A series of incidents occurred on April 1, 2018, in which a nefarious outside group seized control of Pokemon.com and the official Pokémon Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube accounts. Our investigation determined that no harm was done beyond the posting of unauthorized content.

The first incident occurred when Team Rocket somehow gained access to our social media channels. After receiving assistance from a large number of unknown accomplices, they were able to procure dastardly disguises. They then began pursuing a young Trainer’s Pikachu using one of their misguided inventions, and they acquired the Pokémon with shocking efficiency. Fortunately, they were then forced to engage that same Trainer’s Charizard in battle and failed miserably. Their access to our accounts was revoked shortly afterward.

Several unauthorized pieces of content were left on Pokemon.com during a second breach. Team Rocket seems to have posted some sort of employee evaluation report, a rundown of Pokémon TCG cards featuring themselves, an overly flattering profile of three of their members, and even a feature about their own Pokémon, complete with accompanying episodes on Pokémon TV. All attempts to remove these items have been met with wide-ranging technical glitches—presumably due to a Team Rocket booby trap—so we have no choice but to leave them in place.

All of our platforms have now been secured, and future updates will return to normal. We appreciate the assistance of Officer Jenny and the International Police in dealing with this incident.