Pokémon

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For other uses, see Pokémon (disambiguation).

Pokémon

Logo of Pokémon for its international releases; Pokémon is short for

the original Japanese title of Pocket Monsters

Created by Satoshi Tajiri

Ken Sugimori

Original work Pocket Monsters Red and Green (1996)

Owned by Nintendo

Creatures

Game Freak

Print publications

Short stories Pokémon Junior

Comics See list of Pokémon manga

Films and television

Film(s) See list of Pokémon films

Short film(s) Various Pikachu shorts

Animated series Pokémon (anime) (1997–present)

Pokémon Chronicles (2006)

Television special(s) Mewtwo Returns (2000)

The Legend of Thunder (2001)

The Mastermind of Mirage

Pokémon (2006)

Television film(s) Pokémon Origins (2013)

Theatrical presentations

Musical(s) Pokémon Live! (2000)

Games

Traditional Pokémon Trading Card Game

Pokémon Trading Figure Game

Video game(s) Pokémon video game series

Super Smash Bros.

Audio

Soundtrack(s) Pokémon 2.B.A. Master (1999)

See also list of Pokémon theme songs

Miscellaneous

Theme park Poképark

Official website

 Japan
 United States
  United Kingdom

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Pokémon[a] (English: /ˈpoʊkɪˌmɒn, -ki-, -keɪ-/),[1][2][3] also known as Pocket Monsters[b] in Japan, is
a media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, a Japanese consortium
between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures.[4] The franchise copyright and
Japanese trademark is shared by all three companies,[5] but Nintendo is the sole owner of the
trademark in other countries.[6] The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995,[7] and is centered
on fictional creatures called "Pokémon", which humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and
train to battle each other for sport. The English slogan for the franchise is "Gotta Catch 'Em
All".[8][9] Works within the franchise are set in the Pokémon universe.
The franchise began as Pokémon Red and Green (later released outside of Japan as Pokémon
Red and Blue), a pair of video games for the original Game Boy that were developed by Game
Freak and published by Nintendo in February 1996. It soon became a media mix franchise adapted
into various different media.[10] Pokémon has since gone on to become the highest-grossing media
franchise of all time,[11][12][13] with $90 billion in total franchise revenue.[14][15] The original video game
series is the second best-selling video game franchise (behind Nintendo's Mario franchise)[16] with
more than 340 million copies sold[17] and 1 billion mobile downloads,[18] and it spawned a hit anime
television series that has become the most successful video game adaptation[19] with over 20
seasons and 1,000 episodes in 169 countries.[17] In addition, the Pokémon franchise includes the
world's top-selling toy brand,[20] the top-selling trading card game[21] with over 27.2 billion cards
sold,[17] an anime film series, a live-action film, books, manga comics, music, merchandise, and a
theme park. The franchise is also represented in other Nintendo media, such as the Super Smash
Bros. series.
In November 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing
of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement.
The Pokémon Company International oversees all Pokémon licensing outside Asia.[22] The franchise
celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2006.[23] In 2016, The Pokémon Company celebrated Pokémon's
20th anniversary by airing an ad during Super Bowl 50 in January, issuing re-releases of Pokémon
Red and Blue and the 1998 Game Boy game Pokémon Yellow as downloads for the Nintendo
3DS in February, and redesigning the way the games are played.[24][25] The mobile augmented
reality game Pokémon Go was released in July 2016.[26] The most recently released games in the
main series, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, were released worldwide on
the Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018. The first live-action film in the franchise, Pokémon
Detective Pikachu, based on Detective Pikachu, was released in 2019.[11] The upcoming and latest
 games in the main series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, are scheduled to be released worldwide on
the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019.[27]

Contents

 1Name
 2Concept
 3Video games
o 3.1Generations
 4In other media
o 4.1Anime series
o 4.2Films
 4.2.1Live-action film
o 4.3Soundtracks
o 4.4Pokémon Trading Card Game
o 4.5Manga
o 4.6Monopoly
 5Criticism and controversy
o 5.1Morality and religious beliefs
o 5.2Animal cruelty
o 5.3Health
o 5.4Monster in My Pocket
o 5.5Pokémon Go
 6Cultural influence
o 6.1Fan community
 7See also
 8Notes
 9References
 10External links

