Pokémon is a media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, and it is managed by The Pokémon Company, which is a collaboration between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures Inc. The term “Pokémon” is a contraction of the English words “Pocket” and “Monsters.” It refers to the fictional creatures that trainers, known as Pokémon Trainers, can capture, train, and battle against each other.
The franchise began with video games released for the Game Boy in 1996 and has since expanded to include an animated television series, movies, trading card games, merchandise, and more. Each Pokémon has its own unique traits and abilities, and they can evolve into stronger forms. The core of the franchise revolves around the adventure of trainers who seek to become Pokémon Champions by battling trainers and completing tasks such as capturing different species of Pokémon, completing the Pokédex (an in-game encyclopedia of Pokémon), and battling Gym Leaders.
Overall, Pokémon encapsulates themes of adventure, friendship, and competition, resonating with a global audience and remaining a prominent cultural phenomenon for decades.