Why Is #IStandWithSerebii Trending from Pokemon Sword and Shield?

There's a lot of unnecessary drama regarding Pokemon Sword and Shield, so it should be no surprise that something else is trending.

Liana Ruppert

Published: Nov 13, 2019 04:50 pm

This article is over 5 years old and may contain outdated information

Wondering why #IStandWithSerebii is trending from Pokemon Sword and Shield? Here’s the tea…

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There’s been a lot of drama in the Pokemon community lately – crazy, we know – over the exclusion of the National Dex but many have taken their displeasure to ridulous heights and now other members of the community are standing up. Silly President Trump petition aside, a Serebii fansite webmaster has been receiving abuse and death threats over recent leaks. To counter that negativity, gamers are spreading love through the hashtag to show solidarity against the temper tantrums.

There’s having an opinion, then there are death threats. The latter? Never ok. So what is the positive side of Twitter saying regarding a person that worked to try to halt false info from spreading? Here are a few examples:

Say what you want about Sword/Shield, but one person who has received nothing but unwarranted hate, vitriol and even death-threats is @SerebiiNet.

This guy has done nothing but report the news and try to stop the spread of misinformation. #IStandWithSerebii

— Big Boss (@AceTrainerLiam) November 12, 2019

So thank you, @SerebiiNet, for everything that you do.

Remember there are people in this community who appreciate all your hard work and what you have to endure to bring us the most accurate up-to-date info, and we respect you so incredibly highly for it! ❤️#IStandWithSerebii

— Big Boss (@AceTrainerLiam) November 12, 2019

Not sure what the whole @SerebiiNet situation is, but I’ll say this: it literally contributed to my childhood Pokémon experience, and continues to do so to this day. The work that @JoeMerrick has done is nothing short of awe inspiring, and I thank him for that #IStandWithSerebii

— HoopsandHipHop (@HoopsVGM) November 12, 2019

Death threats and harassment only make things worse. Get over yourselves, its a video game. You are harming real people because your fictional character isn’t in a game. Fuck you. Get out of our community you idiots….

Apologizes for my watchers who reading.#IStandWithSerebii

— DamianWaynePyschoKillerXXX🛡🍮🍦🍨🍪🍰🎂🍭🍩☕🍫🍬 (@PyschoWayne) November 12, 2019

Thank you @JoeMerrick for always keeping us informed of the facts and never posting about leaks and rumours! @SerebiiNet is and always will be my number one news source for anything Pokemon related! Keep up the amazing work 👍 #IStandWithSerebii pic.twitter.com/MRsldq3k1m

— Gizmo (@gearsofgizmo) November 12, 2019

Who the fuck is hurting @JoeMerrick ?
THE GUY SPENT 24 HOURS FOR Y’ALL WATCHING A DAMN SCREEN. The guys runs a respected site and looks like an awesome dude to hand around. SMH, he doesn’t deserve the hate. #IStandWithSerebii

— Iron Sword [2 days left!] (@IronSword17) November 12, 2019

I’ve never seen someone as committed to their passion as @JoeMerrick. He’s simply a wealth of Pokémon knowledge who knows how important his words are. He never talked predictions on GameXplain because so many would take it as gospel. That’s how respected he is. #IStandWithSerebii

— Derrick Bitner (@BitnerdGX) November 12, 2019

You guys are getting me emotional with these messages for Joe.

Let’s all have a really good time with Pokémon Sword and Shield yeah? 🙂 #IStandWithSerebii pic.twitter.com/8FQUNCEIVV

— Marti Bennett (@VirtuallyMarti) November 12, 2019

There are so many more positive messages, which is really heartening to see. Too often we are reporting on the abusive side of the gaming community, so bear with us as we cling to this small slice of positivity and general wholesomeness.

For those that didn’t want to sift through the tweets, Serebii is a site reporting on all of the Pokemon news and have been since the 90s. With such a strong community at Joe Merrick’s back, it was strange to see the sudden vitriol going his way. While the conversation about what we are disappointed in with games shouldn’t be frowned upon, there’s a way to offer feedback that isn’t abusive and for those that don’t know the difference, it’s time to step back from social media and get your life together.

We’ll be able to see all of the Pokemon and their trainers when Pokemon Sword and Shield releases exclusively on Nintendo Switch on November 15th.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

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Author

Liana Ruppert

With an arguably unhealthy obsession with Dragon Age and Mass Effect, Liana is wildly passionate about all things in the gaming community. From shooters, to RPGs, if it's out - she's playing it. A medically retired US Sailor and now full-time hoarder of gaming collectibles, Liana's passion for everything in the gaming industry is palpable. Also, if you lose her in a crowd, just casually mention any BioWare game and the crazy pterodactyl screech will without a doubt follow. You can follow her on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy or email her for editorial inquiries at [email protected]!