THINGS I HATE ABOUT POKEMON
Things That Pokemon did to Deserve so much ridicule./ Court TV In Philadelphia, there are reports of a full-fledged Pokemon crime wave. Police say nine Philadelphia youngsters have been attacked and robbed in the last three weeks by thieves in search of the popular trading cards. (AP Photo) They look cute and harmless. They are colorful cartoon characters with funny names and strange powers. Parents, who often complain that they can't even understand what the craze is about, know one thing for sure: kids will often do just about anything to get their hands on anything Pokemon. And various recent Pokemon-related crimes prove this. On Wednesday, a nine-year-old boy in search of Pokemon fantasy instead got a strong dose of reality. Hidden among the aisles of a Bridgeport, Conn. store, the boy waited patiently for closing time. What was he after? The target was 44 packs of Pokemon cards, and the boy planned to sneak out with his precious cargo after everyone left. The scheme went awry when the boy got locked in and had to call 9-1-1 for help. He was released by police into his grandmother's custody pending a court hearing. Hundreds of miles away, a Tucson boy pleaded not guilty to charges that he pulled a knife on a fellow student, robbing him of his Pokemon cards. The 11-year-old suspect's lawyer requested a competency evaluation to assure that his client is fit to stand trial. Currently, the trial date has been set for January 13. "It just amazes me that with $20,000 in rare coins sitting here, they take off with the cards," Wernet said. In the southeast U.S., South Carolina police say they have the culprit in the smash-and-grab theft of $1,500 worth of Pokemon trading cards a 14-year-old boy. He was arrested this week after reportedly bragging to friends about his weekend heist, said Dave Wernet, the owner of targeted store, Raw Coins. The shop's glass window was smashed with a shopping cart, destroying the front of the store but setting off no alarms. Wernet said the thief was able to sneak in and move below the range of the motion detector that would have set off the burglar alarm. Apparently, the thief was a completely loyal Pokemon enthusiast the store's rare coin collection, worth thousands of dollars, were left completely untouched. "It just amazes me that with $20,000 in rare coins sitting here, they take off with the cards," Wernet said. Police have recovered about $250 in stolen cards, but the rarest cards, worth $5 to $30 each, were still missing, Wernet said Tuesday. Even further south, Florida school officials are considering whether to expel a seventh grader who allegedly pushed and choked a teacher at his Polk County school for taking away his Pokemon cards. Although the teacher suffered no serious injury, police have charged the 12-year-old with battery on a school board employee, a third-degree felony. As for the school, which reportedly banned Pokemon items before the incident occurred, board members plan to decide this week whether to expel the boy for the rest of this school year and all of next year. And in Philadelphia, there are reports of a full-fledged Pokemon crime wave. Police say nine Philadelphia youngsters have been attacked and robbed in the last three weeks by thieves in search of the popular trading cards. According to reports, the attacks have occurred mostly in South Philadelphia and have been getting increasingly violent, perhaps in response to last month's release of the Pokemon movie and a subsequent Burger King promotion of the cards. The Pokemon fad has become so hot that both children and their parents are shelling out as much as $100 for individual cards on the secondary market. A seven-year-old boy was punched by two thieves. Four teen-agers took cards from a 12-year-old boy, pushed him to the ground and kicked him. One boy had his entire binder of Pokemon cards stolen while he was in front of his home. Local Philadelphia police have visited elementary schools to give children tips on how to avoid such robberies. So what is going on here? Frightened parents have argued that Pokemon is addictive, another form of gambling. Others, especially children, insist that the craze is simply this generation's version of baseball trading cards, a harmless fad. Although claims of gambling might be stretching the case a bit, the overwhelming flow of money and commercialism is difficult to ignore. While children two generations earlier spent years amassing baseball card collections, today's kids are part of a new hyper-commercial generation, born into a time of constant stock market boom and obsessed with instant gratification. The Pokemon fad has become so hot that both children and their parents are shelling out as much as $100 for individual cards on the secondary market. Packets of 11 are supposed to retail for $2.99. Admittedly, the kids may very well see Pokemon as a prized item, an enticing character not inherently connected to money; rather than an end unto itself, money is simply a vehicle to gain access to this fantastic Pokemon world. But for adult manufacturers, and others in search of a fast buck, Pokemon means