Pokemon Fans' Aversion To Bipedal Starters Runs Deep

"As soon as everyone saw Pombon's dopey little face, the memes started and did not stop. I think they come to the right conclusion that ultimately a lot of fans don't want their Pokémon to become "too humanlike" when they start out looking like they could be a pet."

"Charizard and Blastoise are two of the original starters from the first games, and they end up bipedal, but they are definitely not anthropomorphic and still look like monsters. Compare this to Pokémon like Delphox, Cinderace, Meowscarada, and Incineroar, all of whom look much more humanoid."

"In part, fans' disapproval of this tendency can be chalked up to anti-furry sentiment, especially because these criticisms are not nearly as often levied against Blaziken, a bipedal bird from Generation III that people have a lot of nostalgia for."

Pokémon starter evolution patterns have sparked fan debate, particularly regarding Pombon's potential final form. Historically, starters like Charizard and Blastoise evolved into bipedal creatures while maintaining monstrous appearances. Recent generations including Delphox, Cinderace, Meowscarada, and Incineroar display increasingly humanoid characteristics that resemble costumed humans rather than creatures. Fan disapproval stems partly from anti-furry sentiment, though nostalgia for Blaziken complicates this criticism. The core concern centers on starters losing their monster identity and feeling repetitive, with fans preferring designs that maintain distinctly non-human characteristics despite bipedal evolution.

Read at Kotaku