Pokémon Center Co. became The Pokémon Company in 2000.
Pokémon Center Co. was founded in 1998 by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak to manage Pokémon Center stores and related merchandise. As the franchise expanded into games, cards, animation, films, and licensing, its responsibilities grew beyond retail operations.
In October 2000, the company was restructured and renamed The Pokémon Company. The change created a central organization for managing the increasingly broad Pokémon brand and coordinating its commercial activities.
The dates can be confusing because the organization’s history includes both 1998 and 2000. The original company was founded in 1998 under the Pokémon Center name; 2000 is the year it adopted the current name. The Pokémon Company International was established later to manage operations outside Asia.