Pokémon controversies

There have been numerous controversies regarding the Pokémon franchise in its various forms and media.
==Violence==
===Animation===
Although 4Kids allowed for some cartoon violence in the , the following episodes contain scenes that were deemed to be "too violent", and thus were cut from the English broadcast:
* Pokémon - I Choose You!: slapping after he tells her he's okay, presumably because of his apparent lack of care for .
* Ash Catches a Pokémon: Misty slapping Ash again due to his recklessness in sending out to battle a .
* The School of Hard Knocks: Misty smashing 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 revolver, and also firing at when they trespass onto the grounds, leading to the entire episode being banned outside of Asia.
* The Double Trouble Header: Shots of Ash being struck by rapidly launched baseballs.
* 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 first US home video release and replaced with an impact animation. The version streamed on Pokémon TV and the second US home video release, however, leaves the shots in this episode intact.
* There's No Place Like Hoenn: Two separate scenes showing James's head and Max on fire due to 's attack were cut from the dub for being too violent.
* A Corphish Out of Water: A 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 and , where characters get hit by extremely heavy objects and are completely fine afterwards.
==Gambling==
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 associated games (such as slot machines or poker), with simulated gambling in video games falling under particular scrutiny. As a result, the Pan-European Game Information () 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,New PEGI rating criteria labels all games that teach or encourage gambling 18+ | Game World Observer 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 renamed the Gambler Trainer class to "" and removed gambling references from their dialogue. The English versions of the Generation IV games renamed the class once more to "", though the references to gambling were kept.
In South Korea, the releases of 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 .European Pokemon Platinum's missing Game Corner explained | GamesRadar (archived copy) 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 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, 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 have not featured a Game Corner, remakes included. In , 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 , 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 , 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 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-esque methods that exist in later games, such as the Loto-ID, the Cram-o-matic, and the Item Printer. However, 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.
s in Pokémon GO have been accused of being , which is a form of gambling.https://screenrant.com/pokemon-go-eggs-loot-boxes-gambling-money-incubator/
In , the TCG was blocked for a while because it "promoted gambling and Zionism".
==Racism==
===Jynx===
Following the American airing of Holiday Hi-Jynx in 1999, , an African-American cultural critic, claimed that 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 , as well as calling Jynx "a dead ringer for an obese ", and further compared Jynx to of the 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 were edited, and all episodes featuring Jynx's original design were cut from international airings of the , 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 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 , and in the animated series 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 . 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, also changed Jynx's color.
In later years, some fans of Pokémon have noted that Jynx may be inspired by , 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 , 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.On the Origin of Species: Jynx Another theory is that Jynx is based on the Nordic goddess , who was often depicted as having a face half white-half black and who ruled , 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 "," who is pop-culturally portrayed dressed as the . It has also been stated that Jynx is based on , the mountain Crone.Game Theory: Pokemon Racism, Jynx Justified
===Lenora===
The Gym Leader of Nacrene City in , 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 . 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 .
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 , she is not depicted with an apron at all.
In Pokémon Masters EX, 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 s. This aspect of the controversy was touched upon in .
Upon the release of , animal rights activist group (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."Nintendo responds to PETA’s Pokemon attack | canada.com (archived copy ) 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 and also makes fun of the frequent release of sister games.
==Religion==
===Christianity===
====Satanism====
Some groups have accused Pokémon as being linked to . The following is a summarized list of claims:
*Pokémon are like demons. They are captured and must be called upon to perform tasks.Straight Talk on Pokemon - StraightTalkonPokemon.pdfISIS Will Use Pokémon Go to Murder Innocent Christians and Spawn Demons (Says Radio Host Pastor)
*Magical talismans (presumably a reference to Gym Badges) are needed to control them.POKEMON on studytoanswer.net (archived copy)
*Pokémon evolution has often been criticized due to sharing the name with the which fundamentalist creationists usually reject, although the phenomenon in Pokémon is closer to insect or mammalian puberty.Sociology of Religion for Generations X and Y - Adam Possamai - Google Books
**Certain Pokémon evolutions require Evolution stones, which are often seen as magical.
*Many Pokémon have extraordinary paranormal powers, notably s and s.POKÉMON | a game review from Christian SpotlightPokemon - A Christian AssessmentPokémon, Harry Potter, and the Magic of Story | CBN.com
*Many Pokémon inherently involve East Asian spiritualism or mysticism, due to the franchise originating in Japan. Some Christian groups denounce these as pagan rituals.Pokémon and the Great Occult Scare | The Wild HuntPokemon - Just Another Fad?
