This feature is from THE SELF-DESTRUCTION ISSUE of VICE magazine. Find it in a store near you, or get 4 issues each year sent straight to your door, by subscribing.The image of a pervert convulsing on the floor of a conference center in a Pikachu onesie as 60,000 volts course through their body might seem an unlikely one, but it turns out the Pokémon cosplay community has a growing groping problem—and teenagers are tooling up accordingly.One popular option is a baby pink stun gun. Available from Amazon for just $18.99, a woman was recommended it after protesting in an X post, which first alerted VICE to the issue. “Men in Pokémon need to learn to keep their hands to themselves,” she despaired. “I know this kind of thing happens weekly,” read the reply. “It’s awful to say but women should consider the need to defend themselves.”Abbie* has cosplayed as Magikarp, Mr. Mime, and Jesse. Whether she is dressed as a fish, a clown, or a purple-haired villain, her steel pen, pepper spray, and mini-hammer are always tucked away in her bag. She was first harassed by a middle-aged woman who approached her, hands outstretched, repeating, “Oh my god, you look like a goddess,” then groped her. Abbie says this offender was a “furry without a costume” who’d been carrying around an anatomically altered Pokémon plushie with its “dick and balls out.”Ashe* describes herself as an “avid Pokémon collector and cosplayer.” Mimikyu and Phantump are her favorites. “A man asked if he could hug me, then grabbed my butt and lifted my skirt,” she says. His friend, laughing, took pictures. Security told Ashe they had no power to delete the photos or kick him out.Last October, competitive Pokémon player Wolfe Glick disclosed he’d been groped at five of the seven VGC tournaments he attended in 2025. A month earlier, allegations of sexual assault emerged against another high-ranking player.Often, attacks take place outside the official venue. Abbie calls them the “after party horrors”; druggings are so prevalent that cosplayers have started handing out anti-spiking drink covers. Recalling one after party when a furry roofied multiple people, Abbie says: “Despite being checked at the rave doors, he hid things inside his costume. His fur suit smelt awful, he looked very high, and just wasn’t vibing with this world.”Some cosplayers told VICE about their weapons of choice.*Identities above have been changed to preserve privacy. DECIDUEYEWeapons of choice: Keys, tagging spray“I carry a heart-shaped self-defense keychain in my bag. But I could use a stun gun, absolutely. Whether it’s legal or not, I’d have no qualms. It often feels like you need a heightened sense of awareness at conventions, as though someone might come into your personal space at any moment. I’ve caught someone taking a photo of my butt before. If they take any kind of picture of me without my consent, I’ll say: ‘Can you ask first?’ It’s very easy for me, because I’m a very confrontational person. I’d highly recommend bringing tagging spray—you can mark someone with bright red paint if they attempt assault!”GYARADOSWeapon of choice: Pepper spray“I’ve been a Pokémon fan since I was seven. I’ve been attending conventions since 2011, starting in college, and though I haven’t had my safety violated I have had interactions that pushed my boundaries. Someone tried to hug me when I’d just met them. At the time, I was cosplaying as Plumeria—a character who wears a sports bra and sweatpants. I never reported it to the convention, but I wish I’d had the confidence to scold him instead of being polite. Now, I would probably arm myself with pepper spray at the very least.”IRON VALIANTWeapons of choice: Steel pen, pepper spray, multitool hammer“Personally, I don’t rely on electronics. I’ve had a stun gun fail before—the battery died in cold weather. But I have a series of safety items that look innocent, from a solid steel pen, to pepper spray, to a cosplay multitool in my purse that becomes a small hammer. The last one works because it can be covered by the ‘cosplay tool’ rule. I’m yet to be molested in a competing costume. I usually arrive early to get judged, shoved in a room to wait, and then once I’m done it’s the afternoon and I just want to eat.”BELLSPROUTWeapon of choice: Firearm“I’ve witnessed incidents myself. I have experience handling firearms, and though I feel it would not be accepted at a lot of cons, I could apply for a Concealed Carry Weapon permit. There was a guy who followed girls around despite being told to stop. Whenever I see him now, I immediately tell the nearest member of staff.”SCIZORWeapons of choice: Fists, knees, elbows, and feet“Personally, I think it’s really important if you’re traveling alone to know at least the basics of self defense—I’ve been taking Muay Thai classes for three years now. That, combined with acrylic self-defense keychains or a stun gun, has gotten me out of many sticky situations outside of the cosplay world. I imagine it would apply the same within the community.”CUBONEWeapons of choice: Pepper spray, flathead screwdriver, pocket knife“Inside a venue, security and staff presence are what actually create safety. Outside is different. That’s where things like pepper spray or a pocket knife can help. I’m very pro women having whatever they need to protect themselves. I prefer pepper spray and a heel. Even a cute multitool on your keychain can go a long way—something small with a screwdriver, flathead, or mini blade is surprisingly useful in a lot of situations.”PINSIRWeapon of choice: Stun gun“I see a lot of groping and inappropriate behaviors at cons. I once watched a cosplayer grope someone and try to get away with it by claiming they were just ‘in character.’ So, I’ve considered taking a stun gun a couple of times—I would have no hesitation if I knew it would get through security. I feel like conventions sometimes don’t do enough to protect people. I’ve been followed home before, so I never take kindly to uncomfortable behaviors.” DELPHOXWeapons of choice: Stun gun, pepper spray, high-heel shoe“I basically met a stalker. He seemed quite friendly, but then started making comments about cosplays he found ‘too sexual.’ And he tried to get my contact details. I went in excited to meet people, but I left feeling really scared. I’ve only been able to go back recently, and even then I started with cosplays that had masks so I could avoid being seen. I’d arm myself with a stun gun—I think even just holding it would keep people at bay. Pepper spray has the advantage of keeping someone at a distance, too.” Special thanks to SlayStation, Greebo, Cory Roberts (Decidueye, Bellsprout), Velvet (Gyarados, Iron Valiant), Daniele Meta Morph (Cubone, Scizor), Miss Terri Boxx (Pinsir), and Lil Empress (Delphox).Follow Amber on Instagram: @amberawlingsThis feature is from THE SELF-DESTRUCTION ISSUE of VICE magazine. Find it in a store near you, or get 4 issues each year sent straight to your door, by subscribing.The post Pokémon Cosplayers Are Buying Weapons to Fend Off Sex Pests appeared first on VICE.