Pokémon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pokémon |
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International franchise logo
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| Creator | |
| Original work | Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green (1996) |
| Owner | Nintendo, Creatures, Game Freak |
| Print publications | |
| Comics | See list of Pokémon manga |
| Films and television | |
| Films | See list of Pokémon films |
| Animated series | Pokémon (1997–present) |
| Games | |
| Traditional | Pokémon Trading Card Game |
| Video games | Pokémon video game series |
Pokémon is a popular Japanese media franchise. It includes video games, animated TV shows and movies. It also has a trading card game and many other products. The world of Pokémon is one where humans live alongside special creatures called Pokémon. These creatures have unique powers. While it's made for younger kids, Pokémon is loved by people of all ages.
The franchise started with two role-playing games. These games were created by Game Freak and its founder, Satoshi Tajiri. They were released in Japan on February 27, 1996, for the Game Boy. The games became very popular. Soon, manga comics, a trading card game, and an anime TV series and movies followed. From 1998 to 2000, Pokémon became a huge global hit called "Pokémania."
Even after the first craze ended, Pokémon stayed popular. New products are still released today. In 2016, Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game, caused another big craze. Pokémon is now one of the highest-earning media franchises in the world. It is also one of the best-selling video game franchises.
Pokémon has a special ownership structure. It's owned by three companies: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Game Freak makes the main video games. Nintendo publishes these games for their consoles. Creatures handles the trading card game and other merchandise. In 1998, these three companies created The Pokémon Company (TPC) to manage Pokémon in Asia. Since 2009, The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) has managed the franchise outside of Asia.
Contents
Understanding the Name Pokémon
The full original name of the franchise in Japan was Pocket Monsters. This was often shortened to Pokemon. When it came to other countries, the short name Pokémon was used. The little mark over the 'e' helps people say it correctly.
The word Pokémon refers to both the franchise and the creatures themselves. It's the same whether you're talking about one Pokémon or many. For example, you say "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon." This is also true for each species, like "one Pikachu" or "many Pikachu."
How Pokémon Works
The Pokémon world is filled with creatures called Pokémon. When the first games came out, there were 151 different Pokémon. Now, there are over 1,025 Pokémon species! Many Pokémon are inspired by real animals. For instance, Pikachu looks like a yellow mouse with a lightning bolt tail and has electric powers.
Players take on the role of a Pokémon Trainer. As a Trainer, you have three main goals:
- Explore the Pokémon world.
- Find and catch every Pokémon species to complete your Pokédex.
- Train a team of up to six Pokémon to battle.
You can catch most Pokémon using special balls called Poké Balls. First, you weaken the wild Pokémon in a battle. Then, you throw a Poké Ball. If the catch is successful, the Pokémon becomes your friend and follows your commands. When your Pokémon battle, they never die. They just faint and can be healed later. This keeps the game fun and safe for kids.
After winning a battle, your Pokémon gain experience. This helps them level up and become stronger. As they level up, they learn new moves for battles. Many Pokémon can also evolve into stronger forms. Some evolve at a certain level, while others need special items.
The Story of Pokémon
How Pokémon Began
The main idea for Pokémon came from Satoshi Tajiri. As a child, he loved catching insects and other small creatures in his hometown of Machida, Japan. Later, many natural areas in Machida were destroyed as the city grew. Tajiri wanted to recreate his childhood experiences in a game. He saw it as a way to "regain the world that he had lost."
Tajiri became interested in video games. He started a magazine about games called Game Freak. Later, he met Ken Sugimori, who became the artist for Game Freak. Eventually, Tajiri and Sugimori started a game development team also called Game Freak.
Creating the First Games
Tajiri got the idea for Pokémon when Nintendo announced the Game Boy. He learned that two Game Boys could connect using a Game Link Cable. This meant players could trade things between their games. Tajiri combined this idea with his childhood love of catching creatures. He imagined a game where players could catch virtual creatures and trade them.
The idea of storing creatures in capsules came from a TV show Tajiri watched as a kid, Ultraseven. In that show, a character had capsules with tiny monsters that grew big when thrown. Other inspirations included toy capsules (gashapon), collectible cards, and having pets in Japan. Tajiri first called his project Capsule Monsters. But he couldn't trademark that name, so it became Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon.
