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Nintendo Tells New York Pokémon Shop to Change Its Name (After It Was Just Robbed)

NYC’s Poké Court rebrands following a trademark request from Nintendo, just weeks after the shop was targeted in an armed robbery.

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A collectible shop in New York went viral after they suffered an armed robbery. Not long after the owners are changing the name to comply with a request from Nintendo.

The POkémon community rallied around the Poké Court after Last Month’s Robbery

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Four weeks ago The Poké Court posted details on instagram about the terrible attack on its store and community during a community arts and crafts night. During the incident, three armed robbers entered the store, broke cases, and robbed the community at gunpoint. Everyone was physically safe after the incident, but it was obviously a very upsetting event.

The local, and extended, community reached out to show their support for the team at The Poké Court and offer well wishes and appreciation for everything they do. This attention helped the small New York store go viral and likely put it on the radar of Nintendo and The Pokemon Company if they hadn’t already been aware of it.

The shop has since reopened and has begun hosting events and welcoming in community members again. That said, another major change is now happening after Nintendo voiced some concerns about the shop’s name and logo.

The Poké Court is now The Trainer Court

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Just yesterday, The Poké Court returned to the news with a surprise announcement that the store was rebranding to the Trainer Court. The account owners explained the reason for the change…

“The short story is Nintendo reached out to us with concerns about our name and logo. This means we’re evolving!”

This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, given Nintendo and The Pokemon Company’s long history of protecting the Poké trademark aggresively. Obviously Nintendo has the right to protect their brand and their trademarks, but the timing is definitely not ideal, given the trouble that the store and its community are still bouncing back from.

The team seems to be rolling with the punches and appears to be in good spirits about the change. They explained that as long as they are still building a community around the love of Pokemon, they are happy.

“Above all, we have always been fans of Pokemon,” the statement continued. “We are a group of kids who refuse to grow up, and we spend every day celebrating this franchise that means so much to us.”

Fans can visit the Trainer Court online or at their physical storefront in New York.

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