Pokémon, a
media franchise developed by
Game Freak and published by
Nintendo, has received a notable amount of fan-made
pornography (also known as poképorn). The Pokémon games feature Pokémon trainers and creatures known as Pokémon; both are subject to pornography. The content can be usually found in
imageboards and
Pornhub. In 1999, in what was named the
Pokémondoujinshi incident, a Japanese artist was arrested for producing erotic doujinshi of the Pokémon characters, inciting media furor. In the late 2010s, Pokémon-themed live-action porn parodies received media attention and, after the release of Pokémon Go in 2016, searches for pornography of the franchise increased significantly.
Gardevoir is a Pokémon particularly known for its sexualization. The Pokémon porn community inspired the "Vaporeon
copypasta"
Internet meme.
Context
Developed by
Game Freak and published by
Nintendo, the
Pokémon franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games
Pokémon Red and Blue for the
Game Boy.[1] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train Pokémon.[2]
Pokémon pornography, also shortened as "poképorn",[3] can involve either the Pokémon trainers or the Pokémon themselves,[3] and can present interspecies acts between both.[3][4] The Pokémon can either show human characteristics, known as "anthro", or show more animalistic features, known as "feral".[3] The content can be in the form of drawings, on
imageboards like Gelbooru or
e621, or animated, live-action and 3D videos, on websites like
Pornhub.[3] Erotic
Adobe Flash games related to Pokémon also exist.[5] Collections of Pokémon pornography can be found on websites like
DeviantArt,
Pixiv and
Newgrounds, and could be found on
Tumblr before its nudity ban.[3] There are also
Reddit communities dedicated to sharing Pokémon pornography, the main subreddit being r/PokePorn.[3]Lolicon and shotacon content related to Pokémon also exists, though it is banned on many websites.[3] Erotic Pokémon-related
fan fictions also exist.[4] Artists may use
Patreon to monetize their work and share exclusive content.[3]
History and popularity
In 1999, in what was named the
Pokémondoujinshi incident, an artist was arrested on suspicion of violating
Japan's copyright laws[6][7] for creating a
manga featuring erotic acts between
Pikachu and
Ash Ketchum, the main characters of the
Pokémon anime.[8] According to copyright holder
Nintendo, the manga was "destructive of the Pokémon image".[9] The incident incited media furor as well as an academic analysis in Japan on the copyright issues around doujinshi.[10] In the late 2010s, live-action porn parodies received media attention,[11][12] such as the 2015 parody Strokémon,[13][14] the 2016 Pokémon Go parody by
Brazzers, Pornstar Go XXX Parody,[15] and the VR porn parody of Pokémon Go, Poke a Ho: Misty.[16][17]Chuck Tingle, an author of gay erotica, released a book called Pokebutt Go: Pounded By 'Em All.[18]
After the release of Pokémon Go on July 6, 2016, Pornhub reported on the 11th that searches for Pokémon porn had increased in 136%, with men being 62% more likely to search for the term and it being 336% more popular among 18–24 year olds.[19][20] The data showed that
Latin America countries were far more likely to search for Pokémon porn.[21] Porn website
xHamster reported the same day that the most searched terms since the release of Pokémon Go were "Pokemon", "Pikachu", "Hentai", and "Anime".[22][23]
In December 2018, Pornhub Communications Director Chris Jackson said that the top three Pokémon-related searches were
Gardevoir,
Eevee, and
Lopunny, with top humans being trainers
Misty and
Serena, as well as
Team Rocket's
Jessie.[3] According to Vice, the dominance of Gardevoir and Lopunny is reflected on other websites, with
Lucario not far behind.[3] In June 2023, data compiled on
Rule 34 websites Rule34.xxx and Sankaku Channel showed that Pokémon was the most pornified media franchise, with a large lead after the others.[24] It also showed that the Pokémon themselves were preferred over the trainers, with the top choice being Lucario, followed by Gardevoir.[24] Gardevoir is heavily sexualized;[3][25][24] fan made erotica often depicts Gardevoir with human sexual aspects, such as breasts and/or fetish attire.[5]
The community inspired
memes that became known outside the fandom, such as the "Vaporeon
copypasta"[25][24] (a
diatribe arguing about sexual compatibility between a
Vaporeon and a human, originally posted on
4chan).[26] The topic of Pokémon porn was mentioned in academic studies.[27][28]
^Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197.
ISBN9780520938991.
^
abPassmore, Cale; Harrer, Sabine; Spiel, Katta (2020). "Between Pleasure and Power: Game Design Patterns In Clickbait Ludoporn". DiGRA 2020: The 13th Digital Games Research Association Conference: Play Everywhere.
^"〔特集〕著作権の文化経済学 著作権延長は日本の衰退招く インタビュー 赤松健・漫画家 "黙認"が日本の漫画を発展させた…". エコノミスト [
ja] (in Japanese). 91 (54). 毎日新聞出版: 97. December 10, 2013.
^"ピカチュウ、Hな変身ダメ 著作権違反容疑で逮捕". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese) (朝刊 ed.). January 14, 1999. p. 3.
^"無断でポケモン使用 漫画販売で女を逮捕". 産経新聞 (in Japanese) (東京朝刊 ed.). January 14, 1999. p. 4.