Gyarados, Psyduck, and Vaporeon all needed repairs just weeks after the Pokémon footbath opened.

Japanese folk wisdom holds that visiting a hot spring isn’t just a fun and relaxing way to spend the day, but that the naturally heated waters also provide health benefits, especially for those recuperating from injuries. However, shortly following the opening of Japan’s first Pokémon-themed hot spring facility this spring, the Pocket Monsters themselves started suffering physical damage.

The Wakura Pokémon Footbath in the town of Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, began welcoming visitors on May 12, inviting fans to come and soak their feat while surrounded by statues of various Pokémon species. By mid-June, though, three of the seven Pokémon, Psyduck, Gyarados, and Vaporeon, were damaged. Gyarados and Vaporeon had a cracked horn and tail, respectively, and Psyduck was missing a portion of his foot. The damage to Psyduck and Vaporeon was extensive enough that they couldn’t be repaired on site, and had to be removed and shipped off to a repair facility, sort of like how in-game Pokémon can require a visit to a Pokémon Center to get back up to full health.

Thankfully, the repairs have gone smoothly, and on the night of July 4 the temporarily removed statues were reinstalled, so now visiting fans can once again see all seven Pokémon at the hot spring.

▼ The fully restored Wakura Pokémon Footbath

And yes, “see” is the key word. Previously, the hot spring had no explicit rules prohibiting touching the Pokémon, but the facility does now request that visitors refrain from doing so, with on-site staff ready to provide a verbal reminder if need be.

The no-touching rule follows the confirmation that at least two of the statues were damaged accidentally by visitors, and were not acts of intentional vandalism, with both parties apologizing following the incidents. No one has come forward to claim responsibility for the damage to Psyduck, but considering that the broken off piece was left at the hot spring, it could also have been an accident.

The statues are made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), and while it’s ordinarily a relatively sturdy material, it’s not indestructible, and the designers may have underestimated how much physical attention they were going to receive. But with the etiquette of communal bathing in Japan, which has long been part of the country’s culture, including the understanding that you should refrain from touching or bumping into other bathers, hopefully visitors to Wakura Pokémon Footbath will abide by the new rules and the Pokémon will be able to enjoy their baths for a long time to come.

Related: Wakura Pokémon Footbath website
Source: Chunichi Shimbun, Hokkoku Shimbun, Ishikawa TV
Top image: Pokémon with You
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