*Some claimed that if one were to the Kanto Pokérap, "Gotta Catch 'em All!" can be heard as "I love you, Satan".The Time They Thought Pokémon Was Satanic on Kotaku[inadequate source]
*Pokémon causes homosexuality; the close relationship between the characters Ash and Brock was "a sign of the cartoon’s gay agenda".Televangelist Creflo Dollar claims Pokemon causes homosexualityGayNZ.com Pokemon 'turned teens gay' - preacher (archived copy)
In response to these claims, the -based 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".POKEMON EARNS PAPAL BLESSING | New York Post (archived copy)
===Islam===
On March 15, 2001, an anonymous user online claiming to be located in , , posted a forum thread on the then big Arabic message-board site Montada, making questionable claims of the Pokémon franchise being tied to , , and .
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.
* meaning Be a Jew.
* meaning God is weak.
* (misspelled as ) meaning God is stupid.
* 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 , 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.10 Egyptian Conspiracy TheoriesArabs See Jewish Conspiracy in Pokemon - latimesADL denounces claim by Muslim leaders that Pokemon game is “Jewish Conspiracy" - Press Release (archived copy)Saddam Hussein tried to ban POKEMON in Iraq for an utterly bizarre reason - Mirror Online 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.Saudi Arabia issues fatwa against POKÉMON for being ‘un-Islamic’ and ‘blasphemous' | World | News | Express.co.ukDubai Family Consultant Dr. Khalifa Al-Makhrazi: Pokemon Go Is Prohibited, Spreads Darwinism | MEMRIFatwas of the Permanent Committee
In 2001, the of , who is the highest religious authority in the kingdom, issued a banning the Pokémon franchise. It claimed that the franchise promoted by displaying a six-pointed star that resembles the as well as other religious symbols such as crosses they associated with and triangles they associated with in the TCG and encouraged gambling in the games due to the inclusion of gambling elements, which is in violation of doctrine.The Escapist - Archive - Saudi Bans Pokemon (archived copy)BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Saudi Arabia bans Pokemon (archived copy)
High Muslim authorities in and then joined the ban. As this happened during the , a ian newspaper printed a caricature of Israeli Prime Minister 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."BBC News | Middle East | Qatari religious leader bans PokemonPeterson, Mark Allen. 'Anthropology & Mass Communication: Media and Myth in the New Millennium'. 2003. Print.
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 , 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, , and many s raising their hands in a manner somewhat similar to the . It was edited out in the English dub of the , with the Grunts no longer raising their hands. Despite this, 's arm remains unedited in the dub.
File:AG013 original shot.png|Original Japanese version
File:AG013 dub shot.png|Dubbed English version
====Koga's Ninja Trick====
In 1999, the Jewish civil rights group took issue with Nintendo's use of a manji () in the original Japanese print of from Challenge from the Darkness, because of the symbol's strong association with the German Nazi Party insignia in the , which they appropriated from the manji in 1920.Article from the Holocaust Encylopedia about the history of the Swastika. 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."Article quoting the situation with Koga's Ninja Trick in the United States.
Koga Ninja Trick Manji.png|Original Japanese print
KogaNinjaTrickGymChallenge115.jpg|International print
Response to criticism was mixed. Nintendo of America announced that the card featuring the artwork was to be discontinued in all territories even though no English copies of the cards were printed, as the complaints originated from American children receiving 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", 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." 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."
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.Tweet showing a 20x price difference between both prints of Koga's Ninja Trick. Other cards that directly reference Nazism, such as , 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 , the sprite art for 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 , infamously by (and therefore commonly associated with) the German . In all versions of and , the revised sprite is used.
In , 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.https://twitter.com/mattyoukhana_/status/1473462097489104902
File:Spr 4d 379.png|Japanese/English/Korean DP Registeel
File:Spr 4p 379.png|European DP/Worldwide PtHGSS Registeel
==Media-specific controversies==
===Pokémon Shock incident===
An episode of broadcast in December 1997 on Japanese television induced s in a substantial number of Japanese viewers, many of which required medical assistance. As a result, , and the incident caused the 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 for the most photosensitive epileptic seizures caused by a TV show.
