diff --git a/pokemon_v2/serializers.py b/pokemon_v2/serializers.py
index fb85c66cb..b59679826 100644
--- a/pokemon_v2/serializers.py
+++ b/pokemon_v2/serializers.py
@@ -2933,10 +2933,30 @@ class Meta:
             "past_types",
         )
 
+    _FEMALE_FALLBACKS: ClassVar[dict[str, str]] = {
+        "front_female": "front_default",
+        "back_female": "back_default",
+        "front_shiny_female": "front_shiny",
+        "back_shiny_female": "back_shiny",
+    }
+
     @extend_schema_field(PokemonSpritesSerializer)
-    def get_pokemon_sprites(self, obj: Pokemon) -> dict[str, str | None]:
+    def get_pokemon_sprites(self, obj: Pokemon) -> dict[str, Any]:
         sprites_list = list(cast("PokemonWithRelations", obj).pokemonsprites.all())
-        return sprites_list[0].sprites if sprites_list else {}
+        if not sprites_list:
+            return {}
+        sprites = sprites_list[0].sprites
+        if obj.pokemon_species and obj.pokemon_species.gender_rate == 8:
+            self._fill_female_sprites(sprites)
+        return sprites
+
+    def _fill_female_sprites(self, sprites: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        for female_key, default_key in self._FEMALE_FALLBACKS.items():
+            if female_key in sprites and sprites[female_key] is None and sprites.get(default_key) is not None:
+                sprites[female_key] = sprites[default_key]
+        for value in sprites.values():
+            if isinstance(value, dict):
+                self._fill_female_sprites(value)
 
     @extend_schema_field(PokemonCriesSerializer)
     def get_pokemon_cries(self, obj: Pokemon) -> dict[str, str | None]:
diff --git a/pokemon_v2/tests.py b/pokemon_v2/tests.py
index 80e4c4903..49cc7545b 100644
--- a/pokemon_v2/tests.py
+++ b/pokemon_v2/tests.py
@@ -1631,7 +1631,7 @@ def setup_pokemon_sprites_data(
 
         pokemon_sprites = PokemonSprites.objects.create(
             pokemon=pokemon,
-            sprites=json.dumps(sprites | {"other": {"showdown": showdown}}),
+            sprites=sprites | {"other": {"showdown": showdown}},
         )
         pokemon_sprites.save()
 
@@ -4523,9 +4523,9 @@ def test_pokemon_api(self):
             "{}{}/pokemon-form/{}/".format(TEST_HOST, API_V2, pokemon_form.pk),
         )
 
-        sprites_data = json.loads(pokemon_sprites.sprites)
+        sprites_data = pokemon_sprites.sprites
         cries_data = json.loads(pokemon_cries.cries)
-        response_sprites_data = json.loads(response.data["sprites"])
+        response_sprites_data = response.data["sprites"]
         json.loads(response.data["cries"])
 
         # sprite params
@@ -4649,6 +4649,26 @@ def test_pokemon_moves_version_group_details_are_deterministically_ordered(self)
             [1, 2, 3],
         )
 
+    def test_pokemon_api_female_only_sprites_fallback(self):
+        pokemon_species = self.setup_pokemon_species_data(name="female only pkmn spcs", gender_rate=8)
+        pokemon = self.setup_pokemon_data(pokemon_species=pokemon_species, name="female only pkmn")
+        self.setup_pokemon_form_data(pokemon=pokemon, name="female only pkmn form")
+        self.setup_pokemon_sprites_data(pokemon=pokemon, front_default=True, front_female=False)
+        self.setup_pokemon_cries_data(pokemon, latest=True, legacy=True)
+
+        response = self.client.get("{}/pokemon/{}/".format(API_V2, pokemon.pk), headers={"host": "testserver"})
+
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_200_OK)
+
+        response_sprites = response.data["sprites"]
+
+        self.assertIsNotNone(response_sprites["front_default"])
+        self.assertEqual(response_sprites["front_female"], response_sprites["front_default"])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            response_sprites["other"]["showdown"]["front_female"],
+            response_sprites["other"]["showdown"]["front_default"],
+        )
+
     def test_pokemon_form_api(self):
         pokemon_species = self.setup_pokemon_species_data()
         pokemon = self.setup_pokemon_data(pokemon_species=pokemon_species)