Name
The name Pokémon is the portmanteau of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters.[28] The term
"Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 823
fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the release of the seventh
generation titles Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! "Pokémon" is identical in the
singular and plural, as is each individual species name; it is grammatically correct to say "one
Pokémon" and "many Pokémon", as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu".[29]

Concept
See also: Gameplay of Pokémon
Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri first thought of Pokémon, albeit with a different concept
and name, around 1989, when the Game Boy was released. The concept of the Pokémon universe,
in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect
collecting, a popular pastime which Tajiri enjoyed as a child.[30] Players are designated as Pokémon
Trainers and have three general goals: to complete the regional Pokédex by collecting all of the
available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where a game takes place, to complete the
national Pokédex by transferring Pokémon from other regions, and to train a team of powerful
Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers so they
may eventually win the Pokémon League and become the regional Champion. These themes of
collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every version of the Pokémon franchise,
including the video games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In most incarnations of the Pokémon universe, a Trainer who encounters a wild Pokémon is able to
capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible spherical tool called
a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, it is considered to
be under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterwards, it will obey whatever commands it receives from
its new Trainer, unless the Trainer demonstrates such a lack of experience that the Pokémon would
rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles
against other Pokémon; if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with
a Poké Ball, increasing their collection of creatures. In Pokémon Go, and in Pokémon: Let's Go,
Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, wild Pokémon encountered by players can be caught in Poké Balls,
but generally cannot be battled. Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured,
except under special circumstances in certain side games. If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in
battle so that the opponent is knocked out ("faints"), the winning Pokémon gains experience
points and may level up. Beginning with Pokémon X and Y, experience points are also gained from
catching Pokémon in Poké Balls. When leveling up, the Pokémon's battling aptitude statistics
("stats", such as "Attack" and "Speed") increase. At certain levels, the Pokémon may also learn
new moves, which are techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon can undergo
a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process
called evolution; this process occurs spontaneously under differing circumstances, and is itself a
central theme of the series. Some species of Pokémon may undergo a maximum of two evolutionary
transformations, while others may undergo only one, and others may not evolve at all. For example,
the Pokémon Pichu may evolve into Pikachu, which in turn may evolve into Raichu, following which
no further evolutions may occur. Pokémon X and Y introduced the concept of "Mega Evolution," by
which certain fully evolved Pokémon may temporarily undergo an additional evolution into a stronger
form for the purpose of battling; this evolution is considered a special case, and unlike other
evolutionary stages, it is reversible.
In the main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a team of Pokémon
to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their Pokémon. Each game lays out a
somewhat linear path through a specific region of the Pokémon world for the Trainer to journey
through, completing events and battling opponents along the way (including foiling the plans of an
'evil' team of Pokémon Trainers who serve as antagonists to the player). Excluding Pokémon
Sun and Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the games feature eight powerful Trainers,
referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must defeat in order to progress. As a reward, the
Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight badges are collected, the Trainer is eligible to
challenge the region's Pokémon League, where four talented trainers (referred to collectively as the
"Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to four Pokémon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome
this gauntlet, they must challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had previously
defeated the Elite Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle becomes the new champion.

Video games
Main articles: List of Pokémon video games and Pokémon (video game series)
Generations
A rival battle between a Bulbasaur and a Charmander in Pokémon Red and Blue.[31]

All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company International are
divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release;
every several years, when a sequel to the 1996 role-playing video games Pokémon
Red and Green is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that
sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main Pokémon video
games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga, and trading card game are all updated with the new
Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins.[citation needed] Some Pokémon from the newer
games appear in anime episodes or films months, or even years, before the game they were
programmed for came out. The first generation began in Japan with Pokémon Red and Green on the
Game Boy. The franchise began the seventh generation on November 18, 2016 with Pokémon
Sun and Moon on the Nintendo 3DS.[32] The most recent games in the main series, Pokémon: Let's
Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, were released on the Nintendo Switch on November 16,
2018. Pokémon Sword and Shield will begin the eighth generation on the Nintendo Switch and are
scheduled to be released in late 2019.[33][34][35]

In other media

Ash Ketchum holding Pikachu in the first episode, "Pokémon, I Choose You!".

