Pokémon controversy: Difference between revisions

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<center> '''This article is, like all other Bulbapedia articles, fact-based.  No images on this page are intended to be offensive; they are here for informative purposes only.  Understanding of this by the reader is greatly appreciated.''' </center>
{{PA}}
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There have been numerous '''controversies''' regarding the [[Pokémon]] franchise in its various forms and media.


There have been numerous '''controversies''' over events, images, names, and other themes stemming from [[Pokémon]]. This is likely due to the game's extreme popularity eliciting a backlash from some members of society.
==Violence==
===Animation===
Although [[4Kids Entertainment|4Kids]] allow for some cartoon violence in the anime, the following episodes contain scenes that were deemed to be "too violent", and thus were cut from the English broadcast:
* ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]'': {{an|Misty}} slapping {{Ash}} after he tells her he's okay, presumably because of his apparent lack of care for {{AP|Pikachu}}.
* ''[[EP003|Ash Catches a Pokémon]]'': Misty slapping Ash again due to his recklessness in sending out {{AP|Caterpie}} to battle a {{AP|Pidgeotto}}.
* ''[[EP009|The School of Hard Knocks]]'': Misty smashing {{an|Brock}} with a log because he says "To be continued..." rather than beginning the episode.
* [[EP035]]: Safari Zone Warden [[Kaiser]] repeatedly threatening Ash and the group with a [[Weaponry in the Pokémon world|revolver]], and also firing at {{TRT}} when they trespass onto the {{safari|Kanto}} grounds, leading to the entire episode being [[banned episodes|banned]] outside of Asia.
* ''[[EP118|The Double Trouble Header]]'': Shots of Ash being struck by rapidly launched baseballs.
* ''[[EP247|Outrageous Fortunes]]'': There are two separate shots of Poliwrath violently slapping [[Jessie]]; in one of those shots, she has red spots on her cheeks from Poliwrath's intense slapping. Both of these shots were deemed "too violent" and cut from the broadcast version and [[List of English language Master Quest home video releases (Region 1)#Box sets|first US home video release]] and replaced with an impact animation. The version streamed on Pokémon TV and the [[List of English language Master Quest home video releases (Region 1)#The Complete Collection|second US home video release]], however, leaves the shots in this episode intact.
* ''[[AG003|There's No Place Like Hoenn]]'': Two separate scenes showing [[James]]'s head and Max on fire due to {{TP|May|Torchic}}'s {{m|Ember}} attack were cut from the dub for being too violent.
* ''[[AG024|A Corphish Out of Water]]'': A {{p|Carvanha}} hitting Ash in the back of the head.
Scenes like these are common in Japanese animation, and are intended for comic relief purposes. They are similar to scenes in Western animation such as ''{{wp|Looney Tunes}}'' and ''{{wp|Tom and Jerry}}'', where characters get hit by extremely heavy objects and are completely fine afterwards.
{{left clear}}


==Imagery, religion, etc.==
==Gambling==
===Perceived Nazi imagery===
[[File:HGSS Goldenrod Game Corner.png|thumb|right|The Goldenrod Game Corner in Western HeartGold and SoulSilver]]
[[image:106 T KOGASNINJATRICK.jpg|200px|right|frame|Koga's Ninja Trick, Japanese version]]
Over the years, there has been a growing distaste towards gambling and the exposure of it to minors. Due to the unpredictable “risk-it-all” nature of the activity and the high impressionability of youths, more and more people have voiced their opposition towards allowing minors to partake in gambling and/or gambling-esque activities, with simulated gambling in video games falling under particular scrutiny. As a result, the Pan-European Game Information ({{wp|PEGI}}) organization implemented stricter guidelines that limited simulated gambling first to older-skewing video games, starting in 2009, then eventually to adult-oriented games, starting in 2020,<ref>[https://gameworldobserver.com/2021/09/01/new-pegi-rating-criteria-labels-all-games-that-teach-or-encourage-gambling-18 New PEGI rating criteria labels all games that teach or encourage gambling 18+ | Game World Observer]</ref> and all games released in Europe featuring simulated gambling mechanics have been rated accordingly. While such restrictions are absent in other territories, many nations (the United States in particular) perceive gambling mechanics in video games as socially unacceptable, leading to the ''Pokémon'' games slowly phasing the concept out from [[Generation III]] onwards.
====In the TCG====
Members of the Jewish community accused [[Nintendo]] of using an offensive image in the Japanese version of {{TCG ID|Gym Challenge|Koga's Ninja Trick|115}}. The image in question, pictured at right, features an omote manji, a left-facing version of the {{wp|swastika}}.


While in the Western world, the image of the swastika in any form brings to mind the {{wp|fascist}} and {{wp|racist}} policies carried out by {{wp|Nazi Germany}} during the course of {{wp|World War II}}, the swastika's origin was in ancient times. It is used as a symbol of peace and good luck by many cultures, including that of {{wp|Hinduism}}, where the left-facing swastika represents, perhaps a bit ironically, love and mercy.
English releases of {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}} renamed the Gambler Trainer class to '''{{tc|PI|Gamer}}''' and removed gambling references from their dialogue. The English versions of the [[Generation IV]] games renamed Gamblers once more but to '''{{wp|Private investigator|PI}}'''s instead; however, the references to gambling were kept.


====In the games====
In South Korea, the releases of {{game2|Diamond|Pearl|Platinum}} replaced the [[slot machine]]s in the [[Veilstone Game Corner]] with non-playable [[Slot machine#Korean Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum / European Platinum|game machines]]. These changes were later copied to the releases of Pokémon Platinum in Europe as a result of changes in the classification standards at {{wp|Pan European Game Information|PEGI}}.<ref>[http://www.gamesradar.com/european-pokemon-platinums-missing-game-corner-explained/ European Pokemon Platinum's missing Game Corner explained | GamesRadar] ([https://archive.today/mRcAt archived copy])</ref> This change has been greatly criticized by European players, who felt that it completely defeated the purpose and concept of the Game Corner.
In European releases of {{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}, the sprite art for {{p|Registeel}} is altered slightly. While in Japanese and North American releases Registeel's arm is extended, the European version uses an altered sprite presumably due to the original pose's resemblance to the {{wp|Hitler salute}}. In all versions of {{game|Platinum}}, the sprite takes on its European form.
 
All non-Japanese releases of {{game|HeartGold and SoulSilver|s}} replace the slot machines of the two Game Corners in [[Goldenrod City]] and [[Celadon City]] with a new game called [[Voltorb Flip]]. In this minigame, {{OBP|Coin|Game Corner}}s are not wagered against a win or a loss but instead given out for completing a level. While many people find the game to be entertaining, the change removed the ability to buy coins, making Voltorb Flip the only way to obtain them.
 
With one exception, all [[core series]] games since {{game|Black and White|s}} have not featured a Game Corner, remakes included. In {{g|Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}}, the [[Mauville Game Corner]] has been closed down; the owner will instead provide the player with three dolls, originally obtained from an NPC inside the Game Corner. In {{LGPE}}, the [[Celadon Game Corner]] remains, due to its importance as the location of the [[Team Rocket Hideout]], but the slot machines have been replaced with non-playable arcade machines referencing other Pokémon games. In {{g|Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl}}, the [[Veilstone Game Corner]] was removed, and is replaced by the Metronome Style Shop, a clothing store that serves as a means for the player character to change outfits and hairstyles; though, a remix of the Veilstone Game Corner’s background music plays in the Style Shop.
 
In the [[Virtual Console]] re-releases of the [[Generation I]] and {{gen|II}} games, however, the Game Corner was left completely untouched, although the games did receive the higher-than-usual age rating of twelve and up by PEGI (compared to all other contemporary main-series titles, which PEGI gave a rating of seven and up).
 
There are other gambling methods that exist in later games, such as the [[Loto-ID]], the [[Cram-o-matic]], and the [[Item Printer]]. The difference is that these methods do not require any money to try out, and provide the player with items instead of money, the only luck-based factor being the rarity of the obtained item.
 
In {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game|TCG]] was blocked for a while<!--from when to when?--> because it “promoted gambling and Zionism”.{{fact}}
 
{{pkmn|Egg}}s in [[Pokémon GO]] have been accused of being {{wp|loot boxes}}, which is a form of gambling.<ref>https://screenrant.com/pokemon-go-eggs-loot-boxes-gambling-money-incubator/</ref>
 
==Racism==
===Jynx===
[[File:124Jynx RG.png|thumb|left|x200px|Jynx's original design]]
[[File:0124Jynx.png|thumb|200px|Jynx's current design]]
Following the American airing of ''[[Holiday Hi-Jynx]]'' in 1999, {{wp|Carole Boston Weatherford}}, an African-American cultural critic, claimed that {{p|Jynx}} was a negative racial stereotype of African-Americans, due to the Pokémon's black skin, and oversized facial features, which were typical in minstrel shows. She chiefly compared Jynx to the racist characters in the children's book ''{{wp|The Story of Little Black Sambo}}'', as well as calling Jynx "a dead ringer for an obese {{wp|Drag Queen}}", and further compared Jynx to {{wp|Mr. Popo}} of the {{wp|Dragon Ball}} franchise, another character who is also potentially offensive in his design.
 
Weatherford's complaint caused many repercussions in the Pokémon franchise. The sprites of Jynx in the Western releases of {{game2|Gold|Silver|Crystal}} were edited, and all episodes featuring Jynx's original design were cut from international airings of the anime, including a sequence depicting Jynx in its original design in ''[[AG013|All Things Bright and Beautifly!]]''.
 
Jynx's design was officially revised by [[Game Freak]] to be purple rather than black, starting with the international releases of {{g|Gold and Silver}} and being included in all versions of the games from [[Generation III]]-onwards. This change was reflected in later [[core series]] games, including in Japan and South Korea, beginning with {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}}, and in the {{pkmn|anime}} starting in ''[[AG115|Mean With Envy]]''. Jynx has also been recolored in [[VIZ Media]]'s reissues of [[Pokémon Adventures]]. Although the manga is colored in black-and-white, Jynx appearing in the manga are recolored as a dark gray rather than a straight black, suggesting that they are purple instead of black. It is also recolored to purple on the back cover of the reissue of {{PAV|4}}. Jynx's skin was also recolored to purple when ''Holiday Hi-Jynx'' finally saw a re-airing in Japan in 2012; nevertheless, the episode is still banned in the US due to the implications of African American-esque characters being subservient to a powerful white figure. The [[Pokémon Pocket Monsters]] manga published between 2005 and 2006 in English by [[Chuang Yi]] didn't change her color, and thus her original black design appears. The [[Virtual Console]] versions of [[Pokémon Snap]], [[Pokémon Yellow Version]], {{vg|Pokémon Trading Card Game}} also changed Jynx's color.
 
In later years, some fans of Pokémon have noted that Jynx may be inspired by {{wp|gyaru}}, a Japanese fashion where women tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup, instead of a black stereotype. This theory is mainly based on Jynx's long, straight, blonde hair, a common attribute of gyaru fashion, which was omnipresent in cities like Shibuya around the 1970s to 1990s. While some attribute it more specifically to {{wp|ganguro}}, this particular hypothesis at least has often been criticized due to the timeline of ganguro fashion not matching up with the development of [[Pokémon games]].<ref>[[n:On the Origin of Species: Jynx|On the Origin of Species: Jynx]]</ref> Another theory is that Jynx is based on the Nordic goddess {{wp|Hel}}, who was often depicted as having a face half white-half black and who ruled {{wp|Niflheim}}, primarily depicted as a land of primordial ice and cold. Some fans say this is supported by Jynx sharing traits with the iconic opera singing "{{wp|It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings|Fat Lady}}," who is pop-culturally portrayed dressed as the {{wp|valkyrie}} {{wp|Brünnhilde}}. It has also been stated that Jynx is based on {{wp|Yama-uba}}, the mountain Crone.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8X3l_Tt8VE Game Theory: Pokemon Racism, Jynx Justified]</ref>
 
===Lenora===
[[File:BW014 comparison.png|thumb|200px|The change in the anime]]
The [[Gym Leader]] of [[Nacrene City]] in {{game|Black and White|s}}, [[Lenora]], also brought up concerns of racism. Lenora's original artwork, as well as her in-game sprites, depict her wearing a large apron. Concerns arose that people outside of Japan would allude Lenora to the {{wp|Mammy stereotype}}. Similar to Lenora, the mammy is often depicted as a dark-skinned woman who wears a handkerchief on her head and an apron. Because of the similarity, Lenora's artwork was changed, from her wearing the apron to her having it slung over her shoulder like a cape. Despite this, Lenora's in-game sprites were not altered in the international releases of Pokémon Black and White or {{B2W2}}.
 
