"Japanese Police Arrest Pokémon Hacker for Selling Modified Game Data"

A 36-year-old Japanese man has been arrested for using a special tool to modify Pokémon Violet save data and selling rare monsters online, earning around 13,000 yen ($84 USD) per sale. He confessed to the crime, stating that he did it to earn a living. The tool he used violates Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act of 2019, and he could face up to five years in prison or penalty fees of over five million yen (over $32,600 USD), or both. Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, released in November 2022, were criticized for being janky, and Game Freak is currently working on a new Pokémon title, Legends: Z-A, set to release in 2025.