Anime series
Main article: Pokémon (anime)
Pokémon, also known as Pokémon the Series, is an anime television series based on
the Pokémon video game series. It was originally broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1997. As of 2018 it has
produced and aired over 1,000 episodes, divided into 6 series in Japan and 22 seasons
internationally.
The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum (known as Satoshi in Japan), a
Pokémon Master in training, as he and a small group of friends travel around the world of Pokémon
along with their Pokémon partners.[36]
Various children's books, collectively known as Pokémon Junior, are also based on the anime.[37]
Films
Main article: List of Pokémon films
In addition to the TV series, as of January 2019, 22 animated Pokémon films have been directed
by Kunihiko Yuyama and Tetsuo Yajima, and distributed in Japan by Toho since 1998. The pair of
films, Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom are
considered together as one film. Collectibles, such as promotional trading cards, have been
available with some of the films.
Live-action film
Main articles: Detective Pikachu (film) and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu
A live-action Pokémon film directed by Rob Letterman, produced by Legendary Entertainment,[38] and
distributed in Japan by Toho and internationally by Warner Bros.[39] began filming in January
2018.[40] On August 24, the film's official title was announced as Pokémon Detective Pikachu.[41] It
was released on May 10, 2019.[11]
Soundtracks
Main article: List of Pokémon theme songs
Pokémon CDs have been released in North America, some of them in conjunction with the theatrical
releases of the first three and the 20th Pokémon films. These releases were commonplace until late
2001. On March 27, 2007, a tenth anniversary CD was released containing 18 tracks from the
English dub; this was the first English-language release in over five years. Soundtracks of
the Pokémon feature films have been released in Japan each year in conjunction with the theatrical
releases. In 2017, a soundtrack album featuring music from the North American versions of the 17th
through 20th movies was released.

Year Title

June 29, 1999[42] Pokémon 2.B.A. Master

November 9, 1999[43] Pokémon: The First Movie

February 8, 2000 Pokémon World

May 9, 2000 Pokémon: The First Movie Original Motion Picture Score

July 18, 2000 Pokémon: The Movie 2000

Unknown1 Pokémon: The Movie 2000 Original Motion Picture Score

January 23, 2001 Totally Pokémon

April 3, 2001 Pokémon 3: The Ultimate Soundtrack

October 9, 2001 Pokémon Christmas Bash

March 27, 2007 Pokémon X: Ten Years of Pokémon

November 12, 2013 Pokémon X & Pokémon Y: Super Music Collection

December 10, 2013 Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen: Super Music Collection

January 14, 2014 Pokémon HeartGold & Pokémon SoulSilver: Super Music Collection

February 11, 2014 Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire: Super Music Collection

March 11, 2014 Pokémon Diamond & Pokémon Pearl: Super Music Collection

April 8, 2014 Pokémon Black & Pokémon White: Super Music Collection

May 13, 2014 Pokémon Black 2 & Pokémon White 2: Super Music Collection

December 21, 2014 Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire: Super Music Collection

April 27, 2016 Pokémon Red and Green Super Music Collection

November 30, 2016 Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon: Super Music Collection

December 23, 2017 Pokémon Movie Music Collection2

^ The exact date of release is unknown.

^ Featuring music from Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Pokémon the Movie:
Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel, and Pokémon the
Movie: I Choose You!
Pokémon Trading Card Game
Main article: Pokémon Trading Card Game

Palkia, the Spacial Pokémon Trading Card Game card from Pokémon TCG Diamond and Pearl.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a collectible card game with a goal similar to a
Pokémon battle in the video game series. Players use Pokémon cards, with individual strengths and
weaknesses, in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" their Pokémon cards.[44] The
game was published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999.[45] With the release of
the Game Boy Advance video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, The Pokémon Company took
back the card game from Wizards of the Coast and started publishing the cards themselves.[45] The
Expedition expansion introduced the Pokémon-e Trading Card Game, where the cards (for the most
part) were compatible with the Nintendo e-Reader. Nintendo discontinued its production of e-Reader
compatible cards with the release of FireRed and LeafGreen. In 1998, Nintendo released a Game
Boy Color version of the trading card game in Japan; Pokémon Trading Card Game was
subsequently released to the US and Europe in 2000. The game included digital versions cards from
the original set of cards and the first two expansions (Jungle and Fossil), as well as several cards
exclusive to the game. A sequel was released in Japan in 2001.[46]
Manga
Main article: List of Pokémon manga
There are various Pokémon manga series, four of which were released in English by Viz Media, and
seven of them released in English by Chuang Yi. The manga series vary from game-based series to
being based on the anime and the Trading Card Game. Original stories have also been published.
As there are several series created by different authors, most Pokémon manga series differ greatly
from each other and other media, such as the anime.[citation needed] Pokémon Pocket
Monsters and Pokémon Adventures are the two manga in production since the first generation.
Manga released in English