In the original version of ''[[BW014|A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!]]'', Lenora was depicted wearing her apron. When the English dub aired, her apron was removed completely.
 
In [[Pokémon Adventures]], Lenora is depicted with the apron over her shoulder in the first panel she appears in and she is not shown with it after that. In {{OBP|Pocket Monsters BW|Kosaku Anakubo}}, she is not depicted with an apron at all.
 
In [[Pokémon Masters EX]], {{mas|Lenora}} is not depicted with an apron.
{{-}}
 
==Animal cruelty==
In the past, several animal rights groups have tried to ban Pokémon, claiming that Pokémon battles closely resemble {{wp|cockfight}}s. This aspect of the controversy was touched upon in {{game|Black and White|s}}.
 
Upon the release of {{B2W2}}, animal rights activist group {{wp|People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals}} (PETA) released a mock game titled ''Pokémon Black and Blue'', in which the player controls battered and bruised Pokémon to attack human enemies. PETA claims that the way the Pokémon are "stuffed" into [[Poké Ball]]s is similar to how circus elephants are chained inside railroad carts. Nintendo responded to this by stating, "Nintendo and The Pokémon Company take the inappropriate use of our products and intellectual property seriously."<ref>[http://o.canada.com/technology/gaming/nintendo-responds-to-petas-pokemon-attack Nintendo responds to PETA’s Pokemon attack | canada.com] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20180911211240/https://o.canada.com/technology/gaming/nintendo-responds-to-petas-pokemon-attack archived copy] )</ref> Around the release of [[Pokémon X and Y]], PETA released another mock game called ''Pokémon Red, White, and Blue'' that features Nintendo's claimed association with {{wp|McDonald's}} and also makes fun of the frequent release of sister games.
 
==Religion==
===Christianity===
====Satanism====
Some {{wp|Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist Christian}} groups have accused Pokémon as being linked to {{wp|Satanism}}. The following is a summarized list of claims:
*Pokémon are like demons. They are captured and must be called upon to perform tasks.<ref name="SToP">[http://www.withoneaccord.org/assets/images/freedownloads/StraightTalkonPokemon.pdf Straight Talk on Pokemon - StraightTalkonPokemon.pdf]</ref><ref>[https://gizmodo.com/isis-will-use-pokemon-go-to-murder-innocent-christians-1783680507 ISIS Will Use Pokémon Go to Murder Innocent Christians and Spawn Demons (Says Radio Host Pastor)]</ref>
*Magical talismans (presumably a reference to [[Badge|Gym Badges]]) are needed to control them.<ref>[http://www.studytoanswer.net/contemporary/pokemon.html POKEMON] on studytoanswer.net ([https://web.archive.org/web/20040104121746/http://www.studytoanswer.net/contemporary/pokemon.html archived copy])</ref>
*Pokémon [[evolution]] has often been criticized due to sharing the name with the {{wp|Evolution|scientific theory of evolution}} which fundamentalist creationists usually reject, although the phenomenon in Pokémon is closer to {{wp|metamorphosis}}.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o7bsCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT38 Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y - Adam Possamai - Google Books]</ref>
**Certain Pokémon evolutions require [[Evolution stone]]s, which are often seen as magical.<ref name="SToP" />
*Many Pokémon have extraordinary paranormal powers, notably {{type|Psychic}}s and {{type|Ghost}}s.<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/games/2000/pokemon.html POKÉMON | a game review from Christian Spotlight]</ref><ref>[https://www.probe.org/pokemon/ Pokemon - A Christian Assessment]</ref><ref>[http://www1.cbn.com/onlinediscipleship/pok%26eacute%3Bmon%2C-harry-potter%2C-and-the-magic-of-story Pokémon, Harry Potter, and the Magic of Story | CBN.com]</ref>
*Many Pokémon inherently involve East Asian spiritualism or mysticism, due to the franchise originating in Japan. Some Christian groups denounce these as pagan rituals.<ref>[http://wildhunt.org/2016/07/pokemon-and-the-great-occult-scare.html Pokémon and the Great Occult Scare | The Wild Hunt]</ref><ref>[http://sureword.faithweb.com/pokemon.html Pokemon - Just Another Fad?]</ref>
<!--DO NOT REMOVE OR REWORD WITHOUT DISCUSSION-->
*Some claimed that if one were to {{wp|backmasking|play backwards}} the [[Kanto Pokérap]], "[[Gotta Catch 'em All!]]" can be heard as "I love you, Satan".<ref>[https://kotaku.com/the-time-they-thought-pokemon-was-satanic-1670792676 The Time They Thought Pokémon Was Satanic] on Kotaku</ref><sup>[''inadequate source'']</sup>
**This has been referenced in a 1998 trivia board game.
<!--DO NOT REMOVE OR REWORD WITHOUT DISCUSSION-->
*Pokémon causes homosexuality; the close relationship between the characters Ash and Brock was "a sign of the cartoon’s gay agenda".<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2015/04/televangelist-creflo-dollar-claims-pokemon-causes-homosexuality/ Televangelist Creflo Dollar claims Pokemon causes homosexuality]</ref><ref>[http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_16696.php GayNZ.com Pokemon 'turned teens gay' - preacher] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150709051450/http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_16696.php archived copy])</ref>
 
In response to these claims, the {{wp|Vatican City}}-based {{wp|TV2000|Sat 2000}} broadcast public approval of Pokémon in April 2000, stating that the games did not have "any harmful moral side effects" and was based on "ties of intense friendship".<ref>[http://nypost.com/2000/04/21/pokemon-earns-papal-blessing/ POKEMON EARNS PAPAL BLESSING | New York Post] ([https://archive.today/5AVJL archived copy])</ref>
 
===Islam===
[[File:Egyptian Newspaper Poké-fatwa smear-campaign.jpg|200x200px|thumb|The Poké-fatwa smear campaign reaching the headline page of an Egyptian newspaper on April 15, 2001. Title reads: It is forbidden for Muslims to interact with the Pokémon game.]]
 
On March 15, 2001, an anonymous user online claiming to be located in {{wp|Qatif}}, {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, posted a forum thread on the then big Arabic message-board site '''Montada''', making questionable claims of the [[Pokémon]] franchise being tied to {{wp|Darwinism}}, {{wp|Zionism}}, and {{wp|Satanism}}.
 
The post contained the following fabricated evidence of the character's names having anti-Islamic meanings and Zionist undertones when translated in English:
* [[Pokémon]] meaning '''I am a Jew'''.
* {{p|Pikachu}} meaning '''Be a Jew'''.
* {{p|Charmander}} meaning '''God is weak'''.
* {{p|Magikarp}} (misspelled as ''{{p|Magmar}}'') meaning '''God is stupid'''.
* {{p|Growlithe}} meaning '''God is lazy'''.
 
The following months would see those questionable claims get spread around by either word-of-mouth or anonymous printings of those very misleading rumors that originated off of that forum, which spiraled into a perplexing social smear campaign movement that succeeded in convincing a number of Arabic nations to outright ban and limit the presence of the Pokémon franchise, such as in {{wp|Egypt}}, where Mufti ''Nasser Fareed Wasel'' declared a ban on remotely interacting with any of its content on April 6, 2001.
 
Some outspoken, fundamentalist Muslims claimed that Pokémon is a Jewish conspiracy intended to get Muslim children to renounce their faith.<ref>[http://www.cairoscene.com/LifeStyle/10-Egyptian-Conspiracy-Theories 10 Egyptian Conspiracy Theories]</ref><ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2001/apr/24/news/mn-54861 Arabs See Jewish Conspiracy in Pokemon - latimes]</ref><ref>[http://archive.adl.org/presrele/islme_62/3791_62.html ADL denounces claim by Muslim leaders that Pokemon game is “Jewish Conspiracy" - Press Release] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20160724034549/http://archive.adl.org/presrele/islme_62/3791_62.html archived copy])</ref><ref>[http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/saddam-hussein-tried-ban-pokemon-7732176 Saddam Hussein tried to ban POKEMON in Iraq for an utterly bizarre reason - Mirror Online]</ref> These same groups claimed that the word "Pokémon" means "I am Jewish", with the claimers and their followers generally unaware of the franchise's Japanese origin. The "Evolution vs. Creationism" conflict was also commonly brought up.<ref>[http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/691674/Saudi-Arabia-fatwa-Pokemon-GO-un-islamic-blasphemous-theory-of-natural-evolution Saudi Arabia issues fatwa against POKÉMON for being ‘un-Islamic’ and ‘blasphemous' | World | News | Express.co.uk]</ref><ref>[https://www.memri.org/tv/dubai-family-consultant-dr-khalifa-al-makhrazi-pok%C3%A9mon-go-prohibited-spreads-darwinism Dubai Family Consultant Dr. Khalifa Al-Makhrazi: Pokemon Go Is Prohibited, Spreads Darwinism | MEMRI]</ref><ref>[http://www.alifta.net/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&PageID=10338&PageNo=1&BookID=7 Fatwas of the Permanent Committee]</ref>
 
In 2001, the {{wp|Grand Mufti}} of {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, who is the highest religious authority in the kingdom, issued a {{wp|fatwā}} banning the Pokémon franchise. It claimed that the franchise promoted {{wp|Zionism}} by displaying a six-pointed star that resembles the {{wp|Star of David}} as well as other religious symbols such as crosses they associated with {{wp|Christianity}} and triangles they associated with {{wp|Freemasonry}} in the TCG and encouraged gambling in the games due to the inclusion of gambling elements, which is in violation of {{wp|Islam|Muslim}} doctrine.<ref>[http://www.theescapist.com/pokemon13.htm The Escapist - Archive - Saudi Bans Pokemon] ([https://archive.is/wPWh6 archived copy])</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1243307.stm BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon] ([https://archive.is/9Hni1 archived copy])</ref>
 
High Muslim authorities in {{wp|Qatar}} and {{wp|Egypt}} then joined the ban. As this happened during the {{wp|second Intifada}}, a {{wp|Jordan}}ian newspaper printed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister {{wp|Ariel Sharon}} sitting in a tank and laughing at an Arab man chasing a Pokémon. This is meant to convey that Arabs are distracted from their conflict with the Israelis by popular franchises, with Pokémon as an example of such "distractions."<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1258633.stm BBC News | Middle East | Qatari religious leader bans Pokemon]</ref><ref>Peterson, Mark Allen. 'Anthropology & Mass Communication: Media and Myth in the New Millennium'. 2003. Print.</ref>
 
Despite the initial banning, which quickly wiped away [[Pokémon merchandise]], especially the card game, from markets in Saudi Arabia, Pokémon video games quickly returned to be sold normally, but under much less demand from local consumers. Some Pokémon merchandise, such as the {{OBP|Expedition Base Set|TCG}}, reappeared in certain stores a few years later, but newer sets were never brought. Games from [[Generation III]] on seem completely unaffected by the ban.
 
===Judaism and perceived Nazi imagery===
====Animation====
In ''[[AG013|All Things Bright and Beautifly!]]'', a Team Rocket fantasy involved [[Jessie]], [[James]], {{MTR}}, and many {{tc|Team Rocket Grunt}}s raising their hands in a manner somewhat similar to the {{wp|Nazi salute|Hitler salute}}. It was edited out in the English dub of the {{pkmn|anime}}, with the Grunts no longer raising their hands. Despite this, {{MTR}}'s arm remains unedited in the dub.
 
