Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak.
The company was established on April 23, 1998, as a joint venture to manage specialized Pokémon Center merchandise stores in Japan. The first Pokémon Center store opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on July 18 of that year. This corporate structure helped the franchise coordinate its rapidly expanding merchandise business.
After the worldwide success of Pokémon Gold and Silver, the organization’s responsibilities expanded beyond stores. It began managing broader areas of the franchise, including licensing, publishing, marketing, and brand coordination. In October 2000, Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. changed its name to The Pokémon Company.
The year 1998 is therefore the company’s founding year, while 2000 is the year of its rebranding and expanded identity. Those dates are easy to mix up. Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak remain the three companies associated with ownership of the Pokémon franchise in Japan.