Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded on April 23, 1998, and later became The Pokémon Company.
The company was established as a joint venture involving Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak. Its original purpose was to manage specialized Pokémon merchandise stores, beginning with the Pokémon Center brand in Japan.
The first Pokémon Center opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on July 18, 1998. The company was later renamed The Pokémon Company in 2000 as its responsibilities expanded beyond physical stores. It became responsible for coordinating major parts of the franchise, including games, merchandise, licensing, and media partnerships.
The date can be confused with the company’s later 2000 name change or with the opening of the first Pokémon Center store. Those are separate milestones: April 23, 1998 marks the corporate founding, while July 18, 1998 marks the first store’s opening.