A 36-year-old Japanese man has been arrested for allegedly tampering with Pokémon Violet save data to sell rare monsters online. Yoshihiro Yamakawa, an interior designer from Uji City in Kyoto, was booked by police on April 9 after a police cyber patrol operation. The police discovered evidence that Yamakawa used a special tool to illegally modify Pokémon Violet save data.

According to reports, Yamakawa fulfilled customer requests by changing a creature's colors or making difficult-to-raise monsters easier to manage. He reportedly engaged in this Pokémon racketeering between December 2022 and March 2023, earning 13,000 yen ($84 USD) per sale. At times, he even offered deals, selling six modified Pokémon Violet monsters for 4,000 yen ($30 USD).

Yamakawa confessed to the crime, stating that he did it to "earn a living." The police have launched an investigation and found that the tool he used can be downloaded for free. However, using it violates Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act of 2019, which prohibits editing and selling protected data online or in person.

If convicted of violating this law, Yamakawa could face up to five years in prison, penalty fees of over five million yen (over $32,600 USD), or both. Kotaku has reached out to Nintendo for comment on the matter.

Pokémon Violet, launched alongside its sister title Scarlet in November 2022, received criticism for technical issues from both critics and fans, becoming some of the lowest-rated Pokémon games in recent memory. Developer Game Freak is currently working on a new Pokémon title, Legends: Z-A, set in the Kalos region, which was featured in 2013's Pokémon X and Y. It is hoped that the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive will be better received when it releases in 2025.

The investigation into Yamakawa's alleged Pokémon modification and selling operation highlights the importance of protecting digital content and adhering to regulations surrounding privacy and unfair practices in the gaming industry.