===Pokémon USA recasting===
===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,Holocaust Museum, Auschwitz want Pokémon Go hunts outHolocaust museum pleads: stop playing Pokémon Go here • Eurogamer.net train rails,Pokemon Go players told to stay away from Amsterdam hospital and rail tracks and while driving a car.Tens of Thousands of People Are Driving While Playing Pokémon GO | Fortune Several people worldwide have been killed or seriously injured in accidents related to playing the game.‘Pokémon Go’ players fall off 90-foot ocean bluff — The San Diego Union-TribunePokemon Go player killed in Guatemala and cousin injured while playing game | Daily Mail OnlineDriver distracted by Pokémon Go kills woman in Japan — The Verge
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.Pokemon Go: Russian blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky convicted 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".Malaysian Islamic leaders say no to 'Pokemon Go' | The Japan Times (archived copy)Fatwa against Pokemon Go in India | Gadgets NowFatwa No. 21,758: Saudi clerics ban Pokemon Go The game was banned in Iran over security concerns.Pokemon Go banned by Iranian authorities over 'security' — BBC News In New York, registered sex offenders on parole were banned from playing Pokémon GO.New York Bans Registered Sex Offenders From Pokémon Go : All Tech Considered : NPR In a Belgian town with 35 inhabitants, playing the game became forbidden at night because the small town was constantly flooded with players.De Wever verbiedt nachtelijke Pokémon Go in Lillo | Nieuws | HLN
===Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokédex===
During the 2019 Nintendo Treehouse live stream on June 11, 2019,Nintendo Treehouse: Live | E3 2019 - Youtube Junichi Masuda stated that some species of (455 in total across Generations to ) could not be transferred to . After a massive amount of backlash from Pokémon fans (most of which involving the #BringBackNationalDex), The Pokémon Company International posted a statement from Masuda in response on Pokémon.com in Japanese and English on June 28, 2019.A Message for Pokémon Video Game Fans - Pokémon.com 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 , a portmanteau of Pokédex and , which was the withdrawal of the (the basis of Galar, the setting of Sword and Shield) from the .
===Pokémon UNITE===
When Pokémon UNITE was first announced, it quickly attracted controversy due to it being developed by a subsidiary of , 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 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.Oloman, Jordan (June 25, 2020). "Pokemon Unite Reveal Becomes The Pokemon Company's Most Disliked Video on YouTube." IGN.
===Palworld===
 is a video game published by , released in early access on January 19, 2024 for and . Within its first week, the game sold over eight million copies on Steam,Palworld tweet claiming Palworld has sold over 8 million copies in less than six days. surpassing the initial sales of Pokémon Legends: Arceus.Nintendo of America tweet claiming Pokémon Legends Arceus sold 6.5 million in its first week. Palworld has frequently been compared to the Pokémon series due to its open-world monster-catching mechanics and action-oriented gameplay.Tweets of users comparing Palworld and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. (1) (2) in addition to the game having the second-largest peak number of players online at once in Steam's history, at 1.85 million concurrent players.Palworld stating that the game is the 2nd highest all-time peak in Steam history at 1.85 million concurrent players.
====Accusations of plagiarism====
Palworld received criticism from social media users accusing the game of plagiarizing Pokémon's aesthetic, especially in regards to its roster of 111 "Pal" creatures at the time of its early access release.Thread by Cecilia Fae comparing the list of "Pals" in Palworld to Pokémon designsPost by Acerola_t about Palworld's impact on the larger industry as a whole, referring to it as an "asset flip game". This controversy followed similar accusations against Pocketpair's previous games, including , which was compared to ,Tweet criticizing the similarities between Craftopia and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. and , which was noted for its similarities to . Another Pocketpair title, AI: Art Imposter, was compared to and Gartic Phone, and faced backlash for its use of generative AI, due to the .A 2023 lawsuit between Sarah Andersen, et al. v. Stability AI regarding the use of AI generative artwork. Some influencers defended Palworld, which was followed by debate over the title's impact on the artists behind the Pokémon series.A thread criticizing Twitch streamer Asmongold for his opinions on AI generated artwork and the artists behind both Palworld and the Pokémon series.
