While nearly everyone who desperately wants Pokémon cards waits in line or pays premium prices on the internet, there are the occasional and unfortunate exceptions.
In Japan, a 25-year-old man in Hiroshima is accused of attacking a college student as he exited a 7-11 with a box of newly purchased Pokémon cards. Mainstream national media, including Nippon TV, FNN, and TBS, have covered the incident.
By 6 a.m. this morning, numerous police were on the scene, collecting evidence. Press were on the scene as well.
The cards went on sale at midnight, and the incident is alleged to have happened at 3:30 A.M. The victim was leaving the 7-11 with the 150-count box of cards, which is priced at 4,950 yen ($US45 ($62)) but commands as much as double online. The victim was repeatedly punched in the face as he headed down the road, away from the convenience store.
The suspect is then said to have escaped in a small car.
According to FNN, authorities believe that the suspect travelled from place to place, only to find the cards sold out — which is not uncommon these days for the newer sets. The suspect has confessed to the attack and theft in a sworn affidavit, and the authorities are investigating the incident further to understand exactly what happened.
As Kotaku reported earlier this month, Pokémon cards have been drawing long lines in Japan this year, with hundreds lining up for the cards all across the country. Those instances, however, have been free of fights. Because of that, this allegedly robbery of a single box of Pokémon cards seems all the more unusual. Sometimes in Japan, oddball local news stories go national. With all the hype around Pokémon cards at the moment in Japan and around the world, that seems to be the case.
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