A new Pokémon craze is upon us. Nearly three decades after its 1996 debut, the Japanese entity has once again captured global attention by proving that the most valuable media franchise in history is more than just a fad.

In the past year, fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game have been both thrilled, and hugely disappointed by this renewed interest. Card values for the rarest cards have seen new highs, and the actions of the adults seeking to cash in on the madness have seen new lows. One of the most glaring recent examples of this took place in Pokémon’s homeland of Japan.

On August 9, 2025, as part of a new Japan-exclusive McDonald’s campaign, customers had the opportunity to purchase a Happy Meal that included a two-card pack of Pokémon cards. In it, collectors would find one of five random cards: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Ralts or Riolu (these being reprints from recent sets, stamped with the McDonald’s logo), but guaranteed in each pack was the card that made people lose their minds: fans online quickly dubbed it ‘Burgerchu,' a nickname so fitting it felt predestined.

The card’s illustration, by Yuu Nishida, shows Pikachu seated in a warmly lit restaurant booth, reaching toward a burger that sits temptingly on the table. The depicted meal bespeaks the moderation of Japanese portions: A small serving of peas and corn beside a burger and a glass of orange juice. It is a scene of innocence and quotidian joy. What occurred on release day was anything but.

Instead of children or families, the bulk of hungry customers were adult collectors and scalpers. McDonald’s Japan imposed a five-meal limit per person in store, but that didn’t stop some customers who placed multiple orders via the mobile app (which apparently didn’t enforce the same limits), all while bouncing between stores or accounts. Some customers managed to score up to twenty meals.

To underscore the depravity of the situation: the bulk of these meals weren’t even consumed. They were left to rot on sidewalks and in doorways. Countless bags littered the streets of Japan in multiple cities. Cleanup crews and store employees were photographed hauling away full trash bags of untouched meals. This viral imagery struck a nerve in Japan, where food waste is a particularly sensitive topic. Commenters called the behavior “disgraceful” and “embarrassing to adults.”

McDonald’s Japan issued a formal apology acknowledging that “higher-than-expected demand” had led to shortages and “inappropriate behavior” among some customers. The company expressed regret over the food waste and the disruption caused by the promotion, emphasizing that the campaign had been designed to bring joy to children and families. It was a striking visual metaphor for the mania itself: collectors chasing cardboard while perfectly good food went straight to the gutter.