモンSV』". インサイド (in Japanese). November 18, 2022. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  29. ^ Diaz, Ana (November 10, 2022). "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's leaked designs may be the most divisive yet". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  30. ^ Chappurin (March 1, 2023). "イイネイヌがニャオハの進化形じゃなくてよかった…『ポケモンSV』新ポケモンに「ニャオハの元進化候補説」が上がる". Inside Games. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  31. ^ Kawase, Ayuo (February 28, 2022). "Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters have fans hoping for non-bipedal evolutions". Automaton Media. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  32. ^ Chappurin (November 18, 2022). "【ネタバレ注意】「ニャオハ立つな」論争ついに決着！ユーザーの反応は…？『ポケモンSV』". Inside Games. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Fujiwara, Hideaki (January 13, 2023). "『ポケモンSV』ついに"公式に"ニャオハが立つ。マスカーニャお披露目で、ニャオハ立つな論争に終止符". Automaton Media. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  34. ^ "『ポケモンSV』マスカーニャは"嫉妬深い"ポケモンだった！？公式の「爆弾設定」が効果バツグン". インサイド (in Japanese). January 13, 2023. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
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  36. ^ Castillo, Alejandro (December 29, 2022). "Japan chooses its favorite Pokémon from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet". Meristation. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  37. ^ Robertson, Joshua (December 29, 2023). "Meowscarada Has Been Voted Scarlet & Violet's Most Popular Pokemon In Japan". TheGamer. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  38. ^ Switzer, Eric (March 1, 2022). "Game Freak, Please Don't Ruin The Cat Pokemon This Time". The Gamer. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  39. ^ "Pokémon players are 'kissing' their Meowscaradas". Eurogamer.net. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  40. ^ Young, Rory (November 24, 2022). "Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Players Raise Their Eyebrows at Questionable Meowscarada 'Kiss'". Game Rant. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  41. ^ Liang, Lu-Hai (November 28, 2022). "Pokemon Players Have Been Kissing Meowscarada In Scarlet & Violet". TheGamer. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  42. ^ Winslow, Levi (November 28, 2022). "Welp, Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Players Found A Way To Kiss Their Monsters". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  43. ^ "「ニャオハ立つな」派が手のひら返し！トレーナーや月ノ美兎を骨抜きにした"ときめきモーション"の正体". インサイド (in Japanese). December 24, 2022. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
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