<gallery>
File:AG013 original shot.png|Original Japanese version
File:AG013 dub shot.png|Dubbed English version
</gallery>
 
====Koga's Ninja Trick====
In 1999, the Jewish civil rights group {{wp|Anti-Defamation League}} took issue with [[Nintendo]]'s use of a ''manji'' ({{wp|swastika}}) in the original Japanese print of {{TCG ID|Gym Challenge|Koga's Ninja Trick|115}} from Challenge from the Darkness, because of the symbol's strong association German Nazi Party insignia in the {{wp|Western world}}, which they appropriated from the manji in 1920.<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickSwastikaOrigin>[https://archive.is/Klauq Article from the Holocaust Encylopedia about the history of the Swastika.]</ref> This was a sentiment echoed by Jewish parent Myla Specht, who said "We thought there had to be something we could do because it can be terrible for children."<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickCBS>[https://archive.is/M25KR Article quoting the situation with Koga's Ninja Trick in the United States.]</ref>


<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Spr 4d 379.png|International DP Registeel
Koga Ninja Trick Manji.png|Original Japanese print
Image:Spr 4p 379.png|European DP/Worldwide Pt Registeel
KogaNinjaTrickGymChallenge115.jpg|International print
</gallery>
</gallery>
{{-}}


===Satanism===
Response to criticism was mixed. Nintendo of America announced that the card featuring the artwork was to be discontinued in all territories<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickCBS></ref> even though no English language copies of the cards were printed, as the complaints originated from American children recieving the card in imported packs. They also recognized that there was no ill-intent behind the manji's inclusion from "the card's Japanese creators",<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickCBS></ref> though the original illustrator, [[Sumiyoshi Kizuki]], has never publicly commented on the topic.
Some {{wp|Fundamentalist Christianity|fundamentalist Christian}} groups have accused Pokémon as being linked to Satanism. The following is a summarized and possibly incomplete list of their reasons for this accusation:
*Pokémon are like demons. They are captured and must be called upon to perform tasks.
*Magical talismans (supposedly a reference to [[Gym Badge]]s) are needed to control them.
*Pokémon [[evolution|evolve]]. Though this transformation is more akin to metamorphosis in most Pokémon, the theory of evolution is denied entirely by the most fundamentalist creationists, who believe that all things as they are presently were divinely inspired.
**Some Pokémon evolution even requires the use of certain magical [[evolutionary stones|stones]].
*Many Pokémon have extraordinary paranormal powers, notably {{type2|Psychic}}s. Those with Psychic powers are labeled as having been given these powers by Satan in the Bible itself.
*Many Pokémon embody or practice East Asian spiritual or mystical concepts, being that the franchise originated in Japan. Many right-wing groups denounce these as pagan rituals<!--Guess what else is a pagan ritual. Starts with Christ and ends with mas.-->.
*Some claim that if one were to {{wp|backmasking|play backwards}} the [[Pokérap]], "[[Gotta Catch 'em All!]]" can be heard as "I love Satan".


===Jewish plot===
Kenneth Jacobson, a spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League, recognized Nintendo's sensitivity to the feelings of Jews and others to whom the swastika may offend. Conversely, Steve Weisman, who was upset after hearing that ten-year-old children were finding the cards from imported packs said that Nintendo should do more, saying; "maybe [including] a contribution to a Holocaust group. The whole premise of the game is kids having fun. This reminded people of 6 million deaths."<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickCBS></ref> Larry Rosensweig, a Jewish director at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach claimed that opposition to the manji symbol was "misplaced indignation", bringing up the fact that the manji had "been used throughout Asia for thousands of years and has nothing whatsoever to do with the Nazis or anti-Semitism", saying "there are plenty of things out there that people should be offended about."<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickCBS></ref>
Some outspoken, fundamentalist Muslims claim that Pokémon is a Jewish conspiracy that is intended to brainwash Islamic children to make them renounce their faith. These same groups claim that the word "Pokeman" is a Japanese phrase that means "I am Jewish". This is completely false.


===Racism===
In the resale market, the original print of Koga's Ninja Trick featuring the manji is often over twenty times more valuable when compared to its reprinted counterpart, even in Japanese markets.<ref name=KogaNinjaTrickPrice>[https://archive.is/4p4V6 Tweet showing a 20x price difference between both prints of Koga's Ninja Trick.]</ref> Other cards that directly reference Nazism, such as {{TCG ID|Gym Heroes|Secret Mission|118}}, drawn by [[Ken Sugimori]], which features the real-life map of German occupied Poland during World War II, have not been changed in a similar manner, despite the sensitive subject material.
{{wp|Carole Boston Weatherford}}, a cultural critic, claimed that {{p|Jynx}}, which had recently appeared in ''[[Holiday Hi-Jynx]]'', was a negative racial stereotype of African-Americans. She chiefly compared Jynx to the racist characters in ''{{wp|Little Black Sambo}}'', and further compared Jynx to {{wp|Mr. Popo}} of the {{wp|Dragonball}} franchise, a character whose design is also potentially offensive in his design.


Weatherford's complaint caused many repercussions in Pokémon. The sprites of Jynx in the international release of {{game2|Gold|Silver|Crystal}} were changed, and [[EP250]] was cut from international airings of the anime. A Jynx that appeared in ''[[AG013|All Things Bright and Beautifly]]'' was also cut from the dub.
====Registeel====
In European releases of {{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}, the sprite art for {{p|Registeel}} is altered slightly. In the Japanese, Korean, and English releases, Registeel's arm is extended. In non-English European versions an altered sprite is used, depicting it with both of its arms down, presumably due to the original pose's resemblance to the {{wp|Roman salute}}, infamously {{wp|Nazi salute|used}} by (and therefore commonly associated with) the German {{wp|Nazism|Nazi Party}}. In all versions of {{game|Platinum}} and {{game|HeartGold and SoulSilver|s}}, the revised sprite is used.


Jynx's design was officially changed by Nintendo to being purple, rather than black, and this change was reflected in later games (beginning with {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}}) and the anime (starting in ''[[AG115|Mean with Envy]]'').
In {{g|Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl}}, if the player shows the [[Yuichi Ueda|Game Director]] at the [[Hotel Grand Lake]] a Pokémon [[game of origin|originating]] from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum, he gives them the [[Diploma|Time Travel Award]], featuring the Pokémon's original sprite from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Prior to v1.1.3, this award would use the original Japanese Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sprite for Registeel, although this award was not obtainable until [[Pokémon HOME]] support was added in v1.1.3 anyway; in v1.1.3, Registeel's sprite was replaced with the revised sprite used in Pokémon Platinum.<ref>https://twitter.com/mattyoukhana_/status/1473462097489104902</ref>


In recent years, some fans of Pokémon with knowledge of Japanese culture have noted that Jynx is more likely inspired by {{wp|ganguro}}, a Japanese fashion where girls tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup, instead of a black stereotype. Most people who support this theory base it on Jynx's long, straight, blonde hair, a common attribute of ganguro fashion.
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Spr 2c 124.gif|International Crystal Jynx
File:Spr 4d 379.png|International DP Registeel
Image:Spr 2c 124 jp.gif|Japanese Crystal Jynx
File:Spr 4p 379.png|European DP/Worldwide PtHGSS Registeel
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Lawsuits==
==Media-specific controversies==
Various lawsuits have been filed against Nintendo and Game Freak regarding Pokémon or Pokémon characters.
===Pokémon Shock incident===
[[EP038|An episode]] of the [[Pokémon anime]] broadcast in December 1997 on Japanese television induced {{wp|Photosensitive epilepsy|photosensitive}} {{wp|epileptic seizure}}s in a substantial number of Japanese viewers, many of which required medical assistance. As a result, {{DL|Banned episodes|Banned episodes internationally|the episode was not broadcast overseas and never shown in Japan again}}, and the incident caused the anime to go into a temporary hiatus. Every Pokémon episode that aired until this episode, including [[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master|the opening]], was edited by lighting certain scenes, removing or changing fast-flashing scenes and more. The original version of the episodes have never been shown again, except for when the next episode preview for [[EP037]] was mistakenly retained on [[Hulu|Hulu Japan]]. For this, Pokémon currently holds the {{wp|Guinness World Records|Guinness Book World Record}} for the most photosensitive epileptic seizures caused by a TV show.
 
===Pokémon USA recasting===
{{main|Pokémon USA recasting controversy}}
 
===Pokémon GO===
The sudden enormous popularity of [[Pokémon GO]] resulted in many controversies worldwide. Numerous organizations and companies complained about the spawning of Pokémon at places such as Holocaust and 9/11 memorials,<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-auschwitz-want-pokmon-go-hunts-stop-pokmon/86991810/ Holocaust Museum, Auschwitz want Pokémon Go hunts out]</ref><ref>[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-07-12-holocaust-museum-pleads-stop-playing-pokemon-go-here Holocaust museum pleads: stop playing Pokémon Go here • Eurogamer.net]</ref> train rails,<ref>[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pokemon-go-dutch-rail-operator-tells-nintendo-change-game-after-players-wonder-onto-tracks-1570308 Pokemon Go players told to stay away from Amsterdam hospital and rail tracks]</ref> and while driving a car.<ref>[http://fortune.com/2016/09/18/pokemon-go-players-driving/ Tens of Thousands of People Are Driving While Playing Pokémon GO | Fortune]</ref> Several people worldwide have been killed or seriously injured in accidents related to playing the game.<ref>[http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-pokemon-go-encinitas-cliff-fall-2016jul13-story.html ‘Pokémon Go’ players fall off 90-foot ocean bluff — The San Diego Union-Tribune]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3699722/Pokemon-sees-death-Teenager-18-killed-cousin-injured-playing-game-Guatamala.html Pokemon Go player killed in Guatemala and cousin injured while playing game | Daily Mail Online]</ref><ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/25/12637878/pokemon-go-driver-kills-woman-japan Driver distracted by Pokémon Go kills woman in Japan — The Verge]</ref>
 
In Russia, a 21-year-old video blogger received a suspended sentence for three and a half years in prison for charges of blasphemy after playing the game in a church.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/11/russian-blogger-ruslan-sokolovsky-convicted-playing-pokemon-go-church/101541958/ Pokemon Go: Russian blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky convicted]</ref> Like the Pokémon mania in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pokémon GO caused strong reactions in the Islamic world, declaring fatwas against the game as it could lead to "haram" activities such as "gambling".<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/08/06/asia-pacific/malaysian-islamic-leaders-say-no-pokemon-go/#.WU6jV46GM2w Malaysian Islamic leaders say no to 'Pokemon Go' | The Japan Times] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20170803110904/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/08/06/asia-pacific/malaysian-islamic-leaders-say-no-pokemon-go/ archived copy])</ref><ref>[http://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/Fatwa-against-Pokemon-Go-in-India/articleshow/53563918.cms Fatwa against Pokemon Go in India | Gadgets Now]</ref><ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/07/20/top-saudi-clerics-ban-pokemon-go/87330916/ Fatwa No. 21,758: Saudi clerics ban Pokemon Go]</ref> The game was banned in Iran over security concerns.<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36989526 Pokemon Go banned by Iranian authorities over 'security' — BBC News]</ref> In New York, registered sex offenders on parole were banned from playing Pokémon GO.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/08/02/488435018/new-york-bans-registered-sex-offenders-from-pok-mon-go New York Bans Registered Sex Offenders From Pokémon Go : All Tech Considered : NPR]</ref> In a Belgian town with 35 inhabitants, playing the game became forbidden at night because the small town was constantly flooded with players.<ref>[http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/4126/Games/article/detail/2888132/2016/09/26/De-Wever-verbiedt-nachtelijke-Pokemon-Go-in-Lillo.dhtml De Wever verbiedt nachtelijke Pokémon Go in Lillo | Nieuws | HLN]</ref>
 
===Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokédex===
During the {{wp|Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3}} 2019 Nintendo Treehouse live stream on June 11, 2019,<ref>[https://youtu.be/TmWu-f6L0Mo Nintendo Treehouse: Live | E3 2019] - Youtube</ref> [[Junichi Masuda]] stated that some species of {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} (455 in total across [[Generation]]s {{gen|I}} to {{gen|VII}}) could not be transferred to {{g|Sword and Shield}}. After a massive amount of backlash from Pokémon fans (most of which involving the {{wp|hashtag}} #BringBackNationalDex), [[The Pokémon Company International]] posted a statement from Masuda in response on [[Pokémon.com]] in Japanese and English on June 28, 2019.<ref>[https://www.pokemon.com/us/a-message-for-pokemon-video-game-fans/ A Message for Pokémon Video Game Fans] - Pokémon.com</ref> Despite this reiterated statement, the fan backlash on social media continued, with many fans requesting that compatibility for all Pokémon be included in a post-launch patch. When asked about the possibility of a patch, Masuda stated that he had not yet finalized a decision on such a patch. The controversy became somewhat mitigated when the Expansion Pass was announced for the games, which added 221 of the missing Pokémon back in.
 
This controversy is sometimes known as {{DL|Appendix:Fan terminology|Dexit}}, a portmanteau of [[Pokédex]] and {{wp|Brexit}}, which was the withdrawal of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} (the basis of [[Galar]], the setting of Sword and Shield) from the {{wp|European Union}}.
 