Several users pointed out similarities between the Pal models found in Palworld and the Pokémon models from games such as , accusing Pocketpair of plagiarism. The Pal "Azurobe" came under particular scrutiny for appearing to be an edit of and .Comparison made between Palworld's "Azurobe" and Pokémon such as Serperior and Primarina. 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,A thread incorrectly accusing the fabrication of evidence due to uniformly scaling "Azurobe" and "Serperior"'s models to be the same size. though this accusation was chastised further by industry professionals as uniformly scaling a model does not edit the mesh in any way.Post chastising those accusing fabrication by uniform model scaling. 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.Post pointing out the identical amount of bone chains between Serperior and Azurobe. 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 and Y.A page on the Pal "Boltmane", who appears similar to LuxrayA post about the pal "Dark Mutant", who appears similar to Mega Mewtwo Y.
====Industry reactions and legal scrutiny====
The release of Palworld stoked further controversy surrounding recent entries in the Pokémon series such as , which was frequently compared to the game, particularly regarding its visuals,Tweet from company OperaGX comparing the visuals of Palworld and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. 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.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 gamesPost from YourRAGE about the "sickening" response that Pokémon fans have to modern Pokémon releases.Post from The Act Man about hopes for Palworld's success to push GAME FREAK to release games that aren't a "complete embarrassment" Additional criticism against Palworld was rebuked by those claiming that the game was intentionally a parody of Pokémon,Video by InfernoOmni erroneously commenting on how Palworld was a parody, and therefore legally immune.Post from a user claiming that Palworld's designs are an intentional parody of Pokémon's.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 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."Interview between Takuro Mizobe and TheGamer in 2021 about how any comparisons to Pokémon were totally unintentional. Criticism against the game was met with memes against Pokémon fans for perceived "brand loyalty".Tweet from company OperaGX chastising Pokémon fans for seemingly defending a billion-dollar company.
Additional scrutinyEvidence of scrutiny against Mizobe's use of ChatGPT. was levied at game director Takuro MizobeThe Palworld website, which showcases the credits for the game for use of generative AI during the game's development,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!!") 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.Article summarizing Takuro Mizobe's past tweets about AI generative artwork, including those about using AI to generate Pokémon This was in addition to further posts by Mizobe about the use of generative AI being used to circumvent , another concern held by those on social media. Mizobe has also gone on record in an interview with saying that his approach to game creation is founded on merging ideas together; not dissimilar "to that of a " in musical terms.Interview between Takuro Mizobe and WIRED. In an interview with Automaton Media, Mizobe mentioned that Palworld cleared legal reviews prior to its release with no objectionsInterview between Palworld director Takuro Mizobe and Automaton about the game's legal reviews. 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.Interview between Palworld director Takuro Mizobe and Automaton about the game's relation to Pokémon
The controversy was commented on by various professionals from 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."Interview by VGC talking about Palworld's plagiarism accusations and 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."Thread by Telefang and Monster Crown designer Saiko Takaki discussing Palworld. 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".Interview between ex-Pokémon CLO Dan McGowan and GamesRadar.
====Response and impact====
On January 22, Mizobe claimed that the team behind Palworld were receiving threats of violence and claims of slander, calling for people to stop.Palworld director Takuro Mizobe's claims that the team were receiving threats of violence and slanderous claims. 
On January 23, a user that edited the models of Palworld to include various Pokémon, as well as characters such as , , and as part of a paid mod released on their Patreon,IGN article on the person that modded Pokémon characters into Palworld. 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.A now-disabled video showcasing Pokémon characters in Palworld.
On the morning of January 25, The Pokémon Company issued an official statement on their websitePost on The Pokémon Company website regarding Palworld. 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 1, Japanese magazine received an alleged tip stating that professionals in the Japanese entertainment industry were actively told to not associate with Palworld.Article from Japanese tabloid magazine Tokyo Sports. 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 6, 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."Article reporting on Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa's statements regarding Pocketpair and Palworld.
