The Pokémon Company was established in 1998 by Nintendo, Creatures and Game Freak.
The organization was created to manage the growing Pokémon brand across licensing, production, publishing, marketing and related business activities. The games had already launched in Japan in 1996, and the anime and trading cards were expanding the franchise rapidly.
The company was originally known as Pokémon Center Company. It changed its name to The Pokémon Company in October 2000 as its responsibilities broadened. The organization coordinates many parts of the brand while Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures retain their own roles in Pokémon projects.
The Pokémon Company International later handled the franchise’s operations outside Asia. This structure helped Pokémon function as a unified global brand rather than as a video game series managed through separate, disconnected products.