===Pokémon UNITE===
When [[Pokémon UNITE]] was first announced, it quickly attracted controversy due to it being developed by a subsidiary of {{wp|Tencent}}, which was controversial due to its ties to the Chinese government. It also brought up a controversy that had been steadily growing about the use of {{wp|microtransactions}} in Pokémon games. As a result of these controversies, the Pokémon UNITE reveal quickly became the most disliked video on [[The Pokémon Company]]'s [[YouTube]] channel.<ref>Oloman, Jordan (June 25, 2020). "[https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-unite-trailer-most-disliked-video Pokemon Unite Reveal Becomes The Pokemon Company's Most Disliked Video on YouTube]." ''IGN''.</ref>
 
===Palworld===
[[File:Palworld.png|250px|thumb|The v0.1.0.0 title screen of ''Palworld'']]
On January 19th, 2024, a game known as ''{{wp|Palworld}},'' developed by {{wp|Pocketpair}}, was released on {{wp|Xbox Game Pass}} and {{wp|Steam}} to immense sales figures, with the Steam release alone selling over 8 million copies in less than six days,<ref name=PalworldSales>[https://archive.is/bIHxn ''Palworld'' tweet claiming ''Palworld'' has sold over 8 million copies in less than six days.]</ref> eclipsing the first-week sales of [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]],<ref name=LASales>[https://archive.is/Pimvb Nintendo of America tweet claiming Pokémon Legends Arceus sold 6.5 million in its first week.]</ref> a title in the Pokémon series that was frequently compared to ''Palworld'' due to the similarity of being an open-ended monster catching game with a focus on action,<ref name=PalworldLA>Tweets of users comparing ''Palworld'' and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. [https://archive.is/A6xKm (1)] [https://archive.is/wip/NCtSG (2)]</ref> in addition to being the 2nd highest all-time peak in Steam history at 1.85 million concurrent players.<ref name=PalworldConcurrent>[https://archive.is/VvPcS ''Palworld'' stating that the game is the 2nd highest all-time peak in Steam history at 1.85 million concurrent players.]</ref>
 
Upon its release, the game was put under intense scrutiny as members of social media accused the game of plagiarizing Pokémon's aesthetic, particularly regarding ''Palworld's'' list of 111 "Pal" creatures at the time of its early access release.<ref name=111ListComparisons>[https://archive.is/F66QC Thread by Cecilia Fae comparing the list of "Pals" in ''Palworld'' to Pokémon designs]</ref><ref name=>[https://archive.is/361Sg Post by Acerola_t about Palworld's impact on the larger industry as a whole, referring to it as an "asset flip game".]</ref> This included criticism towards Pocketpair's other releases; such as ''{{wp|Craftopia}}'' and its similarities to ''{{wp|The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}};''<ref name=Craftopia>[https://archive.is/5lnwC Tweet criticizing the similarities between Craftopia and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.]</ref> ''{{wp|Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse}}'' and its similarities to ''{{wp|Hollow Knight}};'' and ''{{wp|AI: Art Imposter}}'' and its similarities to ''{{wp|Among Us}}'' and ''Gartic Phone,'' which came under increased fire as a result of the game's focus around generative AI artwork, due to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence_art#Criticism,_issues_and_controversy existing controversy surrounding the topic.]<ref name=>[https://casetext.com/case/andersen-v-stability-ai-ltd/case-details A 2023 lawsuit between Sarah Andersen, et al. v. Stability AI regarding the use of AI generative artwork.]</ref> This led to a response by large influencers that enjoyed ''Palworld'', causing increased debate about the title and its alleged morality regarding the artists behind the Pokémon series.<ref name=>[https://archive.is/MzpQu A thread criticizing ''Twitch'' streamer ''Asmongold'' for his opinions on AI generated artwork and the artists behind both ''Palworld'' and the Pokémon series.]</ref>
 
Several users pointed out similarities between the Pal models found in ''Palworld'' and the Pokémon models from games such as {{g|Sun and Moon}}, accusing Pocketpair of plagiarism. The Pal "Azurobe" came under particular scrutiny for appearing to be an edit of {{p|Serperior}} and {{p|Primarina}}.<ref name=PalworldAzurobe>[https://archive.is/zEcmm Comparison made between ''Palworld's'' ''"Azurobe"'' and Pokémon such as Serperior and Primarina.]</ref> One user comparing the models was accused of fabricating evidence due to uniformly scaling the model to make the comparison easier to see within a 3D modelling program,<ref name=PalworldAzurobeFabrication>[https://archive.is/PghBU A thread incorrectly accusing the fabrication of evidence due to uniformly scaling "Azurobe" and "Serperior"'s models to be the same size.]</ref> though this accusation was chastised further by industry professionals as uniformly scaling a model does not edit the mesh in any way.<ref name=PalworldModelScale>[https://archive.is/9OMLq Post chastising those accusing fabrication by uniform model scaling.]</ref> Other industry professionals pointed out that ''Azurobe'' and Serperior shared certain bone chains that have the same amount, and using a program to move them to match the same positions resulted in a near identical topology.<ref name=PalworldModelTopology>[https://archive.is/VEJtH Post pointing out the identical amount of bone chains between Serperior and Azurobe.]</ref> Pals that are currently unobtainable in the game, though are fully functional with completed models, animations and parameters; such as "Boltmane" and "Dark Mutant" also appear especially similar to existing Pokémon, such as {{p|Luxray}} and [[Mega Evolution|Mega]] {{p|Mewtwo}} Y.<ref name=PalworldBoltmane>[https://archive.is/GyJvO A page on the Pal "Boltmane", who appears similar to Luxray]</ref><ref name=PalworldDarkMutant>[https://archive.is/wip/jrVZP A post about the pal "Dark Mutant", who appears similar to Mega Mewtwo Y.]</ref>
 
The release of ''Palworld'' stoked further controversy surrounding recent entries in the series such as {{g|Scarlet and Violet}}, which was frequently compared to the game, particularly regarding its visuals,<ref name=>[https://archive.is/geCqM Tweet from company OperaGX comparing the visuals of ''Palworld'' and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.]</ref> with some arguing that ''Palworld's'' sudden success could prompt better game design from GAME FREAK themselves by virtue of competition in the monster collection space.<ref name=>[https://archive.is/NSKoe Post by ''InfernoOmni'' arguing that Pokémon fans should want Palworld to be successful in order to force GAME FREAK to improve the quality of their games]</ref><ref name=>[https://archive.is/Mxmjb Post from ''YourRAGE'' about the "sickening" response that Pokémon fans have to modern Pokémon releases.]</ref><ref name=>[https://archive.is/wip/kClAL Post from ''The Act Man'' about hopes for ''Palworld's'' success to push GAME FREAK to release games that aren't a "complete embarrassment"]</ref> Additional criticism against ''Palworld'' was rebuked by those claiming that the game was intentionally a parody of Pokémon,<ref name=>[https://youtu.be/JxN2nnlI4-0?t=1482 Video by ''InfernoOmni'' erroneously commenting on how ''Palworld'' was a parody, and therefore legally immune.]</ref><ref name=>[https://archive.is/arjhw Post from a user claiming that ''Palworld's'' designs are an intentional parody of Pokémon's.]</ref><ref name=>[https://archive.is/VYwVr Post from YouTuber ''YourMovieSucks'' about confusion surrounding the plagiarism accusations and that Fair Use would protect the game from any legal trouble, even though the Fair Use doctrine does not exist in Japanese law]</ref> though interviews in 2021 from the game's director mention that any comparisons to Pokémon were "lucky" and that they "totally didn't intend it."<ref name=>[https://archive.is/3ZXZS Interview between Takuro Mizobe and TheGamer in 2021 about how any comparisons to Pokémon were totally unintentional.]</ref> Criticism against the game was met with memes chastising Pokémon fans for alleged brand loyalty.<ref name=PalworldBillionDollarCompany>[https://archive.is/WPSh1 Tweet from company OperaGX chastising Pokémon fans for seemingly defending a billion-dollar company.]</ref>
 
[[File:Takuro Mizobe.png|250px|left|thumb|Takuro Mizobe, the director of ''Palworld'']]
Additional scrutiny<ref name=MizobeAIScrutiny>[https://archive.is/o8kDN Evidence of scrutiny against Mizobe's use of ChatGPT.]</ref> was levied at game director Takuro Mizobe<ref name=PalworldCredits>[https://archive.is/HCmeJ The ''Palworld'' website, which showcases the credits for the game]</ref> for use of generative AI during the game's development,<ref name=MizobeAIDevelopment>[https://archive.is/dJXb5 Mizobe posting in 2023 about using ChatGPT to develop ''Palworld'' (Japanese: '''"パルワールドのオープニング デモの仕様、なんかいい感じ に作っておいて下さい!!"''' "Please make some good specifications for Palworld's opening demo!!")]</ref> as well as posts from the director's past praise of AI generative artwork to create [[Fake Pokémon|Fakemon]] in the style of [[Ken Sugimori]]'s artwork.<ref name=PalworldAISuigmori>[https://archive.is/hnkNY Article summarizing Takuro Mizobe's past tweets about AI generative artwork, including those about using AI to generate Pokémon]</ref> This was in addition to further posts by Mizobe about the use of generative AI being used to circumvent {{wp|copyright|copyright law}}, another concern held by those on social media.<ref name=PalworldAISuigmori></ref> Mizobe has also gone on record in an interview with {{wp|WIRED}} saying that his approach to game creation is founded on merging ideas together; not dissimilar "to that of a {{wp|mashup}}" in musical terms.<ref name=PalworldWIRED>[https://archive.is/5dCyw Interview between Takuro Mizobe and WIRED.]</ref> In an interview with Automaton Media, Mizobe mentioned that ''Palworld'' cleared legal reviews prior to its release with no objections<ref name=PalworldLegalReviews>[https://archive.is/m2mCu Interview between ''Palworld'' director Takuro Mizobe and Automaton about the game's legal reviews.]</ref> and that ''Palworld'' was not at all similar to Pokémon. This is contradicted by a different interview with the same publication, where Mizobe noted that the developers directly referenced Pokémon as a "great predecessor", further stating that he was impressed by games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.<ref name=PalworldGreatPredecessor>[https://archive.is/tPIgh Interview between ''Palworld'' director Takuro Mizobe and Automaton about the game's relation to Pokémon]</ref>
 
The controversy was commented on by various professionals from all walks of the video game industry. VGC spoke to two anonymous experienced AAA game artists claiming that the model comparisons done by other users were effectively a smoking gun for a hypothetical legal battle between the companies that own the rights to Pokémon against Pocketpair, with a senior character artist adding that they would "stand in court to testify as an expert on this."<ref name=PalworldPlagiarismAccusations>[https://archive.is/hidNJ Interview by VGC talking about ''Palworld's'' plagiarism accusations]</ref> ''{{wp|Keitai Denjū Telefang}}'' and ''{{wp|Monster Crown}}'' designer [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=68358 Saiko Takaki] wrote a thread commenting on the history of Pokémon plagiarism, where she claimed that her work on ''Telefang'' was designed to not be similar to Pokémon's, with ''Palworld's'' designs "clearly adding or subtracting" from existing ones, though noted that she had no comments to make on the actual gameplay, saying it "seemed fun, which is a shame."<ref name=SaikoTakaki>[https://archive.is/jEHdh Thread by ''Telefang'' and ''Monster Crown'' designer Saiko Takaki discussing ''Palworld''.]</ref> [[The Pokémon Company International]]'s Ex-Chief Legal Officer [[Dan McGowan]], who was the head of the company's legal team between 2008 to 2020, told ''GamesRadar'' that he was "surprised it got this far", and that it "looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that [he] would see a thousand times a year".<ref name=PalworldExTPCLegalOfficer>[https://archive.is/pEm7N Interview between ex-Pokémon CLO Dan McGowan and GamesRadar.]</ref>
 
On January 22nd, Mizobe claimed that the team behind ''Palworld'' were receiving threats of violence and claims of slander, calling for people to stop.<ref name=PalworldThreats>[https://archive.is/Ofa7Q Palworld director Takuro Mizobe's claims that the team were receiving threats of violence and slanderous claims.]</ref>
 
On January 23rd, a user that edited the models of ''Palworld'' to include various Pokémon, as well as characters such as [[Ash]], [[Misty (anime)|Misty]] and [[Brock (Masters)|Brock]] as part of a paid mod released on their Patreon,<ref name=PalworldModder>[https://archive.is/bnUVI IGN article on the person that modded Pokémon characters into ''Palworld.'']</ref> claimed that "Nintendo had come for me" less than 24 hours later, with his video of the mod on Twitter being disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner after garnering 11.5 million views.<ref name=PalworldModVideo>[https://archive.is/aMsM0 A now-disabled video showcasing Pokémon characters in Palworld.]</ref>
 
On the morning of January 25th, The Pokémon Company issued an official statement on their website<ref name=ThePokémonCompanyPalworldStatement>[https://archive.is/oT1L6 Post on The Pokémon Company website regarding Palworld.]</ref> in both Japanese and English, which read as the following:
 
<br>
 
'''''Inquiries Regarding Other Companies’ Games'''''
 
''"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."''
 
