On what date was The Pokémon Company founded?

The Pokémon Company was founded on April 23, 1998.

The company was originally established as Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. It was created jointly by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak to manage the rapidly expanding Pokémon brand across games, merchandise, licensing, and media.

The organization changed its name to The Pokémon Company in 2000. Its role is distinct from Game Freak, which develops the main role-playing games, and from Nintendo, which publishes many Pokémon titles and owns a stake in the broader business structure.

The Pokémon Company International handles much of the franchise’s business outside Asia. Because Pokémon began as a Game Boy game, people sometimes assume Nintendo alone owns and operates every part of the franchise. In reality, the three founding companies share the central corporate relationship, while specialized partners handle individual products and markets.