Find the smallest positive integer $a$ such that $x^4 + a^2$ is not prime for any integer $x.$
For $1 \le a \le 7,$ we give a value of $x$ for which $x^4 + a^2$ is prime:
\[
\begin{array}{c|c|c}
a & x & a^4 + x^2 \\ \hline
1 & 1 & 2 \\
2 & 1 & 5 \\
3 & 10 & 10009 \\
4 & 1 & 17 \\
5 & 2 & 41 \\
6 & 1 & 37 \\
7 & 20 & 160049
\end{array}
\]For $a = 8,$
\begin{align*}
x^4 + a^2 &= x^4 + 64 \\
&= x^4 + 16x^2 + 64 - 16x^2 \\
&= (x^2 + 8)^2 - (4x)^2 \\
&= (x^2 + 4x + 8)(x^2 - 4x + 8).
\end{align*}For any positive integer, both factors $x^2 + 4x + 8$ and $x^2 - 4x + 8$ are greater than 1, so $x^4 + 64$ is always composite.  Thus, the smallest such $a$ is $\boxed{8}.$