Britt Jones
People have urged Pokémon to sue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the government over its use of the popular franchise in its latest video.
The DHS has found itself right in the middle of a controversy after the organization posted a video on social media that uses imagery and music from Pokémon over footage of ICE raids.
The video, which was shared on X (formerly Twitter), uses the franchise's iconic catchphrase 'Gotta Catch 'Em All' in its caption.
Those words are famous within the show's universe as the first few seasons follow Ash Ketchum and his friends, who are on their quest to catch various Pokémon types in their Pokéballs to become 'Pokémon Masters'.
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However, in the DHS's video, images of immigration raids and arrests were used instead, along with footage from the Pokémon anime show.
The video also ends with makeshift Pokémon cards, which show mugshots of individuals arrested by immigration agents, details about their alleged crimes, and their nationalities.
They also have their weakness listed as ‘illegal’, with a snowflake included to symbolise ICE, according to Fox News.
Social media users have heavily criticized the inclusion of a show that is typically aimed at children, with many suggesting that Nintendo, GameFreak, and Creatures, which all own the franchise under The Pokémon Company, should sue them.
One person said: "Hey @Pokemon, please sue the hell out of the government," while another tagged the Pokémon X account and wrote: "You guys cool with them using your IP for this?"
Meanwhile, a third wrote: “We need to channel all of the world's energy into @NintendoAmerica and @Pokemon to sue the F***** S*** out of Homeland Security for unauthorized visual representation!”
A fourth wrote: “NINTENDO!!! SUE THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!!!”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection commented on the video too, posting a GIF of Pikachu wearing a hat with the words: “Border Patrol’s newest recruit.”
Nintendo has a history of being very protective of its intellectual property, with the company, as well as The Pokémon Company, having issued a patent rights infringement lawsuit in Japan against Pocketpair, which created Palworld, last year.
It isn't the first time an official government account has faced some heat for its social media posts.
This year, ChatGPT launched its new feature, which enabled users to create pictures in the style of a Studio Ghibli film.
The White House eventually tweeted a photo of Virginia Basora-Gonzalez's arrest by an ICE agent, but it was presented in a Studio Ghibli design.
UNILAD contacted Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for comment.
In a shocking response to social media urging Nintendo to sue the DHS, a DHS Spokesperson told UNILAD: “To arrest them is our real test. To deport them is our cause.”