It’s not as if 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 it’s a lot more serious this time.
At times like these, there is no solid authority for where to get information and that can be overwhelming. Social media sites like X have become a dumping ground for unorganized and unverified information. Aside from a statement from Game Freak acknowledging that employees’ personal data was accessed, we don’t have any confirmation that any of it is real.
That’s not to say we have to dismiss all the leaked information. It’s just that fans would benefit from being a bit more skeptical of what they see online in the wake of such a massive leak. So just in case you want to become a media-savvy Pokémon Master, we have created a very short list of what to keep in mind as you read information online.
It’s important to note: None of these tips is a substitute for fact-checking the claims we see in the documents. However, keeping these guidelines in mind can go a long way. We can’t all go straight to the source, but we can be more aware of what we read online. Pokémon isn’t just a game about catching monsters; it’s also about collecting information via the Pokédex. So at times like these — where everything is everywhere and nothing seems certain — it can be helpful to take a step back and put on the Pokémon professor’s hat.
