Bootleg Pokemon mobile game ad shows Ash murdering Team Rocket’s James
The Pokemon CompanyA bootleg Pokemon mobile app lets players run through an obstacle course as anime protagonist Ash Ketchum. However, the final boss battle has a gruesome conclusion for Team Rocket’s James.
The Pokemon series is no stranger to bizarre fan games. Fans around the world have remade versions of classic titles, used Pokemon themes in farming sims, and even created entire Minecraft modpacks that let players become epic trainers.
However, because Nintendo and Game Freak aren’t a part of these projects, the content can sometimes be a bit less child-friendly than the official titles in the series. This includes tweaked copies of Red, Blue, and Yellow that transform Lavender Town into an actual nightmare world, as well as graphic battle animations that imply a more sinister end for beaten Pokemon.
The most recent case of a surprisingly graphic unofficial game has come in the form of a bootleg mobile app. At first glance, the title seems like a rough maze game, but the final boss has left fans horrified.
Pokemon protagonist Ash Ketchum throws James through a wall
In a Twitter post by OutOfContextPokemon, the account shares a short clip of an unofficial, bootleg Pokemon game. In it, Ash Ketchum can be steered through a maze to pick up different Pokemon and powerups. After getting to the end of the maze, the Pokemon are used in a boss battle.
The clip then shows Ash powering up his team in time to take on Team Rocket’s James. However, after James’ Pokemon are defeated, the antagonist himself is thrown backward through a series of walls before ragdolling lifelessly on the ground.
Fans in the comments try to track down where the clip came from, with one suggesting it is “Monster Squad Rush.”
Meanwhile, other fans comment on James’ graphic demise, stating, “Team Rocket blasting off again,” and another adding, “Murder! Do it again!!”.
At this time, Monster Squad Rush is still available in the Google Play store. While the images advertising gameplay don’t use actual Pokemon, Ash Ketchum can be seen from behind in the app’s icon, and Brock can be seen as the playable character in each gameplay image on the store.
Those interested in checking it out may want to jump in before Nintendo or Game Freak step in to have it taken down.