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George Floyd protests: Pokémon pledges $1M to Black Lives Matter, fans say ‘racists don’t deserve Pikachu's love’

Many fans thanked them for bringing diverse characters in the world and for supporting the cause
PUBLISHED JUN 4, 2020
Pokémon (Nintendo)
Pokémon (Nintendo)

In the wake of George Floyd's tragic death, several celebrities and big brands are using their platforms to raise their voice against systemic racism and police brutality. Lending support to #BlackLivesMatter, The Pokémon Company International released a statement on Twitter pledging $1 million towards the black community and said it will donate another $1 million to NAACP. 

"Here at The Pokémon Company International, we believe in friendship, inclusivity and equity. These are the values that anchor the Pokémon brand. There is no place for oppression within our community," an official Twitter post read. It further said, "We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, fans and families who continue to be impacted by systemic racism and senseless violence." Backing the community, they further added, "We will be making a $100,000 donation to the NAACP and a $100,000 donation to Black Lives Matter. Our commitment to you is ongoing, and our support will be as well," and underlined in bold: "We believe that Black Lives Matter." 

No sooner was it posted, it garnered over 50,000 retweets and more than 160,000 likes and sparked a conversation against racists. "Good! Racists don’t deserve Pikachu's love anyway!" one tweet read and another said, "Pokémon puttin out statements?! Ohh this is a revolution." One posted a tweet to unite all fans together saying, "Any person claiming to be a Pokemon fan that doesn't agree with this isn't a real Pokemon fan or even a decent human being for that matter #BlackLivesMatter."

Pikachu (Getty Images)

Moreover, many fans thanked them for bringing diverse characters in the world. "From correcting the mistake of Jynx’s coloration in 1999 to some of the best and most diverse characters now THANK YOU for taking the steps to be inclusive and supporting the cause," one tweet read and another said, "Absolutely love to see it. Pokémon has had fantastic black representation with gym leaders, elite four, champions, and many more for decades and it’s especially great that you’ve donated! Thank you so much." Another Pokémon fan posted, "Does this mean more hot black female gym leaders?"

Several fans, however, started bashing Logan, a character appearing in Pokémon Adventures. "Logan do not say anything, Now ain’t the f**king time." But, another chipped in: "Hey how about we support what Pokemon is doing and then get Ben and Logan banned like they deserve?!" and another posted, "This why we like yall more than Digimon."

Reminiscing their old Pokémon memories from childhood, one said, "No one can ever s**t on me for liking Pokemon now. They da homies," and another posted, "Pokémon posted about it earlier too. And Nickelodeon and Disney. All my favorite kid things are making me happy by speaking out." One even went on to say: "I knew I f**ked with Pokémon since I was 6 for a reason." All's well that ends well, isn't it? 

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