Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have just been granted a new U.S. patent, and the timing couldn’t be more interesting. The filing covers a system where one character can be summoned to fight another — a setup that feels very familiar to anyone who’s ever played a Pokémon game.
The Patent Details
The approval came through the United States Patent and Trademark Office last week. The main patent, No. 12,403,397, focuses on battle-style summoning, while another one, No. 12,409,387, deals with smoother transitions when switching between “riding objects” — think mounting or riding creatures without clunky interruptions.
It doesn’t take much imagination to see how both ideas tie into mechanics already used across the Pokémon series.
Why the Timing Stands Out
On its own, this could look like just another corporate patent. But the backdrop makes it more telling. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are already in a legal clash with Palworld, the survival game from Pocketpair that drew heavy comparisons to Pokémon.
After the lawsuit dropped, Pocketpair quietly stripped out some features, including the ability to summon Pals into fights. Now, with this patent officially issued, Nintendo has even more legal ground to stand on if it wants to push further.
Filed Last Year, Granted This Summer
The paperwork for the summoning mechanic actually dates back to March 2023. It went through the usual patent process and was granted earlier this summer, before being formally issued just last week.
That means Nintendo had this in motion before Palworld exploded in popularity, though the final approval now lines up with the dispute that’s been unfolding.
Could This Reach Beyond Palworld?
The bigger question is how far this protection goes. Summoning creatures or characters to fight isn’t unique to Pokémon — plenty of RPGs and action games use some variation of it. If enforced broadly, the patent might affect future projects from other developers, not just Pocketpair.
At the same time, companies often register patents they never fully wield. Sometimes it’s defense, sometimes offense, and sometimes just a way to keep options open.
The Takeaway
With Pokémon being one of Nintendo’s most valuable franchises, it makes sense they’d guard its gameplay DNA as closely as possible. Whether this patent turns into a serious weapon against Palworld or just another item in Nintendo’s legal toolbox is still up in the air.
For now, it’s one more twist in a story that shows no signs of slowing down.