only one thing: dollar signs. In September, Chicago customs officials announced that they had confiscated $50,000 worth of apparently counterfeit Charizard, Jigglypuff, Diglett cards and other Pokemon merchandise being shipped through O'Hare International Airport from Japan. And officials said they expect many more Pokemon seizures in Chicago. But for adult manufacturers, and others in search of a fast buck, Pokemon means only one thing: dollar signs. "We start to see an increase in commercial shipments this time of year, for the holidays," said Supervisory Inspector Marc Woods. "And every year at this time we start to see what is going to be the counterfeit import of choice." More recently, New Jersey police made 13 arrests on Tuesday in connection with a counterfeit Pokemon operation. More than $1 million in bogus trading cards were seized at a Hackensack warehouse owned by International Graphics. According to officials, the company was making that much every week from fake Pokemon sales. Just last September Pokemon's licensing agent, Nintendo, sent New York police a special booklet that details how to spot counterfeit merchandise, leading to several busts. With the holiday season in full swing, the pressure to get more Pokemon, anything Pokemon, shows no sign of ebbing. Forget about the battles over Tickle-Me Elmo and Power Rangers. The harmless-looking Pokemon mean big money, and crime sniffs out money like ... a kid sniffs out a Pikachu. The Associated Press contributed to this report There are many more crimes to hear about A couple of crimes have been added to the lengthening list of Pokémon-related violence this week. The Pokémon phenomenon certainly shows no sign of slackening as similar events could be traced back for several months across the nation. Incredibly one of the events seems to involve a grown adult, proving that it isn't just juveniles that are held in the Pokémon's thrall. Look at this list and then have a nice laugh (report provided by Nintendojo): * In South Carolina a 14-year-old stands accused of smashing a store window to steal $250 worth of Pokémon cards – ignoring thousands of dollars worth of rare coins as he did so. * Four children from one school in Philadelphia have been arrested for attacks upon other students. The motive for the assaults was to steal Pokémon cards. * Last Thursday a man in North Carolina was charged with assault upon a Burger King cashier after he struck the cashier when he did not receive a Pokémon toy with his meal. * At Wilson Middle School, Philadelphia two boys assaulted an 11-year-old with a trash can before running off with two Pokémon cards. The boys were arrested and charged with robbery as well as being suspended for five days. * In Quebec a boy was stabbed with a four-inch knife when trying to retrieve the Pokémon cards that had been stolen from his 10-year old brother the day before. -Yoshi Youths Held in Knife-Point Pokemon Robbery Boy, 11, Is Threatened, Relieved of 120 Cards March 9, 2000 By Todd Venezia BOSSIER CITY, La. (APBnews.com) -- A knife-wielding teen and two 10-year-old partners took the Pokemon slogan "Gotta catch 'em all" to a new level, holding up an 11-year-old boy to steal more than 120 of the valuable game cards, police said today. The alleged card thieves, who were arrested Monday, held up the victim at a street corner Feb. 12, aiming a knife at his stomach and demanding the boy's cards. "The 14-year-old produced a knife and told the victim that if he didn't give up the cards, he was going to cut him," said Sgt. John Jeter of the Bossier City Police Department. The alleged thieves developed the plan after they spotted the victim showing off his large collection earlier that day. After the heist, they went to the home of one of the suspects and divided their loot, police said. Part of ongoing craze The victim, who went to a different school than the suspects and didn't know who they were, didn't call police immediately, police said. But about a week after the attack his parents went to authorities after he saw the suspects in the neighborhood again. Jeter said police had the victim go through some yearbooks from local middle and junior high schools. After he identified the suspects, police started an investigation that eventually led them to the three young suspects and the stash. The Pokemon cards, which can be used in a game and are connected to a television series and hit movie, are part of an ongoing youth craze that originated in Japan. Young people's desire to get the cards, some of which can be worth hundreds of dollars, has led to their ban in schools across the country. Jeter said the three suspects are charged with armed robbery. The 14-year-old is being held in a juvenile detention center, while the two 10-year-olds have been released to the custody of their parents. Pokemon Craze Sweeping Kids Into Courts Instances of Theft, Armed Robbery Reported Nov. 17, 1999 By Todd Venezia NEW YORK (APBnews.com) -- With Pokemon fever sweeping through the ranks of the nation's middle school set, more and more cases of Poke-mania are winding up in the nation's police blotters and accident reports. The Japanese cartoon fad, which debuted last week in its most recent manifestation as a feature film, has gotten so pervasive that educators from the concrete playgrounds of Queens to the Idaho countryside have forbidden Pokemon paraphernalia inside their classrooms. But despite the widespread ban, trouble is still finding its way into some students' lives. 