''The Pokémon Company''
 
<br>
 
On February 1st, Japanese {{wp|tabloid}} magazine ''{{wp|Tokyo Sports}}'' received an alleged tip stating that professionals in the Japanese entertainment industry were actively told to not associate with Palworld.<ref name=PalworldTokyoSports>[https://archive.is/E7V9U Article from Japanese tabloid magazine ''Tokyo Sports.'']</ref> An anonymous senior executive told ''Tokyo Sports'' that they have told their talent "not to mention Palworld on SNS or in public" out of the concern that it could impact future collaborations with the Pokémon brand.
 
On February 6th, during [[Nintendo]]'s review of the previous fiscal year, company president [[Shuntaro Furukawa]] directly mentioned Pocketpair, ''Palworld,'' and the game's similarity to the Pokémon series, stating; "We will take appropriate action against those that infringe on our intellectual property rights."<ref name=FurukawaPalworld>[https://archive.is/uvDiD Article reporting on Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa's statements regarding Pocketpair and ''Palworld.'']</ref>
 
On September 19th, Nintendo, together with The Pokémon Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against creator Pocketpair at the Tokyo District Court, seeking an "injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that ''Palworld'', a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights".<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2024/240919.html Filing Lawsuit for Infringement of Patent Rights
against Pocketpair, Inc. - Nintendo Co. Ltd.]</ref> In response, Pocketpair issued its own statement, stating that they were unaware of any patent infringements they had committed and reassuring fans that they will continue to support the game.<ref>[https://www.pocketpair.jp/news/news16 Regarding The Lawsuit - Pocketpair]</ref>
 
==Legal issues==
Various lawsuits have been filed against [[Nintendo]], [[The Pokémon Company]], and related entities regarding [[Pokémon]] or Pokémon characters.


===Uri Geller===
===Uri Geller===
In November 2000, {{wp|Uri Geller}}, a psychic who claims to be able to bend spoons, tried to sue Nintendo for $100 million US, claiming that {{p|Kadabra}}, known as ''Yungerer'' in Japan, was an unauthorized parody of himself. Besides Kadabra's use of bent spoons to enhance its {{t|Psychic}} powers, the {{wp|katakana}} for its name, ユンゲラー, is visually similar to the transliteration of his own name into Japanese (ユリゲラー).
[[File:DarkKadabraTeamRocket39.jpg|thumb|200px|Dark Kadabra TCG card]]
Israeli magician {{wp|Uri Geller}}, known for his attribution of his spoon-bending tricks to alleged {{wp|psychic}} abilities, sued Nintendo, alleging that {{p|Kadabra}} (known as ''Yungerer'' in Japan) was an unauthorized use of his name and likeness. Besides Kadabra's use of [[Twisted Spoon|bent spoons]] to enhance its {{t|psychic}} powers, the {{wp|katakana}} for its name (ユンゲラー) is visually similar to the transliteration of his own name into Japanese (ユリゲラー). In particular, he took issue with Kadabra cards in the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], especially the existence of the card {{TCG ID|Team Rocket|Dark Kadabra|39}} (named "Evil Yungerer" in Japanese). Geller, who is Jewish, additionally argued that Kadabra's design is {{wp|Antisemitism|antisemitic}} due to the five-pointed star on its forehead and the lightning bolts resembling the logo of the {{wp|Waffen-SS}}.<ref name="BBC"/> He is quoted as saying "Nintendo turned me into an evil, occult Pokémon character. Nintendo stole my identity by using my name and my signature image."<ref name="BBC"/> The symbols themselves are taken from those used on {{wp|Zener cards}}, which have been used to conduct research into supposed psychic abilities since the 1930s, and Geller has personally used in some of his magic tricks.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbI8i17COJQ&t=341 The Man Who Stopped Game Freak from Using Kadabra - Uri Geller | Save Data | YouTube]</ref>
 
Geller told news outlets that he first became aware of Kadabra and its similarities to him while he was Christmas shopping at a {{OBP|Pokémon Center|store}} store in Japan. According to Geller, the store manager "rushed out from his office continuously bowing," followed by "hundreds of children [thrusting] Pokemon cards at him to autograph while chanting what sounded like Uri Geller."<ref name="Guardian"/>
 
In December 1999, he told news outlets that he was planning to sue Nintendo. Geller retained lawyers in Tokyo and the United States, and told news outlets that he was pursuing legal action in "Europe, America, Latin America and Australasia". In the US, his lawyer said they were planning to sue for US$100 million. When reached for comment, Nintendo in Japan told news outlets they had not yet received the lawsuit.<ref name="Guardian">[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/29/2 Nintendo faces £60m writ from Uri Geller | UK News | The Guardian] ([https://archive.today/XkBzu archived copy])</ref> Nintendo told news outlets "None of the Pokémon characters is given a name based on the image of any particular person".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070224021819/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,2076058,00.htm Uri Geller sues Pokemon | ZDnet]</ref> When VICE investigated the case in 2018, they were unable to find any evidence of Geller ever filing a lawsuit in Japan, although they were unable to contact the Japanese lawyer who Geller had retained.<ref name="VICE">[https://www.vice.com/de/article/pa947m/uri-gellers-kampf-gegen-pokemon-kadabra-nintendo Uri Geller vs. Kadabra: Die bizarre Geschichte hinter der verschwundenen Pokémon-Karte | VICE] (in German)</ref>
 
In November 2000, it was reported that Geller had begun legal action against Nintendo in Los Angeles federal court, for using his likeness (Kadabra) on Pokémon cards without authorization. It was reported that his lawsuit alleged he should receive substantial damages and that Nintendo cease producing cards containing his likeness.<ref name="BBC">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1003454.stm BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Geller sues Nintendo over Pokémon] ([https://archive.today/AhjVR archived copy])</ref> When VICE researched the case in 2018, they were only able to find documents filed from 2001 to 2003.<ref name="VICE"/>
 
In 2001, Geller, along with Liechtenstein company Sambracal AG (who own the rights to Geller's name and likeness), sued Nintendo, arguing that the use of his likeness in Kadabra violated his rights under California's privacy laws. However, the judge ruled that as he was not a citizen or resident of the United States (he is a citizen of Israel and the United Kingdom who lived in the United Kingdom at the time), he was not eligible for protection under these privacy laws, so he could only sue under privacy laws in the United Kingdom, but no such laws existed that would protect him in this case; that part of the case was dismissed on August 16, 2001, but Geller continued to sue arguing that the cards violated the trademark rights to his own name. In November 2002, a judge dismissed Geller's trademark claims against Nintendo of America, ruling that there was insufficient evidence that Nintendo of America was involved in the distribution of Japanese language Kadabra cards in the United States (since only the Japanese language cards bore a similarity to Geller's name); since the Japanese language cards were only intended to be distributed in Japan, only Japanese trademark law could be applied, but Geller did not own a trademark on his name in Japan. On March 3, 2003, Geller's lawsuit was dismissed by the judge.<ref name="VICE"/>
 
Despite Geller losing his lawsuit, it seemed to have a {{wp|chilling effect}} on the usage of Kadabra in official Pokémon media. From 2003 to 2022, there were no new Kadabra cards released in the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], with the last Kadabra card to be printed before the drought being in {{TCG|Skyridge}} in 2003. Kadabra had not appeared in the Pokémon anime since ''[[AG146|Fear Factor Phony]]'' in 2006. In a July 2008 interview with [[PokéBeach]], [[Masamitsu Hidaka]] stated that usage of Kadabra on a card is not allowed until an agreement was reached and that the case would not be settled anytime soon.<ref>[http://pokebeach.com/2008/07/second-pokemon-interview-with-masamitsu-hidaka-many-interesting-points Second Interview with Masamitsu Hidaka – Many Interesting Points! (July 4th, 2008) « Website News « PokéBeach] ([https://archive.today/ApNJu archived copy])</ref>
 
{{p|Abra}} and {{p|Alakazam}} cards have continued to be printed, despite the lack of Kadabra cards. In matches that prevent the use of older cards, this made it impossible to play Alakazam without using cards that allow Alakazam to be played directly without evolving it from Kadabra, such as {{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Rare Candy|88}}. The only {{TCG ID|Mysterious Treasures|Abra|69}} card released between {{TCG|Skyridge}} and 2023, in {{tcg|Mysterious Treasures}}, has an attack that allows it to evolve directly into Alakazam, skipping the Kadabra stage. Any {{TCG|Alakazam}} cards printed since were Basic Pokémon that did not need to evolve from anything.
 
On November 27, 2020, The Gamer published an article about the history of Geller and Kadabra.<ref>[https://www.thegamer.com/kadabra-pokemon-card/ Why There Hasn’t Been A Kadabra Pokemon Card For Almost 20 Years | The Gamer]</ref> The following day, after being contacted by a reader of The Gamer's article,<ref>[https://twitter.com/BristolBeadz/status/1332954024245678082 Tweet from the author of The Gamer's first article]</ref> Geller reached out to The Gamer, telling them that he had sent a letter to "the chairman of Nintendo giving them permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide", which they published in a follow-up article.<ref>[https://www.thegamer.com/uri-geller-nintendo-permission-kadabra-pokemon-cards/ Uri Geller Gives Nintendo Permission To Print Kadabra On Pokemon Cards Again | The Gamer]</ref> The next day, Geller tweeted that he was sorry about "what [he] did 20 years ago", and that he was rescinding the ban; the tweet included an image of The Gamer's second article and a link to his personal museum, which at the time was scheduled to open in December 2020 after its opening had been postponed by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201129015756/https://urigellermuseum.com/ Uri Geller Museum website] (archive)</ref>
 
In 2021, Kadabra made its first appearance in animation since 2006 in the [[Pokémon Evolutions]] episode ''[[PE07|The Show]]'' (debuting December 16, 2021). The first {{TCG ID|151|Kadabra|64}} card printed since Skyridge is included in the {{TCG|Pokémon Card 151}} subset in Japan (released June 16, 2023) and its counterpart {{TCG|151}} expansion in English (released September 22, 2023).