 The Electric Tale of Pikachu (Dengeki Pikachu), a shōnen manga created by Toshihiro Ono. It
was divided into four tankōbon, each given a separate title in the North American and English
Singapore versions: The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Pikachu Shocks Back, Electric Pikachu
Boogaloo, and Surf's Up, Pikachu. The series is based loosely on the anime.
 Pokémon Adventures (Pocket Monsters SPECIAL in Japan) by Hidenori Kusaka (story), Mato
(art formerly), and Satoshi Yamamoto (art currently), the most popular Pokémon manga based
on the video games. The story series around the Pokémon Trainers who called "Pokédex
holders".
 Magical Pokémon Journey (Pocket Monsters PiPiPi ★ Adventures), a shōjo manga
 Pikachu Meets the Press (newspaper style comics, not released by Chuang Yi)
 Ash & Pikachu (Satoshi to Pikachu)
 Pokémon Gold & Silver
 Pokémon Ruby-Sapphire and Pokémon Pocket Monsters
 Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker
 Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys
 Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (the third movie-to-comic adaptation)
 Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea[47] (the fourth movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
 Pokémon Adventures: Diamond and Pearl / Platinum[48]
 Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai[49] (the fifth movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior[50] (the sixth movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life[51] (the seventh movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions[52] (the eighth movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon The Movie: White: Victini and Zekrom[53] (the ninth movie-to-comic adaption)
 Pokémon Black and White[54][55][56][57][58][59][60]
Manga not released in English

 Pokémon Pocket Monsters by Kosaku Anakubo, the first Pokémon manga. Chiefly a gag
manga, it stars a Pokémon Trainer named Red, his rude Clefairy, and Pikachu.
 Pokémon Card ni Natta Wake (How I Became a Pokémon Card) by Kagemaru Himeno, an artist
for the Trading Card Game. There are six volumes and each includes a special promotional
card. The stories tell the tales of the art behind some of Himeno's cards.
 Pokémon Get aa ze! by Miho Asada
 Pocket Monsters Chamo-Chamo ★ Pretty ♪ by Yumi Tsukirino, who also made Magical
Pokémon Journey.
 Pokémon Card Master
 Pocket Monsters Emerald Chōsen!! Battle Frontier by Ihara Shigekatsu
 Pocket Monsters Zensho by Satomi Nakamura
Monopoly
A Pokémon-styled Monopoly board game was released in August 2014.[61]

