Statues have been a source of controversy in the New Orleans area for some time now. While most of the monuments in question pay tribute to a bygone era, a brand new Lower Garden District statue is honoring something decidedly more contemporary–Pikachu.
For those of you that aren’t in the know, Pikachu is the name of an iconic Pokémon character. Originally released in 1996, Pokémon has experienced a resurgence in the past month due to the popularity of an updated version of the game called Pokémon Go. Considering how quickly the new game has taken the world by storm, the illegally-erected statue actually seems like a logical next step for the craze.
Yet no one has come forward to take credit for the monument, which is currently located in a park on Terpsichore Street between Prytania and Coliseum. City officials have not made any statements regarding the sculpture either, so there’s no word on when–or if–it will be removed.