Pokémon

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Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise that includes video games, an animated series and films, a trading card game, and more. In the Pokémon world, humans live with many different creatures called Pokemon, each with special powers. The games usually put you in the role of a Pokémon Trainer who travels, catches Pokémon with Poké Balls, trains a team, and battles other trainers. Battles aren’t deadly—the Pokémon just faint and can be healed at a Pokémon Center.

Origins and ownership
Pokémon was created by Satoshi Tajiri and developed by the game company Game Freak. The first games, Red and Green, came to the Game Boy in 1996. The property is owned by three companies: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, with The Pokémon Company managing it worldwide. The franchise began as Pocket Monsters (the original Japanese name) and later became Pokémon, a form that’s used for both the games and the creatures themselves.

Core ideas and early expansion
The idea came from Tajiri’s childhood love of catching insects and sharing creatures with friends using the Game Boy link cable. The first games introduced 151 Pokémon, and new ones were added in later games. The franchise expanded into manga, a trading card game (first released in 1996 in Japan and 1999 in the U.S.), and an animated TV series that began in 1997. The anime helped spread Pokémon around the world, and the first movie, The First Movie, released in 1998.

Global rise and go
Pokémon became a global phenomenon in the late 1990s, especially in the United States. A big part of this was the animated series, the trading card game, and a big marketing push. The catchphrase “Gotta catch ’em all!” became famous, and the franchise pulled in huge amounts of money for Nintendo and licensing partners. In 2016, Pokémon Go, an augmented reality mobile game, brought Pokémon to real-world locations and reached massive worldwide popularity.

What the games are like
The core Pokémon games are RPGs where you travel, catch many different Pokémon, trade them with others, and battle. The newest games keep expanding in different ways, including open-world designs, bigger online multiplayer, and new ways to catch and evolve Pokémon. The games have released many generations on Nintendo consoles, with each generation adding new Pokémon, regions, and gameplay twists.

Other media and cultural impact
Pokémon has produced hundreds of anime episodes and dozens of films, plus live-action projects and spin-offs. The franchise played a big role in popularizing anime worldwide and helped open Western markets to Japanese games and animation. The trading card game has printed billions of cards over the years, becoming a major part of the hobby and a significant collector’s market.

Current status and future
As of the mid-2020s, Pokémon remains a major global brand with video games, cards, TV, and films continuing to grow. The franchise has released many games across generations, including notable open-world titles, and continues to explore new formats, collaborations, and merchandise. LEGO even announced Pokémon sets for 2026, showing how the brand keeps evolving and appealing to new fans.

In short, Pokémon started as a simple idea about catching and trading creatures and grew into a huge, enduring world of games, stories, and trading cards enjoyed by people of all ages.