Criticism and controversy

Morality and religious beliefs
Pokémon has been criticized by some fundamentalist Christians over
perceived occult and violent themes and the concept of "Pokémon evolution", which they feel goes
against the Biblical creation account in Genesis.[62] Sat2000, a satellite television station based
in Vatican City, has countered that the Pokémon Trading Card Game and video games are "full of
inventive imagination" and have no "harmful moral side effects".[63][64] In the United Kingdom, the
"Christian Power Cards" game was introduced in 1999 by David Tate who stated, "Some people
aren't happy with Pokémon and want an alternative, others just want Christian games." The game
was similar to the Pokémon Trading Card Game but used Biblical figures.[65]
In 1999, Nintendo stopped manufacturing the Japanese version of the "Koga's Ninja Trick" trading
card because it depicted a manji, a traditionally Buddhist symbol with no negative connotations.
The Jewish civil rights group Anti-Defamation League complained because the symbol is the reverse
of a swastika, a Nazi symbol. The cards were intended for sale in Japan only, but the popularity
of Pokémon led to import into the United States with approval from Nintendo. The Anti-Defamation
League understood that the issue symbol was not intended to offend and acknowledged the
sensitivity that Nintendo showed by removing the product.[66][67]
In 1999, two nine-year-old boys from Merrick, New York sued Nintendo because they claimed the
Pokémon Trading Card Game caused their problematic gambling.[68]
In 2001, Saudi Arabia banned Pokémon games and the trading cards, alleging that the franchise
promoted Zionism by displaying the Star of David in the trading cards (a six-pointed star is featured
in the card game) as well as other religious symbols such as crosses they associated with
Christianity and triangles they associated with Freemasonry; the games also involved gambling,
which is in violation of Muslim doctrine.[69][70]
Pokémon has also been accused of promoting materialism.[71]
Animal cruelty
In 2012, PETA criticized the concept of Pokémon as supporting cruelty to animals. PETA compared
the game's concept, of capturing animals and forcing them to fight, to cockfights, dog fighting rings
and circuses, events frequently criticized for cruelty to animals. PETA released a game
spoofing Pokémon where the Pokémon battle their trainers to win their freedom.[72] PETA reaffirmed
their objections in 2016 with the release of Pokémon Go, promoting the hashtag
#GottaFreeThemAll.[73]
Health
Main article: Dennō Senshi Porygon
See also: Burger King Pokémon container recall
On December 16, 1997, more than 635 Japanese children were admitted to hospitals with
epileptic seizures.[74] It was determined the seizures were caused by watching an episode of
Pokémon "Dennō Senshi Porygon", (most commonly translated "Electric Soldier Porygon", season
1, episode 38); as a result, this episode has not been aired since. In this particular episode, there
were bright explosions with rapidly alternating blue and red color patterns.[75] It was determined in
subsequent research that these strobing light effects cause some individuals to have epileptic
seizures, even if the person had no previous history of epilepsy.[76] This incident is a common focus
of Pokémon-related parodies in other media, and was lampooned by The Simpsons episode "Thirty
Minutes over Tokyo"[77] and the South Park episode "Chinpokomon",[78] among others.
Monster in My Pocket
In March 2000, Morrison Entertainment Group, a toy developer based at Manhattan Beach,
California, sued Nintendo over claims that Pokémon infringed on its own Monster in My
Pocket characters. A judge ruled there was no infringement and Morrison appealed the ruling. On
February 4, 2003, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the decision by the District
Court to dismiss the suit.[79]
Pokémon Go
See also: Pokémon Go § Criticism and incidents
Within its first two days of release, Pokémon Go raised safety concerns among players. Multiple
people also suffered minor injuries from falling while playing the game due to being distracted.[80]
Multiple police departments in various countries have issued warnings, some tongue-in-cheek,
regarding inattentive driving, trespassing, and being targeted by criminals due to being unaware of
one's surroundings.[81][82] People have suffered various injuries from accidents related to the
game,[83][84][85][86] and Bosnian players have been warned to stay out of minefields left over from the
1990s Bosnian War.[87] On July 20, 2016, it was reported that an 18-year-old boy
in Chiquimula, Guatemala was shot and killed while playing the game in the late evening
hours.[88] This was the first reported death in connection with the app. The boy's 17-year-old cousin,
who was accompanying the victim, was shot in the foot. Police speculated that the shooters used the
game's GPS capability to find the two.[89]

Cultural influence

All Nippon Airways Boeing 747-400 in Pokémon livery, dubbed a Pokémon Jet.

Pokémon, being a globally popular franchise, has left a significant mark on today's popular culture.
The Pokémon characters have become pop culture icons; examples include two different Pikachu
balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Pokémon-themed airplanes operated by All
Nippon Airways, merchandise items, and a traveling theme park that was in Nagoya, Japan in 2005
and in Taipei in 2006. Pokémon also appeared on the cover of the U.S. magazine Time in
1999.[90] The Comedy Central show Drawn Together has a character named Ling-Ling who is a
parody of Pikachu.[91] Several other shows such as The Simpsons,[92] South Park[93] and Robot
Chicken[94] have made references and spoofs of Pokémon, among other series. Pokémon was
featured on VH1's I Love the '90s: Part Deux. A live action show based on the anime
called Pokémon Live! toured the United States in late 2000.[95] Jim Butcher cites Pokémon as one of
the inspirations for the Codex Alera series of novels.[96]
Pokemon has even made its mark in the realm of science. This includes animals named after
Pokémon, such as Stentorceps weedlei (named after the Pokémon Weedle) and Aerodactylus
scolopaciceps (named after the Pokémon Aerodactyl).[citation needed] There is also a protein named after
Pikachu, called Pikachurin.
In November 2001, Nintendo opened a store called the Pokémon Center in New York, in Rockefeller
Center,[97] modeled after the two other Pokémon Center stores in Tokyo and Osaka and named after
a staple of the video game series. Pokémon Centers are fictional buildings where Trainers take their
injured Pokémon to be healed after combat.[98] The store sold Pokémon merchandise on a total of
two floors, with items ranging from collectible shirts to stuffed Pokémon plushies.[99] The store also
featured a Pokémon Distributing Machine in which players would place their game to receive an egg
of a Pokémon that was being given out at that time. The store also had tables that were open for
players of the Pokémon Trading Card Game to duel each other or an employee. The store was
closed and replaced by the Nintendo World Store on May 14, 2005.[100] Four Pokémon Center kiosks
were put in malls in the Seattle area.[101] The Pokémon Center online store was relaunched on
August 6, 2014.[102]