He also claimed that Kadabra was {{wp|anti-Semitic}} in nature, with the star on its forehead and lightning bolts resembling the logo of the Nazi {{wp|Schutzstaffel|SS}}. He is quoted as saying: "''Nintendo turned me into an evil, occult Pokémon character. Nintendo stole my identity by using my name and my signature image.''"
===Power Bouncer suffocation incident===
In January 1999, a 7-year-old boy suffocated to death after a Pokémon [[Power Bouncer]] ball became lodged in his throat while playing with it. After his death, his parents created a website named "Pokémon Kills", criticizing Hasbro and Pokémon for not taking appropriate safety measures in their product design.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000511143552/http://www.pokemonkills.com/ Pokémon Kills]</ref> In November 1999, the boy's parents filed a lawsuit against Hasbro and Toys "R" Us.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/13/nyregion/parents-of-boy-who-choked-to-death-on-pokemon-ball-file-suit.html Parents of Boy Who Choked to Death on Pokemon Ball File Suit | New York Times] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20230924103450/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/13/nyregion/parents-of-boy-who-choked-to-death-on-pokemon-ball-file-suit.html archive])</ref>


The lawsuit was thrown out of court. Despite this, there has not been a Kadabra card in the {{pkmn|Trading Card Game}} since {{TCG|Skyridge}} in 2003, perhaps as a precaution against Geller's history of lawsuits.
===Burger King toy suffocation incident===
In December 1999, as a promotion for ''[[M01|Mewtwo Strikes Back]]'', {{wp|Burger King}} released a [[1999 Burger King promotional Pokémon toys|series of promotional toys]] in handheld [[Poké Ball]]s with their Kids' Meals. After a child suffocated because she had covered her mouth and nose with half of the Poké Ball, Burger King recalled the Poké Balls and exchanged them for food for a limited amount of time.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/581493.stm BBC News | AMERICAS | Burger King in Pokemon recall] ([https://archive.today/pffGd archived copy])</ref>


===Gambling===
===Other lawsuits===
A parents' group attempted to sue manufacturers of collectible cards, including Nintendo and Wizards of the Coast, claiming that the cards' collectible nature and the random distribution of the cards in packs constitutes illegal gambling.
A parents' group attempted to sue manufacturers of collectible cards, including Nintendo and Wizards of the Coast, claiming that the cards' collectible nature and the random distribution of the cards in packs constitutes illegal gambling.<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/29/2 Nintendo faces £60m writ from Uri Geller | UK news | The Guardian] ([https://archive.today/XkBzu archived copy])</ref>


==="Pokémon Kills"===
==Other==
In 1999, as a promotion for ''[[Mewtwo Strikes Back]]'', {{wp|Burger King}} released a [[1999 Burger King Promotional toys|series of promotional toys]] in handheld [[Poké Ball]]s with their Kids' Meals. After their son suffocated because he had covered his mouth and nose with half of the Poké Ball, two parents set up a website named "Pokémon Kills".
===Creatures, Inc. Yasukuni Shrine visit===
On January 7, 2019, [[Creatures, Inc.]] posted a [https://twitter.com/Creatures_Inc/status/1082163512795815936 tweet]{{dead link}} showing several employees visiting {{wp|Yasukuni Shrine}}, a {{wp|Controversies surrounding Yasukuni Shrine|controversial}} shrine located in Tokyo, Japan.<ref>[https://kotaku.com/pokemon-studio-criticized-after-visiting-controversial-1831601511 ''Pokémon'' Studio Criticized After Visiting Controversial Shrine | Kotaku]</ref><ref>[https://comicbook.com/gaming/2019/01/09/pokemon-creatures-inc-yasukuni-shrine-controversy/ Pokemon Studio Under Fire For Visiting Controversial Shrine | ComicBook.com]</ref><ref>[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-01-10/pokemon-creatures-inc-in-hot-water-over-visit-to-controversial-yasukuni-shrine/.141891 Pokémon's Creatures, Inc. in Hot Water Over Visit to Controversial Yasukuni Shrine | Anime News Network]</ref> The shrine, said by Shinto practitioners to house the souls of fallen soldiers who fought for Japan, has been the subject of scrutiny over the years for including 1,068 military officials convicted of {{wp|Japanese war crimes|various war crimes}} by the 1946 International Military Tribunal for the Far East, including 14 convicted {{wp|Class A war criminals}}. Following social media backlash from fans in {{pmin|South Korea}} and {{pmin|Greater China|China}} (two regions Japan colonized before World War II and conducted war crimes in), the tweet was deleted later that day. An apology was posted on January 22, 2019 in [https://www.creatures.co.jp/ug/ Japanese], [https://data1.pokemonkorea.co.kr/2019/01/2019-01-22_16-15-49-12858-1548141349.jpg Korean], and [https://cn.portal-pokemon.com/topics/event/190122150000_creatures.html Mandarin] on the Creatures website and the official Korean and Chinese Pokémon websites.


In response to this, Burger King recalled the Poké Balls and exchanged them for food for a limited amount of time.
===2024 World Championships location announcement===
At the end of the [[2023 World Championships]] on August 13, 2023, it was announced that next year's [[Pokémon World Championships]] would be held in {{wp|Honolulu}}, {{wp|Hawaii}}; it is the fourth World Championships to be held in Hawaii. As the location was announced in the wake of {{wp|2023 Hawaii wildfires|wildfires happening throughout Hawaii}} beginning in early August 2023, this announcement was met with criticism; people cited issues with announcing the location during an ongoing tragedy in Hawaii, and the over-tourism in the state causing problems as it tries to meet the tourism demand.<ref>Nightingale, Ed (August 14, 2023). "[https://www.eurogamer.net/the-pokemon-company-donates-200k-to-hawaii-after-announcing-it-as-2024-tournament-location The Pokémon Company donates $200k to Hawaii after announcing it as 2024 tournament location]." ''Eurogamer''.</ref><ref>Bailey, Kat (August 15, 2023). "[https://www.ign.com/articles/pokemon-world-championships-hawaii Why the Pokémon World Championships Going to Hawaii Is Proving to be a Controversial Choice]." ''IGN''.</ref>


===Violence===
[[The Pokémon Company]] made a donation of $200,000 to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund via the nonprofit GlobalGiving, which was announced on the [[Play! Pokémon]] Twitter account shortly after the [[2024 World Championships]] location announcement.<ref>[https://twitter.com/playpokemon/status/1690638821468364800 @playpokemon on Twitter.] Posted on August 13, 2023.</ref>
Although [[4Kids Entertainment|4Kids]] and [[TAJ Productions|TAJ]] allow for some cartoon violence in the anime, some episodes contain scenes that were dubbed as "too violent" and cut from the English broadcast.
*''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]'': [[Misty]] slaps {{Ash}} after he tells her that he's okay, presumably because of his apparent lack of care for {{AP|Pikachu}}.
*''[[EP009|The School of Hard Knocks]]'': Misty hits [[Brock]] with a log because he says "to be continued..." rather than beginning the episode.
*''[[AG024|A Corphish Out of Water]]'': A {{p|Carvanha}} hits Ash in the back of the head.
Scenes like these are common in Japanese animation, and are a source of comic relief, much like characters in {{wp|Looney Tunes}} who are hit by heavy objects are completely fine afterward.


==External Links==
==References==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1003454.stm BBC News - Geller sues Nintendo over Pokémon]
{{reflist}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/581493.stm BBC News - Burger King in Pokémon recall]
*[http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=3cGEwFIsk0g&fmt=18 Pokérap played backwards]


[[Category:Pokémon meta]]
[[Category:Pokémon meta]]
[[es:Controversia en Pokémon]]
[[it:Controversie sui Pokémon]]
[[ja:ポケモンに対する批判と対応措置]]

Latest revision as of 05:44, 20 September 2024

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There have been numerous controversies regarding the Pokémon franchise in its various forms and media.

Violence

Animation

Although 4Kids allow for some cartoon violence in the anime, the following episodes contain scenes that were deemed to be "too violent", and thus were cut from the English broadcast:

Scenes like these are common in Japanese animation, and are intended for comic relief purposes. They are similar to scenes in Western animation such as Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, where characters get hit by extremely heavy objects and are completely fine afterwards.

Gambling

The Goldenrod Game Corner in Western HeartGold and SoulSilver

Over the years, there has been a growing distaste towards gambling and the exposure of it to minors. Due to the unpredictable “risk-it-all” nature of the activity and the high impressionability of youths, more and more people have voiced their opposition towards allowing minors to partake in gambling and/or gambling-esque activities, with simulated gambling in video games falling under particular scrutiny. As a result, the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) organization implemented stricter guidelines that limited simulated gambling first to older-skewing video games, starting in 2009, then eventually to adult-oriented games, starting in 2020,[1] and all games released in Europe featuring simulated gambling mechanics have been rated accordingly. While such restrictions are absent in other territories, many nations (the United States in particular) perceive gambling mechanics in video games as socially unacceptable, leading to the Pokémon games slowly phasing the concept out from Generation III onwards.

English releases of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen renamed the Gambler Trainer class to Gamer and removed gambling references from their dialogue. The English versions of the Generation IV games renamed Gamblers once more but to PIs instead; however, the references to gambling were kept.

In South Korea, the releases of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum replaced the slot machines in the Veilstone Game Corner with non-playable game machines. These changes were later copied to the releases of Pokémon Platinum in Europe as a result of changes in the classification standards at PEGI.[2] This change has been greatly criticized by European players, who felt that it completely defeated the purpose and concept of the Game Corner.

All non-Japanese releases of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver replace the slot machines of the two Game Corners in Goldenrod City and Celadon City with a new game called Voltorb Flip. In this minigame, Coins are not wagered against a win or a loss but instead given out for completing a level. While many people find the game to be entertaining, the change removed the ability to buy coins, making Voltorb Flip the only way to obtain them.

With one exception, all core series games since Pokémon Black and White have not featured a Game Corner, remakes included. In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the Mauville Game Corner has been closed down; the owner will instead provide the player with three dolls, originally obtained from an NPC inside the Game Corner. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the Celadon Game Corner remains, due to its importance as the location of the Team Rocket Hideout, but the slot machines have been replaced with non-playable arcade machines referencing other Pokémon games. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Veilstone Game Corner was removed, and is replaced by the Metronome Style Shop, a clothing store that serves as a means for the player character to change outfits and hairstyles; though, a remix of the Veilstone Game Corner’s background music plays in the Style Shop.

In the Virtual Console re-releases of the Generation I and II games, however, the Game Corner was left completely untouched, although the games did receive the higher-than-usual age rating of twelve and up by PEGI (compared to all other contemporary main-series titles, which PEGI gave a rating of seven and up).

There are other gambling methods that exist in later games, such as the Loto-ID, the Cram-o-matic, and the Item Printer. The difference is that these methods do not require any money to try out, and provide the player with items instead of money, the only luck-based factor being the rarity of the obtained item.

In Saudi Arabia, the TCG was blocked for a while because it “promoted gambling and Zionism”.[citation needed]

Eggs in Pokémon GO have been accused of being loot boxes, which is a form of gambling.[3]

Racism

Jynx

Jynx's original design
Jynx's current design

Following the American airing of Holiday Hi-Jynx in 1999, Carole Boston Weatherford, an African-American cultural critic, claimed that Jynx was a negative racial stereotype of African-Americans, due to the Pokémon's black skin, and oversized facial features, which were typical in minstrel shows. She chiefly compared Jynx to the racist characters in the children's book The Story of Little Black Sambo, as well as calling Jynx "a dead ringer for an obese Drag Queen", and further compared Jynx to Mr. Popo of the Dragon Ball franchise, another character who is also potentially offensive in his design.

Weatherford's complaint caused many repercussions in the Pokémon franchise. The sprites of Jynx in the Western releases of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal were edited, and all episodes featuring Jynx's original design were cut from international airings of the anime, including a sequence depicting Jynx in its original design in All Things Bright and Beautifly!.

Jynx's design was officially revised by Game Freak to be purple rather than black, starting with the international releases of Pokémon Gold and Silver and being included in all versions of the games from Generation III-onwards. This change was reflected in later core series games, including in Japan and South Korea, beginning with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and in the anime starting in Mean With Envy. Jynx has also been recolored in VIZ Media's reissues of Pokémon Adventures. Although the manga is colored in black-and-white, Jynx appearing in the manga are recolored as a dark gray rather than a straight black, suggesting that they are purple instead of black. It is also recolored to purple on the back cover of the reissue of Volume 4. Jynx's skin was also recolored to purple when Holiday Hi-Jynx finally saw a re-airing in Japan in 2012; nevertheless, the episode is still banned in the US due to the implications of African American-esque characters being subservient to a powerful white figure. The Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga published between 2005 and 2006 in English by Chuang Yi didn't change her color, and thus her original black design appears. The Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Yellow Version, Pokémon Trading Card Game also changed Jynx's color.

In later years, some fans of Pokémon have noted that Jynx may be inspired by gyaru, a Japanese fashion where women tan heavily, bleach their hair, and apply large amounts of makeup, instead of a black stereotype. This theory is mainly based on Jynx's long, straight, blonde hair, a common attribute of gyaru fashion, which was omnipresent in cities like Shibuya around the 1970s to 1990s. While some attribute it more specifically to ganguro, this particular hypothesis at least has often been criticized due to the timeline of ganguro fashion not matching up with the development of Pokémon games.[4] Another theory is that Jynx is based on the Nordic goddess Hel, who was often depicted as having a face half white-half black and who ruled Niflheim, primarily depicted as a land of primordial ice and cold. Some fans say this is supported by Jynx sharing traits with the iconic opera singing "Fat Lady," who is pop-culturally portrayed dressed as the valkyrie Brünnhilde. It has also been stated that Jynx is based on Yama-uba, the mountain Crone.[5]

Lenora

The change in the anime

The Gym Leader of Nacrene City in Pokémon Black and White, Lenora, also brought up concerns of racism. Lenora's original artwork, as well as her in-game sprites, depict her wearing a large apron. Concerns arose that people outside of Japan would allude Lenora to the Mammy stereotype. Similar to Lenora, the mammy is often depicted as a dark-skinned woman who wears a handkerchief on her head and an apron. Because of the similarity, Lenora's artwork was changed, from her wearing the apron to her having it slung over her shoulder like a cape. Despite this, Lenora's in-game sprites were not altered in the international releases of Pokémon Black and White or Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

In the original version of A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!, Lenora was depicted wearing her apron. When the English dub aired, her apron was removed completely.

