Iowa man sues Nintendo after being denied ‘Pokémon Professor’ status

LAURENS, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – An Iowa man is taking Nintendo and Pokémon Company International to federal court for allegedly refusing to grant him “Pokémon Professor” status.

Kyle Owens, 34, of Laurens is suing Nintendo of America and its affiliate, Pokémon Company International, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging federal anti-trust actions that violate the Sherman Act.

The lawsuit seeks a court order and injunction that would grant Owens $341,000 in damages and award him Pokémon Professor certification, restore his access to “official Pokémon Professor tools” and enable him to host Pokémon events.

Pokémon is a Japanese franchise, aimed primarily at children, that includes trading cards, video games and movies involving a fictional universe populated by species that possess special powers. The franchise gained worldwide popularity in the late 1990s, but continues to be embraced today by children as well as adult collectors and gamers.

“The Pokémon Professor program is not merely recreational,” the lawsuit alleges. “It functions as a structured certification and authorization system, granting official status, access to official event tools, the ability to host sanctioned card and video-game matches, listing in an event locator, and opportunities that generate business traffic, customer attendance, product sales, good will and commercial advantage.”

Owens’ lawsuit alleges that on March 12, 2024, Pokémon Company International informed him he had passed the basic exam for the rank of Professor of Pokémon with a score of 100%.

Court exhibits indicate the notice informing Owens he had passed the exam also stated that before he could be welcomed into the program and take his “first steps as a Pokémon Professor,” he would need to submit to a background check.

The exhibits, made public in Owens’ court filings, indicate the background check conducted on behalf of the defendants determined there was a pending arrest warrant, issued by another state in 2022, for failing to appear in court on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct by engaging in fighting; possessing, repairing or selling an offensive weapon; and criminal mischief through damage to property.

On May 6, 2024, Pokémon Company International wrote to Owens, informing him that his “application to the professor program has been denied after reviewing the results of your background check.” The letter indicated that once the background check was completed, it was determined he had scored 80% on the exam and failed the test for professor status.

In his lawsuit, Owens claims he was initially denied certification due to an “old, low-level felony that was more than 10 years old,” and that the stated rationale for his denial was later changed to the three misdemeanor charges that do “not show guilty findings.”

The lawsuit claims the defendants’ denial of his certification as a Professor of Pokémon does not merely harm Owens personally but also reduces competition and consumer access by eliminating a qualified, Iowa-based event host from the official, organized-play system associated with Pokémon.

The defendants have yet to file a response to the lawsuit.