Game Freak started developing the game in 1990. It was a big challenge because they didn't have much experience with role-playing games. The project took a long time. Over the years, new team members joined, like Atsuko Nishida, who designed Pikachu. Tsunekazu Ishihara helped add depth to the battle system and suggested Pokemon types. He also came up with the idea for the Pokedex, a device to track caught Pokémon.
Shigeru Miyamoto, a famous Nintendo game designer, suggested making two different versions of the game. This led to Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green. Each version had some Pokémon not found in the other. This encouraged players to trade with friends to "catch 'em all."
Pocket Monsters Red and Green were finished in December 1995. They were released on February 27, 1996.
Pokémon's Rise in Japan
Nintendo didn't expect the first Pokémon games to be a huge hit. The Game Boy was already seven years old. But the games slowly gained popularity.
- Manga and Mew: A Pokémon manga comic started in a magazine called CoroCoro Comic. To promote the games, CoroCoro held a lottery for a secret Pokémon called Mew. Only 20 winners could get Mew added to their game. This made more people talk about the game.
- Pokémon Blue: A special, improved version called Pokémon Blue was made. It was first meant as a gift, but it became so popular that it was sold by mail order for a limited time.
- Trading Card Game: The Pokemon Trading Card Game was launched in October 1996. It was one of the first collectible card games in Japan. It was inspired by Magic: The Gathering. The cards quickly became very popular, selling millions of copies.
- Anime Series: In April 1997, the Pokémon anime TV series began. It featured Ash Ketchum and his partner, Pikachu. The show was a huge success and helped Pokémon become popular with both boys and girls. Pikachu became a beloved character.
The "Porygon" Incident
On December 16, 1997, an episode of the anime called "Dennō Senshi Porygon" caused some viewers to feel sick. The episode had bright, flashing red and blue lights. Some children experienced dizziness, headaches, or even seizures. No one was seriously hurt. The show was paused, and new rules were made for flashing lights in TV shows.
The incident didn't stop Pokémon's growth. In fact, its popularity continued to rise. The first Pokémon movie, Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, was released in Japan in July 1998.
Pokémon Goes Global (1998–2000)
Minoru Arakawa, the head of Nintendo of America, saw Pokémon's potential. Even though market research said American kids might not like it, Arakawa decided to launch Pokémon in North America with a huge budget.
- Localization: The Pokémon anime was changed slightly for American audiences by a company called 4Kids Entertainment. They came up with the famous slogan, "Gotta catch 'em all!"
- Launch: The Pokémon anime first aired in North America on September 7, 1998. The video games, Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, came out three weeks later. The Pokémon Trading Card Game launched in January 1999.
- Global Success: Pokémon quickly became a massive hit in North America, then spread to Europe, Australia, and other parts of Asia. By 1999, it was a worldwide craze known as "Pokémania."
- Merchandise Boom: There was a huge demand for Pokémon toys and cards. Stores often ran out of stock. This success greatly boosted Nintendo's profits.
- The Pokémon Company: In 2000, Pokémon Center Co. Ltd. was renamed The Pokémon Company (TPC). Its goal was to manage Pokémon globally. In 2009, The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) was formed to handle the franchise outside of Asia.
Reaction to Pokémania
The huge popularity of Pokémon in 1999 and 2000 caused mixed reactions.
- Trading Cards: Many parents and teachers worried about the trading cards. Booster packs, which contained random cards, were seen as a form of gambling. Rare cards could be very valuable, leading to conflicts and unfair trades among children at school. Many schools banned Pokémon cards.
- Anime and Movies: Some people criticized the anime for being "cheap" or "violent." The first movie, Pokémon: The First Movie, was a box office success but received mixed reviews from critics.
- Consumerism: Some worried that Pokémon was just teaching children to buy more products. However, psychologists noted that children often become very interested in certain things, which is a normal part of growing up.
- Positive Effects: Many also saw good things about Pokémon. The games and cards encouraged reading, memorizing, math, and strategy. They also helped kids socialize and learn negotiation skills through trading.
Modern Pokémon (2001–Present)
New Game Generations
After the first craze, Game Freak continued to make new Pokémon games.
