Iowa Man Sues After Being Denied the Title of “Professor of Pokémon” 🎓⚡
You can apparently become a professor without spending eight years at university.
The catch?
You have to specialize in Pokémon.
And one Iowa man wanted the title so badly, he ended up taking Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to federal court.
Yes, “Professor of Pokémon” Is a Real Thing
Thirty-four-year-old Kyle Owens of Laurens, Iowa, filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America and The Pokémon Company International after he was denied entry into the Pokémon Professor Program.
And before you picture someone standing in front of a university lecture hall explaining the socioeconomic impact of Pikachu...
Pokémon Professors are actually volunteers who can help organize, judge and run officially sanctioned Pokémon events and tournaments.
So, no tenure. No tweed jacket.
Probably significantly more knowledge about Charizard.
He Passed the Test, Then Came the Background Check
According to the lawsuit, Owens said he passed the basic exam required for the Pokémon Professor Program in March 2024. But there was another step: a background check. That's where things apparently went sideways.
The background check reportedly revealed a pending arrest warrant from 2022 related to a failure to appear on misdemeanor charges.
The Pokémon Company denied his application. Owens didn't accept the decision quietly. He sued.
He Wanted $341,000... And His Pokémon Professor Status
Owens alleged the companies had violated federal antitrust laws and argued that denying him Professor status didn't just hurt him personally, but also reduced competition and access to organized Pokémon events in Iowa.
He reportedly asked for $341,000 in damages, along with a court order that would essentially allow him to receive Pokémon Professor status.
Unfortunately for Owens, the judge wasn't convinced. Not even a little bit.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand dismissed the case, reportedly describing it as a “completely frivolous waste of the court's time and resources.”
That's legal language for:
“Sir, please put the Poké Ball down.”
Pokémon Is Serious Business These Days
As ridiculous as the story sounds, Pokémon itself is anything but small potatoes.
The franchise has been around for decades, vintage trading cards can now sell for enormous amounts of money, and Pokémon GO somehow turns 10 years old in 2026.
Remember when everyone was wandering around parks staring at their phones trying to catch a Pikachu?
That was a decade ago.
You're welcome for that little age-related attack.
And while Owens may not have become a Pokémon Professor, he did manage to accomplish something arguably even more difficult:
He got a federal judge to basically tell him, “You did not catch 'em all.”
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