Pokémon is the worldwide phenomenon currently have its second major surge in popularity.
The first generation of Pokémon lovers are all grown up and are having children of their own, meaning parents around the world are helping their kids to discover Pokémon for the first time.
If you didn't want to be a Pokémon trainer when you were young, it's grown so much that it's almost impossible to fully understand the world of Pokémon. To be honest, even if you loved Pokémon back then but lost interest, it can be tricky to pick it back up (like me!).
Trying to understand it all when your child is explaining which is the most powerful Pokémon or asking if they can play Pokémon GO can be a lot like listening to someone speak a totally different language.
Over the past year or so, I've been on a journey of Pokémon rediscovery since my six-year old son Raife got into it.
So, I'm going to do my best to tell you everything there is to know about Pokémon, gym leaders, the Pokémon card game and more... or at least enough for you to not feel totally clueless when talking to your child.
Table Of Contents
What are Pokémon?
Pokémon is an abbreviated term for 'pocket monsters' - fictional creatures that live alongside humans in the Pokémon world. Coming in all shapes and sizes, there are sorted into 18 different types including fire, water, plant, electric and many more.
Pikachu, a yellow electric-type, is easily the most recognisable of the 1,000+ different Pokémon.
Each Pokémon has its own strengths and weaknesses, and a range of attacks and defensive skills. And each Pokémon has two or three evolution stages, typically evolving their size, appearance and abilities. Typically, the better the trainer, the quicker a Pokémon will evolve and grow stronger - and more accomplished trainers are better equipped to catch powerful Pokémon.
Humans capture wild Pokémon using Poké balls in order to battle against other Pokémon trainers. Trainers take it in turns to attack the other trainer's Pokémon until they are defeated.
While these battles can happen at any time in any place, trainers practice at the region's Pokémon center and the aim is for trainers to work their way up to epic gym battles against their local gym leaders (considered to be the best trainers in the region) to win gym badges.
The history of Pokémon
Before becoming the worldwide phenomenon it is today, the Pokémon franchise started as a video game created by developer Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.
The first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, were released on the Nintendo Game Boy in Japan by video game developers Game Freak, and were later released in North America and Europe as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue.
Two years after its creation, and the global growth of Pokémon, ownership was transferred to The Pokémon Company International (more commonly known as 'The Pokémon Company'), a joint venture between Game Freak, Nintendo and Creatures.
Development of the franchise and Pokémon Games
A global gaming sensation on the Game Boy, it sparked the creation of the trading card game that really took the school playgrounds by storm. In fact, many argue that the trading card game is what really led Pokémon to stratospheric heights.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game
As of 2024, there are over 200,000 unique Pokémon cards available and an estimated 53 billion cards in circulation.
If you were anything like me, your parents (usually mum) will have told you to 'look after those cards because they might be worth something someday'. Most of us rolled our eyes but, as usual, mum was right.
Now, rare Pokémon cards are a commodity that regularly fetch tens of thousands of dollars. But it reached new heights in 2022 when influencer Logan Paul purchased a one-of-a-kind card valued at $5.275 million.
Card shows
Such is the popularity of the Pokémon trading card game that there has been an explosion of people discovering Pokémon card swap meets and card shows all around the world, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Harry Reynolds, founder of the London Card Show, explains just how popular these events are.
"I think everyone is aware that Pokémon is an extremely popular hobby in general. Whether it's the TV series, the plushies or the Cards, so with the increase of the social media presence of peoples interests and the events taking place across the UK, the ease to get involved and grow an interest in the card community has never been more welcoming," he says.
"The London Card Show started in July 2021 in a small community centre sports hall where we had 40 people and 10 tables. When I got into cards again during Covid, it was really interesting to do research and see that there were no card events in the UK.
Image: London Card Show
"For our November show, we're really excited that we're going to be the first card show in the UK to have two floors and near 400 tables. The additional floor will be exclusive for TCG which is a great addition to match the increasing demand we have. Simply adding the additional floor means we can increase the capacity from 5,000 across the weekend to over 6,000."
Pokémon video games
Its success as a video game franchise didn't stop with the explosion of trading card game, though.
Image: The Pokémon Company
The Pokémon Company has continued to develop video games. Pokémon is one of the biggest selling video game franchises of all time with an estimated 300 million copies sold across the Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch, and now free-to-play mobile games for Apple Android devices.
Since the first two games were released in 1996, there have been a further 120 different video game titles - covering everything from the many iterations of the original style role-playing game, to self-contained Tamagotchi-type device, Learn With Pokémon: Typing Adventure and even Pokémon Snap, where players would simply take photos of different Pokémon.
Pokémon merchandise
Image: The Pokémon Company
Naturally, with any franchise that experiences a surge in popularity, The Pokémon Company expanded its efforts into all manner of merchandise. Clothes, accessories, stationery, toys, books, games, home decor... everything!
Today, the Pokémon brand is worth an estimated $90 billion. In fact, in 2022, The Pokémon Company generated record revenues of nearly $12 billion from licensed products.
Pokémon media and entertainment
Following the success of the video game series, The Pokémon Company launched the Pokémon TV series in Japan on TV Tokyo in 1997, and across the US and UK two years later.
Image: The Pokémon Company
The show follows the story of main character Ash Ketchum, a boy from Pallet Town who starts his journey to become a Pokémon master when he comes of age. Arriving late to receive his first Pokémon, he is given an unruly Pikachu who soon becomes his best friend. Ash and his friends travel from region to region, honing their skills, catching more Pokémon, and collecting gym badges from local Pokémon gyms.
