Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are facing a lawsuit after an Iowa resident claimed he was unfairly denied access to the official Play! Pokémon “Pokémon Professor” program.
Kyle Owens filed the lawsuit seeking $341,000 in damages alongside official Pokémon Professor certification. According to the complaint, Owens believes the rejection prevented him from organizing official Pokémon events and participating more deeply in the competitive Pokémon community.
The lawsuit centers around Owens’ attempt to join the Play! Pokémon Professor program, which allows approved members to assist at tournaments, judge matches, organize events, and help newer players entering the competitive scene.
According to the complaint, Owens completed the required certification examination and was initially shown a perfect score of 100%. He claims the result was later adjusted to 80% during the review process.
The situation reportedly escalated after a background check flagged a pending arrest warrant tied to misdemeanor-related allegations from another state. The reported allegations included disorderly conduct involving fighting, criminal mischief connected to property damage, and accusations related to possessing, repairing, or selling an offensive weapon.
Owens argues that the explanation behind the rejection changed multiple times. According to the lawsuit, he was first informed that an older low-level felony played a role in the denial before later being told the pending misdemeanor allegations were the primary reason instead.
The complaint further argues that the misdemeanor matters did not involve guilty findings and therefore should not have automatically prevented him from entering the program.
Lawsuit Claims Denial Hurts Local Pokémon Community
The lawsuit also claims the denial negatively impacts the local Pokémon community by reducing the number of certified organizers and judges available to host official events in Iowa.
Certified Pokémon Professors can gain access to tournament-related opportunities, event invitations, and official program benefits connected to Play! Pokémon activities. Owens argues that denying qualified applicants limits competitive growth and consumer access to organized events within smaller communities.
At the time of writing, neither Nintendo nor The Pokémon Company has publicly responded to the lawsuit or issued statements regarding the allegations.
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