An abridged guide to Pokémon

Pokémon, once lambasted as a “pestilential Ponzi scheme” by Time
magazine, has grown into the world’s biggest media franchise, and
is regarded today as highly sociable fun for young and old alike

Pokémon: Since 1996

Japanese media
franchise consisting of
video games, animated
TV shows, movies and
trading cards

Originally called
Pocket Monsters –
later shortened to
Pokémon – it was
created by reclusive
Satoshi Tajiri (below),
based on his childhood
memories of catching
insects in suburbs
of Tokyo

Picture
circa 2006

Game sees people
catch, train, evolve and
enter turn-based battles
with their Pokémon –
variety of fantastical
creatures endowed
with special powers

Target audience was
children aged five to 12,
but today it attracts
people of all ages

Jigglypuff sings with Lady Gaga in 2026 Super
Bowl TV commercial which cost $14m to air

THE POKÉMON COMPANY
Owned equally by three firms

Game Freak
(Satoshi Tajiri)
Creates new
Pokémon and
video games

Nintendo
Publishes and
distributes
Pokémon
video games
exclusively on
its consoles

Creatures
Makes trading
cards, books,
toys and all
manner of
physical
merchandise

Nintendo also
owns significant,
but not majority,
stake in Creatures

Pikachu – Electric-type – is most
well-known Pokémon species

BIGGEST MEDIA FRANCHISES ($bn earnings)

Pokémon
Hello Kitty
Winnie the Pooh
Mickey Mouse
& Friends
Star Wars
Mario
Anpanman*
Disney Princess
MCU†
Shōnen Jump‡

174.0
88.5
76.7
74.0
73.7
64.1
56.5
46.3
45.1
40.0

Feb 27, 1996:
Pocket Monsters
Red Version and
Pocket Monsters
Green Version
released in Japan.
Updated to
Pokémon Red and
Green for global
release in 1998

Poké Ball: Game
device used to
catch, store and
transport Pokémon

Feb 16, 2026:
One of only 41
known Pikachu
lllustrator cards
sells for $16.5m,
making it most
expensive trading
card ever sold at
auction

2016: Pokémon Go – augmented reality smartphone
game developed by Niantic, bought by Scopely in 2025
– encourages physical activity and social interaction by
sending players out into real world to catch and battle
Pokémon. Has been downloaded over one billion times

*Japanese children’s picture book series.
†Marvel Cinematic Universe.
‡Weekly Japanese manga
anthology. Sources: The Pokémon Company, Nintendo Insider, BBC, NME, Time, Rare Candy, Ultimate Pop Culture Wiki, Pokémon Wiki
Pictures: © The Pokémon Company
© GRAPHIC NEWS