'Students were fighting over them' On Monday, an 11-year-old student at Amphitheater Middle School in Tucson, Ariz., was arrested and charged with armed robbery after allegedly using a knife to threaten another boy and steal numerous playing cards linked to the movie and popular television series. "We have always had a ban on them," said assistant principal Susan Jefferson. As one of the school's disciplinarians, she has been in the trenches in the struggle to keep Pokemon obsessed students' minds on their schoolwork. "We reminded them about the rule on page eight in their handbook, where it says playing cards are prohibited in school and will be confiscated," she said. "But they continued to be a problem. They just kept coming and coming. And then students were fighting over them and they were causing a huge problem." Parents can claim confiscated cards Tucson wasn't the only area where young people where injured or arrested in connection to their lust for the game cards, some of which are rare and can fetch prices in the hundreds of dollars. In Sarasota, Fla., on Oct. 12, an 11-year-old boy was so eager to get one of the cards that he agreed to be scorched on the arm with a cigarette by a 33-year-old man, who offered to give the youngster a card in return for his suffering the burn. The man was charged with felony aggravated child abuse in the incident. On Nov. 12, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., two Los Angeles area boys, ages 12 and 13, were arrested after they allegedly stole dozens of cards as part of a Pokemon theft ring. The boys allegedly stole as many as 170 of the cards from several different area elementary schools, police said. In Cleveland on Nov. 11, a sixth grader at Garrett-Morgan Middle School was hit by a car and seriously injured when he ran into the car while playing Pokemon with a group of other students after school. A crossing guard told reporters that the boy had stolen a card from another student and was running away with it. Police and school official said they could neither confirm nor deny the statement. The incident occurred off the grounds of the school, where the cards are banned. "The policy at this school is that as soon as cards are found, the cards are confiscated," said district spokesman Dan Minnich. "The school will call the parents, and if they want them back, they can come and get them." Film raked in $52.1 million The Pokemon fad first spread to America about three years ago after it caused a sensation in Japan. The Pokemon empire, which marches by the sales-fueling slogan, "Gotta catch 'em all," includes a cartoon TV show, toy figures and playing cards that sell for $5 and $10 a pack. Pokemon means "Pocket Monsters" and each of the coveted cards features a description of a different fanciful character. They can be used in a game in which youngsters put their cards on the line in a contest similar to the card game "war." They often play for keeps. The fad hit an apex last week with the debut of the Pokemon The First Movie, which raked in a whopping $52.1 million in it first five days. That was the biggest five-day opening by a cartoon ever and was comparable to numbers put up by blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Independence Day. Fad taking its toll on parents The fad has gotten so out of hand, that even adults are being taken in. In Brookfield, Wis., police questioned a man after he was frustrated in his attempt to get some of the Pokemon figurines from a Burger King restaurant, which had sold out of the popular toys, police said. The irate man allegedly threw another unwanted toy at the drive-up window cashier, shouted some obscenities and drove away. The stunned worker got the driver's tag number and called police. When officers caught up with him later, he was apparently contrite. "He admitted he just lost his temper," said Lt. Dave Vischulis. "He said his kids were bugging him all week for them and he just got frustrated when he couldn't get them. He was very embarrassed. In fact, he called the regional manager and apologized." Vischulis said police were still considering disorderly conduct charges. Problems blows away Pogs ordeal The Pokemon fad is especially disruptive because the cards often are highly valuable, posing a great temptation for older kids and bullies to take advantage of weaker children who may be holding cards worth more than $100. Assistant principal Jefferson said that this is the worst school fad she's ever seen. "Pogs were a problem," she said, referring the small disc collectibles popular several years ago. "I think they were the only thing that comes close to this. But they didn't last as long, they just sort of came and went." RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (APBnews.com) -- Criminals rob banks because, as Willie Sutton once said, that's where the money is. Now, authorities say, two young boys ransacked backpacks at local elementary schools because that's where the Pokemon cards were. Two Los Angeles-area boys, ages 12 and 13, were arrested this week after they allegedly stole dozens of Pokemon cards -- based on characters from the popular television show and recently released movie -- from unsuspecting youngsters. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department began investigating after receiving a call Nov. 8 from a vice principal at Dotson Middle School in this upscale beach-side suburb near Long Beach. "He believed three middle-school students were involved in some type of burglary ring," said sheriff's Deputy Brenda Parker. Went to three local schools Investigators spoke with two of the boys, said Parker, and the youngsters owned up to their acts. "They admitted to going to different elementary schools and stealing Pokemon cards," Parker said. "They were collecting them and keeping them for themselves." The boys -- one in eighth grade, one in seventh -- visited three local elementary schools and went through backpacks that were hung on hooks outside classrooms, Parker said. Deputies found about 170 Pokemon cards in the boys' possession, she said. The collectible Pokemon cards are a current craze among children. There are more than 150 different cards, each named after a different character. 'Kind of remorseful' The boys were arrested, charged with burglary and receiving stolen property, and released to the custody of their parents. Deputies have not decided yet whether to arrest the third boy. "They were kind of remorseful that they had done something wrong in order to get those cards, but they felt that was what they needed to do," Parker said. School officials first became suspicious because the boys had many items in their backpacks, including numerous pens. Also, other students had complained that the boys were going through the backpacks of football players in the middle school's locker room, officials said. As at many campuses, Pokemon cards are banned at Dotson Middle School. LAWSUIT SLAMS POKEMON AS BAD BET FOR ADDICTED KIDS By KIERAN CROWLEY Two Pokemon pack rats are suing the maker of the wildly popular trading cards, charging that the pocket monsters are turning them into pint-sized gamblers. Alex Silverman and Andrew Imber, two 9-year- old friends from Merrick, L.I., say they were forced to empty their piggy banks to buy endless packs of low-value cards in the hope of buying a rare one. The suit says the cards' maker, Nintendo, randomly includes a rare one in the 11-card packages that sell for $3 to $11. Thus, the lawsuit says, kids are forced to empty their pockets to get the rare cards, which can be resold for $30 to $100. Alex and Andrew joined two kids from San Diego in filing the suit, which claims Nintendo is involved in an "illegal gambling enterprise" and demands the company stop randomly including rare cards in regular packs. The federal class-action suit seeks unspecified damages. One of the kids' lawyers, Neil Moritt of Garden City, L.I., said the Pokemon craze has the three elements of gambling. "You pay to play ... there is the element of chance, and you've got a prize," he said. "It's gambling." Alex, who used to be a frenzied collector, said "I spent lots of money on it. It's like gambling, kind of." He and fellow fourth-grader Andrew said they spent thousands of dollars trying to get the scarce cards that are a big status symbol with their friends. "People are stealing them and trading them," said Alex. Andrew said, "Sometimes I used to get too into it and I wouldn't think about anything else." The boys' mothers say the cards spark thefts and fights, and cause older kids to cheat younger ones out of valuable cards. Their schools have banned the cards. "It teaches gambling," said Marci Imber. "A 9-year-old shouldn't be gambling to get a rare card." Janet Silverman said she decided it was time to cut back on the obsessive collecting "when they came home from school asking to spend $100 for a card from a friend." The suit, filed in San Diego, accuses Nintendo of conspiring to engage "in a pattern of racketeering activity ..." It charges that the entertainment giant violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law - known as RICO - which is usually used against suspected mobsters. Court papers said Nintendo, along with U.S. distributor Wizards of the Coast and licenser 4 Kids Entertainment, stand to rake in $1.2 billion this year alone. Nintendo's lawyer, Richard Flamm, called the suit "baseless" and said Moritt's law firm has filed similar actions against other trading-card makers. "To our knowledge, none of these cases has been successful in asserting that trading cards is a form of illegal gambling," he said. Hooked On Pokemon Is Pokemania harmless entertainment or an addiction? December 21, 1999 Another craze is seizing the attention of the nation's kids. From Nintendo's Game Boy games to toys, cartoons, clothing and now a movie, Pokemon is the new rage. The collectible cards, however, constitute the