====Lawsuit====
On September 19, 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".Filing Lawsuit for Infringement of Patent Rights against Pocketpair, Inc. - Nintendo Co. Ltd. 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.Regarding The Lawsuit - Pocketpair Some time after the announcement of the lawsuit, an update to Palworld removed the ability to throw a Pal Sphere to summon a previously captured Pal, which has been noted to likely be part of the alleged patent infringement, relating to the player directly throwing a Poké Ball in gameplay to summon a Pokémon in both Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet.Eurogamer article covering the Palworld update and its alleged relation to the lawsuit
==Legal issues==
Various lawsuits have been filed against Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and related entities regarding Pokémon or Pokémon characters.
===Uri Geller===
Israeli magician , known for his attribution of his spoon-bending tricks to alleged abilities, sued Nintendo, alleging that (known as Yungerer in Japan) was an unauthorized use of his name and likeness. Besides Kadabra's use of bent spoons to enhance its powers, the 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 (named "Evil Yungerer" in Japanese). Geller, who is Jewish, additionally argued that Kadabra's design is due to the five-pointed star on its forehead and the lightning bolts resembling the logo of the . 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." The symbols themselves are taken from those used on , 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.The Man Who Stopped Game Freak from Using Kadabra - Uri Geller | Save Data | YouTube
Geller told news outlets that he first became aware of Kadabra and its similarities to him while he was Christmas shopping at a 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."
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.Nintendo faces £60m writ from Uri Geller | UK News | The Guardian (archived copy) Nintendo told news outlets "None of the Pokémon characters is given a name based on the image of any particular person".Uri Geller sues Pokemon | ZDnet 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.Uri Geller vs. Kadabra: Die bizarre Geschichte hinter der verschwundenen Pokémon-Karte | VICE (in German)
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.BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Geller sues Nintendo over Pokémon (archived copy) When VICE researched the case in 2018, they were only able to find documents filed from 2001 to 2003.
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.
Despite Geller losing his lawsuit, it seemed to have a 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 in 2003. Kadabra had not appeared in the Pokémon animated series 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.Second Interview with Masamitsu Hidaka – Many Interesting Points! (July 4th, 2008) « Website News « PokéBeach (archived copy)
 and 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 . The only card released between and 2023, in , has an attack that allows it to evolve directly into Alakazam, skipping the Kadabra stage. Any 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.Why There Hasn’t Been A Kadabra Pokemon Card For Almost 20 Years | The Gamer The following day, after being contacted by a reader of The Gamer's article,Tweet from the author of The Gamer's first article 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.Uri Geller Gives Nintendo Permission To Print Kadabra On Pokemon Cards Again | The Gamer 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.Uri Geller Museum website (archive)
In 2021, Kadabra made its first appearance in since 2006 in the Pokémon Evolutions episode The Show (debuting December 16, 2021). The first card printed since Skyridge is included in the subset in Japan (released June 16, 2023) and its counterpart 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.Pokémon Kills In November 1999, the boy's parents filed a lawsuit against Hasbro and Toys "R" Us.Parents of Boy Who Choked to Death on Pokemon Ball File Suit | New York Times (archive)
===Burger King toy suffocation incident===
In December 1999, as a promotion for Mewtwo Strikes Back, 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.BBC News | AMERICAS | Burger King in Pokemon recall (archived copy)
===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.
==Other==
===Creatures, Inc. Yasukuni Shrine visit===
On January 7, 2019, Creatures, Inc. posted a tweet showing several employees visiting , a shrine located in Tokyo, Japan.Pokémon Studio Criticized After Visiting Controversial Shrine | KotakuPokemon Studio Under Fire For Visiting Controversial Shrine | ComicBook.comPokémon's Creatures, Inc. in Hot Water Over Visit to Controversial Yasukuni Shrine | Anime News Network 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 by the 1946 International Military Tribunal for the Far East, including 14 convicted . Following social media backlash from fans in and (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 Pokémon World Championships location announcement===
At the end of the 2023 Pokémon World Championships on August 13, 2023, it was announced that next year's Pokémon World Championships would be held in , ; it is the fourth World Championships to be held in Hawaii. As the location was announced in the wake of 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.Nightingale, Ed (August 14, 2023). "The Pokémon Company donates $200k to Hawaii after announcing it as 2024 tournament location." Eurogamer.Bailey, Kat (August 15, 2023). "Why the Pokémon World Championships Going to Hawaii Is Proving to be a Controversial Choice." IGN.
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 Pokémon World Championships location announcement.@playpokemon on Twitter. Posted on August 13, 2023.
==References==
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