In Pokémon Adventures, Lenora is depicted with the apron over her shoulder in the first panel she appears in and she is not shown with it after that. In Pocket Monsters BW, she is not depicted with an apron at all.

In Pokémon Masters EX, Lenora is not depicted with an apron.

Animal cruelty

In the past, several animal rights groups have tried to ban Pokémon, claiming that Pokémon battles closely resemble cockfights. This aspect of the controversy was touched upon in Pokémon Black and White.

Upon the release of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a mock game titled Pokémon Black and Blue, in which the player controls battered and bruised Pokémon to attack human enemies. PETA claims that the way the Pokémon are "stuffed" into Poké Balls is similar to how circus elephants are chained inside railroad carts. Nintendo responded to this by stating, "Nintendo and The Pokémon Company take the inappropriate use of our products and intellectual property seriously."[6] Around the release of Pokémon X and Y, PETA released another mock game called Pokémon Red, White, and Blue that features Nintendo's claimed association with McDonald's and also makes fun of the frequent release of sister games.

Religion

Christianity

Satanism

Some fundamentalist Christian groups have accused Pokémon as being linked to Satanism. The following is a summarized list of claims:

  • Pokémon are like demons. They are captured and must be called upon to perform tasks.[7][8]
  • Magical talismans (presumably a reference to Gym Badges) are needed to control them.[9]
  • Pokémon evolution has often been criticized due to sharing the name with the scientific theory of evolution which fundamentalist creationists usually reject, although the phenomenon in Pokémon is closer to metamorphosis.[10]
  • Many Pokémon have extraordinary paranormal powers, notably Psychic-types and Ghost-types.[11][12][13]
  • Many Pokémon inherently involve East Asian spiritualism or mysticism, due to the franchise originating in Japan. Some Christian groups denounce these as pagan rituals.[14][15]
  • Some claimed that if one were to play backwards the Kanto Pokérap, "Gotta Catch 'em All!" can be heard as "I love you, Satan".[16][inadequate source]
    • This has been referenced in a 1998 trivia board game.
  • Pokémon causes homosexuality; the close relationship between the characters Ash and Brock was "a sign of the cartoon’s gay agenda".[17][18]

In response to these claims, the Vatican City-based Sat 2000 broadcast public approval of Pokémon in April 2000, stating that the games did not have "any harmful moral side effects" and was based on "ties of intense friendship".[19]

Islam

The Poké-fatwa smear campaign reaching the headline page of an Egyptian newspaper on April 15, 2001. Title reads: It is forbidden for Muslims to interact with the Pokémon game.

On March 15, 2001, an anonymous user online claiming to be located in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, posted a forum thread on the then big Arabic message-board site Montada, making questionable claims of the Pokémon franchise being tied to Darwinism, Zionism, and Satanism.

The post contained the following fabricated evidence of the character's names having anti-Islamic meanings and Zionist undertones when translated in English:

The following months would see those questionable claims get spread around by either word-of-mouth or anonymous printings of those very misleading rumors that originated off of that forum, which spiraled into a perplexing social smear campaign movement that succeeded in convincing a number of Arabic nations to outright ban and limit the presence of the Pokémon franchise, such as in Egypt, where Mufti Nasser Fareed Wasel declared a ban on remotely interacting with any of its content on April 6, 2001.

Some outspoken, fundamentalist Muslims claimed that Pokémon is a Jewish conspiracy intended to get Muslim children to renounce their faith.[20][21][22][23] These same groups claimed that the word "Pokémon" means "I am Jewish", with the claimers and their followers generally unaware of the franchise's Japanese origin. The "Evolution vs. Creationism" conflict was also commonly brought up.[24][25][26]

In 2001, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, who is the highest religious authority in the kingdom, issued a fatwā banning the Pokémon franchise. It claimed that the franchise promoted Zionism by displaying a six-pointed star that resembles the Star of David as well as other religious symbols such as crosses they associated with Christianity and triangles they associated with Freemasonry in the TCG and encouraged gambling in the games due to the inclusion of gambling elements, which is in violation of Muslim doctrine.[27][28]

High Muslim authorities in Qatar and Egypt then joined the ban. As this happened during the second Intifada, a Jordanian newspaper printed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sitting in a tank and laughing at an Arab man chasing a Pokémon. This is meant to convey that Arabs are distracted from their conflict with the Israelis by popular franchises, with Pokémon as an example of such "distractions."[29][30]

Despite the initial banning, which quickly wiped away Pokémon merchandise, especially the card game, from markets in Saudi Arabia, Pokémon video games quickly returned to be sold normally, but under much less demand from local consumers. Some Pokémon merchandise, such as the Expedition Base Set, reappeared in certain stores a few years later, but newer sets were never brought. Games from Generation III on seem completely unaffected by the ban.

Judaism and perceived Nazi imagery

Animation

In All Things Bright and Beautifly!, a Team Rocket fantasy involved Jessie, James, Meowth, and many Team Rocket Grunts raising their hands in a manner somewhat similar to the Hitler salute. It was edited out in the English dub of the anime, with the Grunts no longer raising their hands. Despite this, Meowth's arm remains unedited in the dub.

Koga's Ninja Trick

In 1999, the Jewish civil rights group Anti-Defamation League took issue with Nintendo's use of a manji (swastika) in the original Japanese print of Koga's Ninja Trick from Challenge from the Darkness, because of the symbol's strong association German Nazi Party insignia in the Western world, which they appropriated from the manji in 1920.[31] This was a sentiment echoed by Jewish parent Myla Specht, who said "We thought there had to be something we could do because it can be terrible for children."[32]

Response to criticism was mixed. Nintendo of America announced that the card featuring the artwork was to be discontinued in all territories[32] even though no English language copies of the cards were printed, as the complaints originated from American children recieving the card in imported packs. They also recognized that there was no ill-intent behind the manji's inclusion from "the card's Japanese creators",[32] though the original illustrator, Sumiyoshi Kizuki, has never publicly commented on the topic.

Kenneth Jacobson, a spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League, recognized Nintendo's sensitivity to the feelings of Jews and others to whom the swastika may offend. Conversely, Steve Weisman, who was upset after hearing that ten-year-old children were finding the cards from imported packs said that Nintendo should do more, saying; "maybe [including] a contribution to a Holocaust group. The whole premise of the game is kids having fun. This reminded people of 6 million deaths."[32] Larry Rosensweig, a Jewish director at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach claimed that opposition to the manji symbol was "misplaced indignation", bringing up the fact that the manji had "been used throughout Asia for thousands of years and has nothing whatsoever to do with the Nazis or anti-Semitism", saying "there are plenty of things out there that people should be offended about."[32]

In the resale market, the original print of Koga's Ninja Trick featuring the manji is often over twenty times more valuable when compared to its reprinted counterpart, even in Japanese markets.[33] Other cards that directly reference Nazism, such as Secret Mission, drawn by Ken Sugimori, which features the real-life map of German occupied Poland during World War II, have not been changed in a similar manner, despite the sensitive subject material.

Registeel

In European releases of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the sprite art for Registeel is altered slightly. In the Japanese, Korean, and English releases, Registeel's arm is extended. In non-English European versions an altered sprite is used, depicting it with both of its arms down, presumably due to the original pose's resemblance to the Roman salute, infamously used by (and therefore commonly associated with) the German Nazi Party. In all versions of Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the revised sprite is used.

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, if the player shows the Game Director at the Hotel Grand Lake a Pokémon originating from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum, he gives them the Time Travel Award, featuring the Pokémon's original sprite from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Prior to v1.1.3, this award would use the original Japanese Pokémon Diamond and Pearl sprite for Registeel, although this award was not obtainable until Pokémon HOME support was added in v1.1.3 anyway; in v1.1.3, Registeel's sprite was replaced with the revised sprite used in Pokémon Platinum.[34]

Media-specific controversies

Pokémon Shock incident

An episode of the Pokémon anime broadcast in December 1997 on Japanese television induced photosensitive epileptic seizures in a substantial number of Japanese viewers, many of which required medical assistance. As a result, the episode was not broadcast overseas and never shown in Japan again, and the incident caused the anime to go into a temporary hiatus. Every Pokémon episode that aired until this episode, including the opening, was edited by lighting certain scenes, removing or changing fast-flashing scenes and more. The original version of the episodes have never been shown again, except for when the next episode preview for EP037 was mistakenly retained on Hulu Japan. For this, Pokémon currently holds the Guinness Book World Record for the most photosensitive epileptic seizures caused by a TV show.

Pokémon USA recasting

Main article: Pokémon USA recasting controversy

Pokémon GO

The sudden enormous popularity of Pokémon GO resulted in many controversies worldwide. Numerous organizations and companies complained about the spawning of Pokémon at places such as Holocaust and 9/11 memorials,[35][36] train rails,[37] and while driving a car.[38] Several people worldwide have been killed or seriously injured in accidents related to playing the game.[39][40][41]

In Russia, a 21-year-old video blogger received a suspended sentence for three and a half years in prison for charges of blasphemy after playing the game in a church.[42] Like the Pokémon mania in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pokémon GO caused strong reactions in the Islamic world, declaring fatwas against the game as it could lead to "haram" activities such as "gambling".[43][44][45] The game was banned in Iran over security concerns.[46] In New York, registered sex offenders on parole were banned from playing Pokémon GO.[47] In a Belgian town with 35 inhabitants, playing the game became forbidden at night because the small town was constantly flooded with players.[48]

Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokédex

During the E3 2019 Nintendo Treehouse live stream on June 11, 2019,[49] Junichi Masuda stated that some species of Pokémon (455 in total across Generations I to VII) could not be transferred to Pokémon Sword and Shield. After a massive amount of backlash from Pokémon fans (most of which involving the hashtag #BringBackNationalDex), The Pokémon Company International posted a statement from Masuda in response on Pokémon.com in Japanese and English on June 28, 2019.[50] Despite this reiterated statement, the fan backlash on social media continued, with many fans requesting that compatibility for all Pokémon be included in a post-launch patch. When asked about the possibility of a patch, Masuda stated that he had not yet finalized a decision on such a patch. The controversy became somewhat mitigated when the Expansion Pass was announced for the games, which added 221 of the missing Pokémon back in.

This controversy is sometimes known as Dexit, a portmanteau of Pokédex and Brexit, which was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (the basis of Galar, the setting of Sword and Shield) from the European Union.

