Over 28,000 people have signed a change.org petition to turn Harambe, the slain gorilla and runner-up meme of the summer, into a pokémon.
Started two days ago by a man named Eric CreamyMemes, the petition asks Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to bring Harambe to life in a short but persuasive letter.
The petition includes mock-up designs of what Harambe might look like as a pokémon. He'd start off as "Hambo," and evolve into "Harambe," with the main abilities of "Meat Shield." The designs originated as the artwork for the unofficial pokémon Simayan and Monkezuma, two characters in the 4chan-made Pokémon Sage.
Everyone deals with grief in different ways. Signing this petition could be a small but meaningful tribute to a gorilla that meant so much to thousands of people. Or it could be an ironic way to perpetuate a loaded internet meme. Look, we're not here to judge. We just want more pokémon that don't look like a set of keys.