- Generation III (2002): Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were released for the Game Boy Advance. They introduced 135 new Pokémon. The slogan "Gotta catch 'em all!" was changed because it was becoming too hard to catch every Pokémon with so many new ones.
- Generation IV (2006): Pokémon Diamond and Pearl came out for the Nintendo DS. These games used the DS's Wi-Fi features for global trading and battling.
- Generation V (2010): Pokémon Black and White were also for the DS. They introduced over 150 new Pokémon and focused on attracting new players.
- Generation VI (2013): Pokémon X and Y were the first Pokémon games released worldwide at the same time for the Nintendo 3DS. They brought fully 3D graphics and a new way for Pokémon to evolve temporarily by strengthening their bond with trainers.
- Generation VII (2016): Pokémon Sun and Moon were inspired by Hawaii. They focused on Pokémon as living creatures and changed the traditional Gym mechanic to Island Trials.
- Generation VIII (2019): Pokémon Sword and Shield launched on the Nintendo Switch. They introduced Dynamax/Gigantamax Pokémon, which are giant versions of Pokémon. These games also had downloadable content (DLC) for the first time.
- Generation IX (2022): Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the most recent main games. They are the first Pokémon games to feature a fully open world, allowing players to explore freely.
Pokémon Go Craze
In 2016, Pokémon Go, a mobile augmented reality game, caused another huge worldwide craze. The game lets players catch Pokémon in the real world using their phone's camera and GPS. It quickly became one of the fastest-earning mobile games ever. It also led to the creation of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! for the Nintendo Switch, which were inspired by Pokémon Go's catching style.
Pokémon Cards Resurgence (2020)
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, interest in Pokémon cards grew again. Many YouTubers and influencers helped make them popular. This led to shortages of cards and very high prices for rare ones. The Pokémon Company worked to print more cards to help stabilize prices.
Pokémon Media
Video Games
Pokémon has many types of video games. The main games are role-playing games (RPGs) made by Game Freak. There are also many spin-off games, like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and Detective Pikachu. Pokémon games are grouped into "generations" as new ones are released.
At first, Pokémon games were only on Nintendo consoles. But with smartphones, The Pokémon Company started making mobile games too, like Pokémon Go. As of March 2024, over 480 million Pokémon game units have been sold worldwide.
Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG) was one of the first collectable card games in Japan. Players use a deck of 60 cards to battle. Cards include Basic Pokémon, evolved Pokémon, Energy cards, and Trainer cards. The goal is to knock out your opponent's Pokémon.
Cards have different levels of rarity, from Common to Rare Holofoil. Rare cards, especially limited edition or older ones, are very valuable to collectors. As of March 2024, over 64.8 billion Pokémon cards have been produced!
Anime Series and Films
As of 2024, the Pokémon anime has over 1,200 episodes across 26 seasons. The original series followed Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu. They were the main characters for 25 seasons. The newest season, Pokémon Horizons: The Series, started in April 2023 and features new protagonists, Liko and Roy.
There have also been 23 animated Pokémon films. The most recent is Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2020). There are also spin-off TV shows and short films, many focusing on Pikachu.
Live-Action Movies and Shows
A live-action movie called Detective Pikachu was released in 2019. It was based on the video game of the same name. A sequel is currently being made.
A live-action TV show in Japan called Pocket ni Boken o Tsumekonde started in October 2023.
Pokémon's Impact and Legacy
Pokémon's huge success helped change how Japanese culture was seen around the world. Before Pokémon, many thought Japanese products wouldn't be popular in Western countries. But Pokémon proved them wrong. It was a big breakthrough, especially in the United States, which is known for its own cultural products like Disney.
Pokémon also helped Japan's economy and its "soft power" (its ability to influence through culture). Many children who loved Pokémon became interested in Japanese culture, wanting to learn Japanese or visit Japan.
The Pokémon TV series and movies were a big step for anime (Japanese animation). For many kids, Pokémon was their first introduction to anime. It opened the door for other Japanese animated shows and movies to become popular in the West.
In video games, the main Pokémon series became the best example of a "monster-taming game." Many later games where you catch and train monsters were compared to Pokémon. Its success also encouraged companies to bring other popular Japanese franchises to Western markets, like Yu-Gi-Oh! and Digimon.
See also
In Spanish: Pokémon para niños
