>>33327304To answer your question you need to know how animations typically work.
Every 3D model has a "skeleton" inside it that can be moved around and have animations applied to it. The skeleton for the high poly model can be used by other models, like the shadow model. Because Game Freak created walking and running animations using the skeleton for the high poly models, and the high poly and shadow models use the same skeleton, then logically the shadow models CAN use the walking and running animations.
The walking and running animations are NOT made specifically for the shadow models, the shadow models are just using the same animation instructions.
And to answer why Game Freak would create walking and running animations for all Pokemon even though only a handful are used in the Pokefinder minigame, it's likely because they knew movement animations were going to be needed in the future sometime, and they went ahead and did them all.
Why are most walking and running animations still in SM even though they are unused? Animation files are extremely small in file size, and probably weren't worth removing because there may be some unseen issue with ripping out those files.
