Pokémon fans cause chaos at a museum exhibit – as four lose their jobs

POKÉMON, the beloved franchise known for its collaborations, faced a major disaster last year. The renowned Van Gogh Museum joined forces with Pokémon, introducing new merchandise to its gift store. The collaboration aimed to captivate fans with Pokémon-themed Van Gogh art pieces, such as Sunflora in Sunflowers and Pikachu replacing Van Gogh in Self Portrait in Grey Felt Hat.

However, chaos unfolded when the exhibit opened at the museum in Amsterdam, as eager fans rushed the store to purchase items. Disturbing videos of customers pushing and crushing others to get their hands on limited edition merchandise quickly surfaced. As if that wasn’t enough, scalpers attempted to sell the items at exorbitant prices online.

But it wasn’t only the customers who displayed unruly behavior during the opening. The Van Gogh Museum confirmed that four employees were suspended due to their engagement in the collaboration, which lasted from September until January. Regrettably, these individuals will not be returning to the museum.

One of the employees, who had served at the museum for over 25 years, was dismissed due to misconduct. The reasons for the suspensions varied, including staff members alerting others about the availability of event tickets. The exact timing of ticket sales was deliberately kept undisclosed to discourage bot usage for massive ticket purchases and reselling. Additionally, one employee attempted to embezzle a box of limited edition Pokémon cards, which were exclusively available at the museum and can fetch around £100 on sites like eBay.

If you’re interested in learning more about this event and how the Van Gogh x Pokémon collaboration angered fans, visit F5mag.com.

Image credit: The Pokémon Company