focal point of this latest craze. But is the mania harmless fun and games-or something more frightening? Beginning in 1995 as a phenomenal Japanese cartoon, Pokemon arrived in the United States as a television show and video game. The game takes place in an imaginary land inhabited by 150 creatures called Pokemon, or "Pocket Monsters." The object of the game is for the player, called a "trainer," to try to catch as many of the creatures as he or she can-hence the slogan, "Gotta Catch 'Em All." Once caught, the creatures catch other Pokemon, and the trainer receives badges in hopes of becoming a Pokemon master. Interestingly, Pokemon do not die in battles. They simply fall asleep or faint and then are taken to the Pokemon Center where they can be restored to "fighting fit" (Time, 11/22/99). Says James Carney of Burlington, Massachusetts, whose 10-year-old son is a collector of some 2,000 cards, "It's not blood and guts like the video game Mortal Kombat. It's a game of strategy, like Stratego" (Insight, 11/1/99). The New York Times (11/7/99) suggests that the Pokemon cartoon encourages traditional Japanese values such as responsibility, empathy, cooperation, obedience, respect for elders and humility. The human characters of the show all understand that capturing a Pokemon is not enough. Becoming a real "trainer" takes compassion, responsibility and teamwork. Some parents think the game encourages reading, critical thinking and social interaction. Susan Reddy of Fort Lauderdale, Florida says that the card trades encourage her 5-year-old son Kalen to read more. "Pokemon is a great learning tool … It is teaching him what things cost and how to save money. It also teaches him how to negotiate and to get along with other kids" (Insight). Undoubtedly, it is a fad-and will be replaced in a short time-but it is stronger than most other fads. To date the movie has made $77.7 million (WORLD, 12/18/99). And Pokemon's creators are planning 100 new characters because of their high popularity, causing what some fear to be a frightening level of obsession in acquiring more cards. But is this just another harmless craze-or is there something dangerous about Pokemon? It's noteworthy that the cards are the leading property of Wizards of the Coast (recently acquired by Hasbro)-the same company that bought out TSR, which pioneered Dungeons and Dragons. Wizards of the Coast is also the producer of Magic: The Gathering, another interactive game. Like Pokemon (a variant of Magic), Magic players duel with card decks through a combative system, with the most skillful player claiming victory. In 1997, a cartoon episode of "Pokemon" featuring a bright flashing light allegedly triggered seizures in nearly 700 Japanese people, mostly children (CNN News, 12/17/99). That lighting effect has since been banned in Japan and is not used in the United States. APB News (11/17/99) reported a series of juvenile crimes sweeping across the country involving Pokemon cards. An 11-year-old Florida boy was so desperate for the cards that he agreed to be scorched on the arm with a cigarette by a 33-year-old man, who offered to give the boy a card in exchange for his suffering the burn. Two Los Angeles-area boys were arrested after they allegedly stole dozens of cards as part of a Pokemon theft ring. The boys allegedly stole as many as 170 of the cards from several elementary schools. And in Philadelphia, in less than a week, four boys between the ages of 11 and 13 were arrested for attacking other children inside their school to get at their Pokemon cards. Authorities believe the popularity of the cards, coupled with their resale value, may be behind the recent violence that has occurred frequently throughout the country in recent months (APB News, 12/9/99). Pokemon's popularity has also spawned counterfeit products. According to Beth Llewelyn, public relations manager for Nintendo of America, more that $14 million worth of counterfeit cards, plush toys, key chains, figurines and clothes have been seized in the United States. "When you get a hot property, this tends to happen," Llewelyn said (APB News, 10/28/99). One Maine school banned Pokemon cards as disruptive after teachers at the Lyman Elementary School reported seeing kids trading cards during class, creating a distraction for others who were trying to learn. In the cafeteria and during recess, students offered money, scissors or lunch tickets to get a popular or "powerful" card. "It wasn't, keep these things out of here because they're immoral and bad," said the school's principal, Jon Gale. "There were just a whole bunch of scenarios that were kind of inappropriate. Parents are giving kids money to buy lunch, and they're buying Pokemon cards" (Fosters News, 10/7/99). Similar bans have been imposed in other schools around the country. It is these "inappropriate scenarios" that disturb parents. Some compare their children's behavior to that of an addict, causing strife between parents and children. One mother compared the trading cards to drugs: "You give them their first hit, and they want more" (Newsweek, 11/15/99). In San Diego, California, two parents have filed a