Pokémon UNITE

When Pokémon UNITE was first announced, it quickly attracted controversy due to it being developed by a subsidiary of Tencent, which was controversial due to its ties to the Chinese government. It also brought up a controversy that had been steadily growing about the use of microtransactions in Pokémon games. As a result of these controversies, the Pokémon UNITE reveal quickly became the most disliked video on The Pokémon Company's YouTube channel.[51]

Palworld

The v0.1.0.0 title screen of Palworld

On January 19th, 2024, a game known as Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, was released on Xbox Game Pass and Steam to immense sales figures, with the Steam release alone selling over 8 million copies in less than six days,[52] eclipsing the first-week sales of Pokémon Legends: Arceus,[53] a title in the Pokémon series that was frequently compared to Palworld due to the similarity of being an open-ended monster catching game with a focus on action,[54] in addition to being the 2nd highest all-time peak in Steam history at 1.85 million concurrent players.[55]

Upon its release, the game was put under intense scrutiny as members of social media accused the game of plagiarizing Pokémon's aesthetic, particularly regarding Palworld's list of 111 "Pal" creatures at the time of its early access release.[56][57] This included criticism towards Pocketpair's other releases; such as Craftopia and its similarities to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild;[58] Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse and its similarities to Hollow Knight; and AI: Art Imposter and its similarities to Among Us and Gartic Phone, which came under increased fire as a result of the game's focus around generative AI artwork, due to the existing controversy surrounding the topic.[59] This led to a response by large influencers that enjoyed Palworld, causing increased debate about the title and its alleged morality regarding the artists behind the Pokémon series.[60]

Several users pointed out similarities between the Pal models found in Palworld and the Pokémon models from games such as Pokémon Sun and Moon, accusing Pocketpair of plagiarism. The Pal "Azurobe" came under particular scrutiny for appearing to be an edit of Serperior and Primarina.[61] One user comparing the models was accused of fabricating evidence due to uniformly scaling the model to make the comparison easier to see within a 3D modelling program,[62] though this accusation was chastised further by industry professionals as uniformly scaling a model does not edit the mesh in any way.[63] Other industry professionals pointed out that Azurobe and Serperior shared certain bone chains that have the same amount, and using a program to move them to match the same positions resulted in a near identical topology.[64] Pals that are currently unobtainable in the game, though are fully functional with completed models, animations and parameters; such as "Boltmane" and "Dark Mutant" also appear especially similar to existing Pokémon, such as Luxray and Mega Mewtwo Y.[65][66]

The release of Palworld stoked further controversy surrounding recent entries in the series such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which was frequently compared to the game, particularly regarding its visuals,[67] with some arguing that Palworld's sudden success could prompt better game design from GAME FREAK themselves by virtue of competition in the monster collection space.[68][69][70] Additional criticism against Palworld was rebuked by those claiming that the game was intentionally a parody of Pokémon,[71][72][73] though interviews in 2021 from the game's director mention that any comparisons to Pokémon were "lucky" and that they "totally didn't intend it."[74] Criticism against the game was met with memes chastising Pokémon fans for alleged brand loyalty.[75]

Takuro Mizobe, the director of Palworld

Additional scrutiny[76] was levied at game director Takuro Mizobe[77] for use of generative AI during the game's development,[78] as well as posts from the director's past praise of AI generative artwork to create Fakemon in the style of Ken Sugimori's artwork.[79] This was in addition to further posts by Mizobe about the use of generative AI being used to circumvent copyright law, another concern held by those on social media.[79] Mizobe has also gone on record in an interview with WIRED saying that his approach to game creation is founded on merging ideas together; not dissimilar "to that of a mashup" in musical terms.[80] In an interview with Automaton Media, Mizobe mentioned that Palworld cleared legal reviews prior to its release with no objections[81] and that Palworld was not at all similar to Pokémon. This is contradicted by a different interview with the same publication, where Mizobe noted that the developers directly referenced Pokémon as a "great predecessor", further stating that he was impressed by games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.[82]

The controversy was commented on by various professionals from all walks of the video game industry. VGC spoke to two anonymous experienced AAA game artists claiming that the model comparisons done by other users were effectively a smoking gun for a hypothetical legal battle between the companies that own the rights to Pokémon against Pocketpair, with a senior character artist adding that they would "stand in court to testify as an expert on this."[83] Keitai Denjū Telefang and Monster Crown designer Saiko Takaki wrote a thread commenting on the history of Pokémon plagiarism, where she claimed that her work on Telefang was designed to not be similar to Pokémon's, with Palworld's designs "clearly adding or subtracting" from existing ones, though noted that she had no comments to make on the actual gameplay, saying it "seemed fun, which is a shame."[84] The Pokémon Company International's Ex-Chief Legal Officer Dan McGowan, who was the head of the company's legal team between 2008 to 2020, told GamesRadar that he was "surprised it got this far", and that it "looks like the usual ripoff nonsense that [he] would see a thousand times a year".[85]

On January 22nd, Mizobe claimed that the team behind Palworld were receiving threats of violence and claims of slander, calling for people to stop.[86]

On January 23rd, a user that edited the models of Palworld to include various Pokémon, as well as characters such as Ash, Misty and Brock as part of a paid mod released on their Patreon,[87] claimed that "Nintendo had come for me" less than 24 hours later, with his video of the mod on Twitter being disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner after garnering 11.5 million views.[88]

On the morning of January 25th, The Pokémon Company issued an official statement on their website[89] in both Japanese and English, which read as the following:


Inquiries Regarding Other Companies’ Games

"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."

The Pokémon Company


On February 1st, Japanese tabloid magazine Tokyo Sports received an alleged tip stating that professionals in the Japanese entertainment industry were actively told to not associate with Palworld.[90] An anonymous senior executive told Tokyo Sports that they have told their talent "not to mention Palworld on SNS or in public" out of the concern that it could impact future collaborations with the Pokémon brand.

On February 6th, during Nintendo's review of the previous fiscal year, company president Shuntaro Furukawa directly mentioned Pocketpair, Palworld, and the game's similarity to the Pokémon series, stating; "We will take appropriate action against those that infringe on our intellectual property rights."[91]

On September 19th, Nintendo, together with The Pokémon Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against creator Pocketpair at the Tokyo District Court, seeking an "injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights".[92] In response, Pocketpair issued its own statement, stating that they were unaware of any patent infringements they had committed and reassuring fans that they will continue to support the game.[93]

Legal issues

Various lawsuits have been filed against Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and related entities regarding Pokémon or Pokémon characters.

Uri Geller

Dark Kadabra TCG card

Israeli magician Uri Geller, known for his attribution of his spoon-bending tricks to alleged psychic abilities, sued Nintendo, alleging that Kadabra (known as Yungerer in Japan) was an unauthorized use of his name and likeness. Besides Kadabra's use of bent spoons to enhance its psychic powers, the katakana for its name (ユンゲラー) is visually similar to the transliteration of his own name into Japanese (ユリゲラー). In particular, he took issue with Kadabra cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, especially the existence of the card Dark Kadabra (named "Evil Yungerer" in Japanese). Geller, who is Jewish, additionally argued that Kadabra's design is antisemitic due to the five-pointed star on its forehead and the lightning bolts resembling the logo of the Waffen-SS.[94] He is quoted as saying "Nintendo turned me into an evil, occult Pokémon character. Nintendo stole my identity by using my name and my signature image."[94] The symbols themselves are taken from those used on Zener cards, which have been used to conduct research into supposed psychic abilities since the 1930s, and Geller has personally used in some of his magic tricks.[95]

Geller told news outlets that he first became aware of Kadabra and its similarities to him while he was Christmas shopping at a Pokémon Center store in Japan. According to Geller, the store manager "rushed out from his office continuously bowing," followed by "hundreds of children [thrusting] Pokemon cards at him to autograph while chanting what sounded like Uri Geller."[96]

In December 1999, he told news outlets that he was planning to sue Nintendo. Geller retained lawyers in Tokyo and the United States, and told news outlets that he was pursuing legal action in "Europe, America, Latin America and Australasia". In the US, his lawyer said they were planning to sue for US$100 million. When reached for comment, Nintendo in Japan told news outlets they had not yet received the lawsuit.[96] Nintendo told news outlets "None of the Pokémon characters is given a name based on the image of any particular person".[97] When VICE investigated the case in 2018, they were unable to find any evidence of Geller ever filing a lawsuit in Japan, although they were unable to contact the Japanese lawyer who Geller had retained.[98]

In November 2000, it was reported that Geller had begun legal action against Nintendo in Los Angeles federal court, for using his likeness (Kadabra) on Pokémon cards without authorization. It was reported that his lawsuit alleged he should receive substantial damages and that Nintendo cease producing cards containing his likeness.[94] When VICE researched the case in 2018, they were only able to find documents filed from 2001 to 2003.[98]

In 2001, Geller, along with Liechtenstein company Sambracal AG (who own the rights to Geller's name and likeness), sued Nintendo, arguing that the use of his likeness in Kadabra violated his rights under California's privacy laws. However, the judge ruled that as he was not a citizen or resident of the United States (he is a citizen of Israel and the United Kingdom who lived in the United Kingdom at the time), he was not eligible for protection under these privacy laws, so he could only sue under privacy laws in the United Kingdom, but no such laws existed that would protect him in this case; that part of the case was dismissed on August 16, 2001, but Geller continued to sue arguing that the cards violated the trademark rights to his own name. In November 2002, a judge dismissed Geller's trademark claims against Nintendo of America, ruling that there was insufficient evidence that Nintendo of America was involved in the distribution of Japanese language Kadabra cards in the United States (since only the Japanese language cards bore a similarity to Geller's name); since the Japanese language cards were only intended to be distributed in Japan, only Japanese trademark law could be applied, but Geller did not own a trademark on his name in Japan. On March 3, 2003, Geller's lawsuit was dismissed by the judge.[98]

Despite Geller losing his lawsuit, it seemed to have a chilling effect on the usage of Kadabra in official Pokémon media. From 2003 to 2022, there were no new Kadabra cards released in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, with the last Kadabra card to be printed before the drought being in Skyridge in 2003. Kadabra had not appeared in the Pokémon anime since Fear Factor Phony in 2006. In a July 2008 interview with PokéBeach, Masamitsu Hidaka stated that usage of Kadabra on a card is not allowed until an agreement was reached and that the case would not be settled anytime soon.[99]

Abra and Alakazam cards have continued to be printed, despite the lack of Kadabra cards. In matches that prevent the use of older cards, this made it impossible to play Alakazam without using cards that allow Alakazam to be played directly without evolving it from Kadabra, such as Rare Candy. The only Abra card released between Skyridge and 2023, in Mysterious Treasures, has an attack that allows it to evolve directly into Alakazam, skipping the Kadabra stage. Any Alakazam cards printed since were Basic Pokémon that did not need to evolve from anything.

On November 27, 2020, The Gamer published an article about the history of Geller and Kadabra.[100] The following day, after being contacted by a reader of The Gamer's article,[101] Geller reached out to The Gamer, telling them that he had sent a letter to "the chairman of Nintendo giving them permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide", which they published in a follow-up article.[102] The next day, Geller tweeted that he was sorry about "what [he] did 20 years ago", and that he was rescinding the ban; the tweet included an image of The Gamer's second article and a link to his personal museum, which at the time was scheduled to open in December 2020 after its opening had been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[103]

In 2021, Kadabra made its first appearance in animation since 2006 in the Pokémon Evolutions episode The Show (debuting December 16, 2021). The first Kadabra card printed since Skyridge is included in the Pokémon Card 151 subset in Japan (released June 16, 2023) and its counterpart 151 expansion in English (released September 22, 2023).

Power Bouncer suffocation incident

In January 1999, a 7-year-old boy suffocated to death after a Pokémon Power Bouncer ball became lodged in his throat while playing with it. After his death, his parents created a website named "Pokémon Kills", criticizing Hasbro and Pokémon for not taking appropriate safety measures in their product design.[104] In November 1999, the boy's parents filed a lawsuit against Hasbro and Toys "R" Us.[105]

Burger King toy suffocation incident

In December 1999, as a promotion for Mewtwo Strikes Back, Burger King released a series of promotional toys in handheld Poké Balls with their Kids' Meals. After a child suffocated because she had covered her mouth and nose with half of the Poké Ball, Burger King recalled the Poké Balls and exchanged them for food for a limited amount of time.[106]

Other lawsuits

A parents' group attempted to sue manufacturers of collectible cards, including Nintendo and Wizards of the Coast, claiming that the cards' collectible nature and the random distribution of the cards in packs constitutes illegal gambling.[107]

Other

Creatures, Inc. Yasukuni Shrine visit

On January 7, 2019, Creatures, Inc. posted a tweet[dead link] showing several employees visiting Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial shrine located in Tokyo, Japan.[108][109][110] The shrine, said by Shinto practitioners to house the souls of fallen soldiers who fought for Japan, has been the subject of scrutiny over the years for including 1,068 military officials convicted of various war crimes by the 1946 International Military Tribunal for the Far East, including 14 convicted Class A war criminals. Following social media backlash from fans in South Korea and China (two regions Japan colonized before World War II and conducted war crimes in), the tweet was deleted later that day. An apology was posted on January 22, 2019 in Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin on the Creatures website and the official Korean and Chinese Pokémon websites.

2024 World Championships location announcement

At the end of the 2023 World Championships on August 13, 2023, it was announced that next year's Pokémon World Championships would be held in Honolulu, Hawaii; it is the fourth World Championships to be held in Hawaii. As the location was announced in the wake of wildfires happening throughout Hawaii beginning in early August 2023, this announcement was met with criticism; people cited issues with announcing the location during an ongoing tragedy in Hawaii, and the over-tourism in the state causing problems as it tries to meet the tourism demand.[111][112]

The Pokémon Company made a donation of $200,000 to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund via the nonprofit GlobalGiving, which was announced on the Play! Pokémon Twitter account shortly after the 2024 World Championships location announcement.[113]

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