Judge dismisses Iowan’s ‘frivolous’ lawsuit over ‘Pokémon professor’ status

A federal judge has dismissed an Iowa man’s lawsuit over the denial of his status as a “Professor of Pokémon,” calling the case a “completely frivolous waste of the court’s time and resources.”

In May, 34-year-old Kyle Owens of Laurens sued Nintendo of America and its affiliate, Pokémon Company International, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging federal antitrust actions that violate the Sherman Act.

The lawsuit sought a court order and injunction that would grant Owens $341,000 in damages and award him Pokémon Professor certification, restore his access to “official Pokémon Professor tools” and enable him to host Pokémon events.

Pokémon is a Japanese franchise, aimed primarily at children, that includes trading cards, video games and movies involving a fictional universe populated by species that possess special powers. The franchise gained worldwide popularity in the late 1990s, but continues to be embraced today by children as well as adult collectors and gamers.

Owens’ lawsuit alleges that on March 12, 2024, Pokémon Company International informed him he had passed the basic exam for the rank of Professor of Pokémon but that before he could be welcomed into the program, he would need to submit to a background check.

Exhibits attached to Owens’ court filings indicate the background check determined there was a pending arrest warrant, issued by another state in 2022, for failing to appear in court on misdemeanor charges. On May 6, 2024, Pokémon Company International wrote to Owens, informing him that his “application to the professor program has been denied after reviewing the results of your background check.”

In his lawsuit, Owens claimed the defendants’ denial of his certification as a Professor of Pokémon did not merely harm him personally but also reduced competition and consumer access by eliminating a qualified, Iowa-based event host from the official, organized-play system associated with Pokémon.

Nintendo and Pokémon Company International never filed a response to the lawsuit, and earlier this week U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand dismissed the case, labeling it a “completely frivolous waste of the court’s time and resources.”

Strand noted that Owens was claiming $341,000 in actual damages, an amount Strand called “dubious, if not outright absurd.”

Strand also noted there was no evidence the defendants had promised to certify Owens as a Professor of Pokémon regardless of the background-check results. Certification, Strand found, was contingent upon the results of the background check. The defendants, he stated, “simply declined to certify an individual with a history of criminal proceedings through their professor program and thus provide him a stamp of approval as a volunteer to work with Pokémon enthusiasts that include children.”

As part of that same ruling, Strand dismissed three other, unrelated lawsuits, all filed by Owens without an attorney acting on his behalf. Strand cautioned Owens that his lack of legal representation doesn’t shield him from future sanctions for making frivolous claims.

“Owens is put on notice that if he files further cases, or makes further arguments, that are deemed frivolous on initial review, he will be directed to show cause why he should not be monetarily sanctioned.” Strand wrote in his decision.

The day after that decision was filed, Owens filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Pocahontas, the Laurens Police Department and Pocahontas County related to the registration of his dog. In that case, Owens is claiming violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and his First Amendment rights.