lawsuit against Nintendo, the trading-card maker, alleging that card collecting and trading constitute illegal gambling (Newsweek). The lawyer of two New York boys who have joined the suit also likens Pokemon cards to gambling, where you "pay to play." The boys claim that they spent thousands of dollars trying to get a rare card, while their parents claim the game has prompted thefts and fights where kids become unsuspecting dupes in trades (Insight). A WORLD (12/18/99) report also equates the cards to gambling: People buy the cards at a set price in sealed packets without knowing if any rare, powerful cards are contained therein. It's like buying a lottery scratch ticket in that the buyer has to be "lucky" to get a winner, so the buyer has to keep buying until he or she does. Pokemon critics say that its slogan-"Gotta Catch 'Em All"-contributes to this "addiction" in that it feeds kids' acquisitiveness. One 13-year-old told the Focus on the Family newsletter, Plugged In, "It's highly addictive, and I think it's fun that there's a world out there with imaginary creatures that you can control and are highly powerful." Stephanie Pratola, a child psychologist, told Time that Pokemon appeals to children's desire for mastery. "There are so many things to master-the games, knowing all the rules for the cards, what makes a good trade," she said. Pratola looks at this current fad from a cultural perspective: "You have to look at it in the context of our culture. We are all obsessed with acquiring things, and we can't expect our children to rise above our culture." Pratola also holds the parents accountable for their children's behavior. "Children will always grab onto fads, but parents are helping to feed this artificial economy," she says. For parents who often feel the only thing they can do is buy what their children crave, she reminds them that kids who do not have any Pokemon are "just fine." In the words of CWA staff member Tim McGhee, this and other trends of recent years have taken "on a whole economy of their own." Many people are buying and selling the products as though they are playing the stock market. Given the exceptionally high interest level of Pokemon, this particular "obsession makes the Pokemon economy seem less like the stock market and more like gambling and all the 'highs' that go with an addiction." Pokemon is sure to be at the top of many Christmas lists. Parents would do well to carefully consider the moral implications of Pokemon. Then they can decide if it is a worthwhile investment for their children. For more information, listen to the November 23 FamilyLife Today program on Pokemon." Infant Boy Suffocates on Pokemon Container Burger King Ball Was Recalled After Earlier Death Jan. 26, 2000 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A 4-month-old boy suffocated on a container from a Burger King Pokemon toy that was left in his crib by his grandmother. The item was the subject of a nationwide recall last month after a similar death. An autopsy was being performed today on Zachary Jones, who was discovered dead in his crib about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Deputy Chief Lana Schneider of the Lawrence Police Department said. Lawrence is on Indianapolis' northeast side. "A 4-month-old baby cannot move things from [his] face, and basically, [he] suffocated," Schneider said. On Dec. 27, Burger King issued a recall for millions of the balls, which held Pokemon toys and were given away in children's meals. The ball is from 2 3/4 inches to 3 inches in diameter and can be opened by pulling its two halves apart. The packaging described the item as "safety tested and recommended for all ages." Company response called slow The voluntary recall followed the Dec. 11 suffocation death of a Sonora, Calif., girl who was found in her playpen with half a ball over her nose and mouth. Federal officials accused the fast-food giant of being too slow in recalling the containers, which the company denied. A Burger King spokesman, Charles Nicolas, said the Miami-based restaurant chain learned of the death this morning through news reports, adding, "We are investigating this matter." Schneider said the grandmother, 33-year-old Sheila Jones, and the 15-year-old mother, Ashley Jones, did not know about the recall. The grandmother had put the Pokemon ball in the baby's crib after the child had awakened around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. Tuesday, Schneider said. Around 9 a.m., she checked on the child and found half a ball covering the boy's mouth and nose, and he was unresponsive, Schneider said. Revival attempts failed "You could see exactly where it had been around his face" because of the redness left behind, Schneider said. The grandmother performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the baby, but she and an emergency medical squad could not revive him, Schneider said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Kim Miller, a Burger King spokeswoman, has said the balls are only a threat to children 3 years old and under.
Linx To other pokemon haters
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