Pokémon leaks are everywhere – here’s how to read them responsibly

It’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Fandoms are passionate, and even the reveal of a single cute character can seemingly take over the feeds of thousands of people. But this time it’s much more serious.

In times like these, there is no reliable authority on where to get information and that can be overwhelming. Social media sites like X have become a dumping ground for disorganized and unverified information. Aside from a statement from Game Freak confirming that employees’ personal information was accessed, we have no confirmation that any of this is real.

That doesn’t mean we have to dismiss all leaked information. It’s just that fans would benefit from being a little more skeptical about what they see online after such a massive leak. In case you want to become a media-savvy Pokémon Master, we’ve created a very short list of things to keep in mind when reading information online.

It’s important to note: None of these tips replace fact-checking the claims we see in the documents. However, following these guidelines can make a big difference. We can’t all go straight to the source, but we can be more conscious of what we read online. Pokémon isn’t just a game about catching monsters. it’s also about gathering information through the Pokédex. In times like these – when everything is everywhere and nothing seems certain – it can be helpful to take a step back and put on the Pokémon Professor hat.