He also faces the constant threat of Team Rocket - Jessie, James and their (talking) cat-like Pokémon Meowth - who are always on a mission to steal Pokémon.
Image: The Pokémon Company
At the time of writing, the show is currently on its 26th series with over 1,200 episodes, and has been broadcast in more than 160 countries around the world.
The first movie was released in 1998, with a further 22 animated films released up until 2020. And there was also the 'live-action' movie Detective Pikachu, which was released in 2019.
Over the years, tonnes of new Pokémon have been added to the franchise across its games and Pokémon series, expanding the world even further.
Pokémon GO
Despite the long-running success of the Pokémon games, The Pokémon Company still felt it needed to evolve (like what I did, there?), and in 2016 launched Pokémon GO.
A mobile game, it allowed players to (virtually) catch Pokémon in the real world. Downloaded more than one billion times, it uses augmented reality to place virtual Pokémon in different locations in the real world.
It won 'Best Mobile Game' at the Game Developers Choice Awards and 'Best App of the Year' with TechCrunch.
It was widely praised for its innovative gameplay encouraging gamers to get outside, get walking and meet other players in person. It allowed fans of the video game or TV series to play out their dream of becoming a Pokémon trainer, taking the game world into real life adventures.
However, there were some issues when a sudden rush of players descended on a location unequipped to cope with so many people. And, some people simply didn't play safely - playing while driving, for example.
In fact, between 2016 and 2020 there were a reported 22 deaths and 61 injuries directly related to Pokémon GO.
After the initial buzz settled down, Pokémon GO was resurgent during the Covid-19 pandemic. During periods of lockdown, players used the mobile game to add an element of fun to their permitted daily exercise. In fact, the game's publisher, Niantic, reported its highest ever financial results over the course of the pandemic.
Cultural impact
Pokémon is easily one of the most influential franchises the world has ever seen.
Anything that has been around for nearly 30 years, developed a universe with over 1,000 unique creatures, published 122 games, 1,200 episodes of a TV programme across 26 series, 23 films, 28 books, and thousands and thousands of different toys and products, is going to have a huge cultural impact.
It has influenced and inspired the creation of numerous other TV shows, games and trading card games ever since its launch and early success. Mobile game developers have been influenced by Pokémon GO and its use of innovative, immersive technologies. Pokémon has been referenced in other major franchises like Super Mario and Minecraft and many more.
A 6-year old's take on Pokémon
I lost interest in Pokémon as I grew up, and I've found myself having to rekindle my knowledge (if not interest) since my son, Raife, discovered Pokémon roughly a year ago.
When I told him that I was writing about Pokémon in work this week... well, it's fair to say his mind was blown. I thought it best to hear from him on all things Pokémon. So, I asked him some important questions to help you learn all about Pokémon...
What's the most important thing parents should know about Pokémon?
"It's important for parents to know facts about Pokémon like their types and all the different moves like 'Double Kick'."
What is the best thing about Pokémon?
"That Psyduck can confuse about Pokémon by using Confusion."
What is your favourite Pokémon and why?
"My favourite Pokémon is Eevee is because every evolve form can come from Eevee."
Which is the best type of Pokémon?
"I don't know actually... oh I know... psychic. Because they can keep other Pokémon from falling or keep them still, or disappear and reappear like Mew because he can make Pokémon disappear and reappear."
How many Pokémon cards have you got?
"228. My favourite one would be Raichu because it's got 120 health and electric is one of my favourite types."
What is your favourite Pokémon activity?
Playing Poké Park on the Wii.
FAQs
How many Pokémon are there?
When Pokémon was first launched in 1996, there were just 151 different Pokémon to learn. However, The Pokémon Company has continued to expand the Pokémon universe ever since with more and more generations of new Pokémon.
According to the official National Pokédex (in the franchise, a Pokédex is a small, digital encyclopaedic device contain information about different Pokémon), there are 1,025 different Pokémon (not including regional variants and a handful of mega evolutions).
When did Pokémon come out?
The very first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, were released in Japan on 27 February 1996. The Pokémon trading card game was released a few months later on 20 October 1996. The Pokémon series was released on TV Tokyo on 1 April 1997 and the first movie was released on 18 July 1998 in Japan.
Where can I watch Pokémon?
If your little one is begging you to watch Pokémon, there are a number of ways you can watch - some for free, some will cost.
If you're in the UK, you can watch some of the more recent Pokémon series - including Pokémon Horizons, Pokémon Sun & moon, Pokémon XY and more - for free on BBC iPlayer.
If you want to watch it from the very beginning, Netflix has the rights to season 1 in the UK and US, as well as the later Journeys seasons.
The remaining series are spread across a combination of Amazon Prime Video, POP, Sky Kids and YouTube in the UK, and Prime, Roku, Hulu, Tubi, Freevee and Hoopla in the US.
What's Pokémon day?
Like many cultural phenomenons, Pokémon has its own celebration day. It commemorates the original launch date of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green by Game Freak in 1996 - 27 February.
Fans celebrate in a variety of ways, including playing the trading card game, watching the series, playing Pokémon GO, watching a film, or hosting a Pokémon party.
What is The Pokémon Company International?
More commonly known as the The Pokémon Company, The Pokémon Company International is the organisation that owns and operates the full Pokémon brand. It was created as a joint venture between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures.
