Pokémon (short for "Pocket Monsters") is one of the most profitable and influential media franchises of all time, managed by the Japanese entity "The Pokémon Company," established through a partnership between Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. It all began in 1996 with a video game for the Game Boy console envisioned by Satoshi Tajiri, whose core idea stemmed from the creator's childhood hobby of insect collecting. This simple concept—catching, training, and battling mysterious creatures—rapidly evolved into a global cultural phenomenon encompassing animated series, movies, toys, and, of course, the legendary trading cards.