Meitetsu 2200 series train Giratina & Shaymin.

Professor of Education Joseph Tobin theorizes that the success of the franchise was due to the long
list of names that could be learned by children and repeated in their peer groups. Its rich fictional
universe provides opportunities for discussion and demonstration of knowledge in front of their
peers. The names of the creatures were linked to its characteristics, which converged with the
children's belief that names have symbolic power. Children can pick their favourite Pokémon and
affirm their individuality while at the same time affirming their conformance to the values of the
group, and they can distinguish themselves from others by asserting what they liked and what they
did not like from every chapter. Pokémon gained popularity because it provides a sense of identity to
a wide variety of children, and lost it quickly when many of those children found that the identity
groups were too big and searched for identities that would distinguish them into smaller groups.[103]

Shinkansen E3 Series train in Pokémon livery.

Pokémon's history has been marked at times by rivalry with the Digimon media franchise that
debuted at a similar time. Described as "the other 'mon'" by IGN's Juan Castro, Digimon has not
enjoyed Pokémon's level of international popularity or success, but has maintained a dedicated
fanbase.[104] IGN's Lucas M. Thomas stated that Pokémon is Digimon's "constant competition and
comparison", attributing the former's relative success to the simplicity of its evolution mechanic as
opposed to Digivolution.[105] The two have been noted for conceptual and stylistic similarities by
sources such as GameZone.[106] A debate among fans exists over which of the two franchises came
first.[107] In actuality, the first Pokémon media, Pokémon Red and Green, were released initially on
February 27, 1996;[108] whereas the Digimon virtual pet was released on June 26, 1997.
Fan community
While Pokémon's target demographic is children, early purchasers of Pokémon Omega
Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were in their 20s.[109] Many fans are adults who originally played the games
as children and had later returned to the series.[110]
Bulbapedia, a wiki-based encyclopedia[111] associated with longtime fan site Bulbagarden,[112][113] is the
"Internet's most detailed Pokémon database project".[114] Jonathan Zarra created the location based
chat app GoChat for Pokémon Go.[115] Another popular Pokémon news website is Serebii,[116] created
by Joe Merrick in October 1999.[117]
A significant community around the Pokémon video games' metagame has existed for a long time,
analyzing the best ways to use each Pokémon to their full potential in competitive battles. The most
prolific competitive community is Smogon University, which has created a widely accepted tier-
based battle system.[118] Smogon is affiliated with an online Pokémon game called Pokémon
Showdown, in which players create a team and battle against other players around the world using
the competitive tiers created by Smogon.[119]
In early 2014, an anonymous video streamer on Twitch launched Twitch Plays Pokémon, an
experiment trying to crowdsource playing subsequent Pokémon games, starting with Pokémon
Red.[120][121]
A challenge called the Nuzlocke Challenge was created in order for older players of the series to
enjoy Pokémon again—but with a twist. The player is only allowed to capture the first Pokémon
encountered in each area. If they do not succeed in capturing that Pokémon, there are no second
chances. When a Pokémon faints, it is considered "dead" and must be released or stored in the PC
permanently.[122] If the player faints, the game is considered over, and the player must restart.[123] The
original idea consisted of 2 to 3 rules that the community has built upon. There are many fan
made Pokémon games that contain a game mode similar to the Nuzlocke Challenge, such
as Pokémon Uranium.[124]
A study at Stanford Neurosciences published in Nature performed magnetic resonance imaging
scans of 11 Pokemon experts and 11 controls, finding that seeing Pokemon stimulated activity in the
visual cortex, in a different place than is triggered by recognizing faces, places or words,
demonstrating the brain's ability to create such specialized areas.[125]