Pokémon Fans Blast Logan Paul Over ‘Poser’ Allegations

For several years, high-profile influencer Logan Paul has been on a mission to cement his status as a legitimate Pokémon aficionado. Between flaunting his high-value trading card collection and famously spending $150,000 on a first-edition Charizard—a move he described as fulfilling a “nostalgic childhood dream”—the YouTuber is no stranger to the hobby. However, his latest attempt to bolster his fandom credentials backfired after he posted a defense of Gengar, the iconic Ghost-type Pokémon from the original 151.

The conversation began on Monday when X user @tiaradraws sparked a viral debate by asking, “why is every man’s favorite pokemon gengar?” The post resonated across the platform, racking up over 2.5 million views and drawing out Gengar loyalists in droves. Fans pointed to the creature’s unique history: in the original Game Boy titles, Gengar’s family was the only Ghost-type line available. Furthermore, the necessity of trading a Haunter to trigger its evolution gave Gengar a certain “prestige” in an era before global online connectivity. Combined with its mischievous design and memorable anime appearances, Gengar has remained a cornerstone of the franchise’s legacy.

Seeking to align himself with the community, Logan Paul shared his own “Theory of Gengar,” labeling the monster “perfect” and a mandatory inclusion for any serious trainer’s roster.

“If he’s taken damage? Hypnosis —> Dream Eater will put your opponent to sleep, suck their HP, and replenish yours,” Paul posted. “With the right trainer, he can’t be killed.”

Veterans of the competitive scene were quick to poke holes in this logic. While the Pokémon resource Smogon confirms that Hypnosis is a viable tool for the purple ghost, the “Hypnosis/Dream Eater” combo is widely considered a “noob trap” in competitive play. In the original Generation 1 meta, Dream Eater was rarely used in high-level strategies, and in modern iterations of the game, Hypnosis’s low accuracy makes it a risky gamble at best.

Technical strategy aside, it was Paul’s claim regarding Gengar’s resistances that truly drew the ire of fans:

“Not to mention he’s immune to normal, fighting, and ground-type moves, rendering even the strongest Pokémon like Machamp absolutely useless.”

This statement is factually incorrect in the context of modern Pokémon games. While Gengar is naturally immune to Normal and Fighting moves, it is absolutely vulnerable to Ground-type attacks. Many casual fans mistakenly believe Gengar can fly, but the Pokémon actually lost its “Levitate” ability several generations ago, making it susceptible to moves like Earthquake. Paul’s oversight suggests he may be out of touch with the mechanical evolution of the series.

Beyond the gameplay errors, many users have accused Paul of using AI to ghostwrite the post. Critics pointed to the unusually structured paragraphs, the clinical vocabulary, and a sudden adherence to proper grammar—a stark departure from Paul’s typical social media presence. Historically, Paul rarely uses capital letters or periods on X; in fact, internet sleuths noted that the last time he used a terminal period to end a sentence was back in 2018 during his public apology for the "suicide forest" controversy.

While AI text detectors provide conflicting results on the post's origin, the skepticism remains high. Given Paul's history of influencing market prices for Pokémon cards, many fans view his attempts at community engagement as disingenuous or purely profit-driven.

"It would be lovely to see you actually try and play a single Pokémon game and see the look on your face when your Gengar faints immediately to an earthquake," one fan remarked, highlighting the disconnect between Paul's claims and reality.

Whether Paul is simply a "Genwunner" with outdated knowledge or he’s outsourcing his opinions to a chatbot, the Pokémon community isn't buying what he’s selling.

Source: Polygon