Pokémon

Pokémon (also known as Pocket Monsters in Japan) is a media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, a collaboration between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, and it is centered on fictional creatures called "Pokémon". In the Pokémon world, Pokémon Trainers are people who catch, train, care for, and battle with Pokémon. The English slogan for the franchise is "Gotta Catch 'Em All!".

History

Pokémon was first established in 1996 with the release of the Pokémon video game series for the Game Boy. The success of the video games led to an array of spin-off games, animated television shows, movies, trading card games, and merchandise.

Gameplay

In most Pokémon games, the player takes on the role of a Pokémon Trainer, whose general goal is to traverse the Pokémon world and capture and train creatures known as Pokémon, to win battles against other Trainers. Some games, like the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, deviate from this formula.

Pokémon Species

There are currently 898 different species of Pokémon, each with their own unique characteristics, abilities, and moves. Some of the most iconic Pokémon include Pikachu, Charizard, and Bulbasaur. Each Pokémon belongs to one or two of 18 different Pokémon types, such as Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, and Psychic.

In Other Media

In addition to video games, Pokémon has been adapted into various forms of media. This includes the Pokémon anime, which follows the journey of the Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu as they travel the Pokémon world, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, which is a collectible card game featuring different Pokémon species.

Cultural Impact

Pokémon has had a significant cultural impact since its inception, influencing other monster-collecting franchises and generating significant revenue through its various forms of media.