Yes, 'Pokémon' is looking into 'Palworld'

Copying is the best form of flattery, eh? That calming garbage your parents told you to assuage your annoyance at your BFF stealing your painstakingly crafted look doesn't fly in ADULTHOOD, people.

Nor does it sit well with The Pokémon Company, well aware of a certain game that's been accused of more than sharing a likeness with the franchise: Palworld.

Developed by Japanese developer Pocketpair, the instantly popular, survival crafting game has already sold over 5 million copies in a few days, dropping on Steam, Xbox, and Windows PC on Jan. 18. But as Mashable's Amanda Yeo writes, "Palworld's overwhelming success has been overshadowed by accusations of art theft and plagiarism."

A game that encourages players to catch a range of cute creatures with round "Pal Spheres" in order to battle (among other things), Palworld's likeness to Pokémon has fans understandably mad. There's already a Pokémon mod for the game, which has been reportedly issued with a DMCA takedown by Nintendo.

But Palworld's rise has been clocked by The Pokémon Company itself, which posted a statement on Thursday declaring the company's "intent to investigate" and "address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights"— and without actually naming Palworld itself:

"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game.

We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."

One word for Pocketpair: eep.