What company manages the Pokémon franchise?

The Pokémon Company manages the Pokémon franchise.

The company oversees licensing, production, publishing, marketing, and many other business activities connected with Pokémon. It coordinates the franchise across video games, animation, trading cards, merchandise, and international operations.

The Pokémon Company was established as Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. in 1998 and was reorganized and renamed The Pokémon Company in 2000. Its ownership is associated with Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the companies most closely tied to Pokémon’s games and card business.

Nintendo is often named as Pokémon’s owner because it publishes the main games and owns a major stake in the business structure. Game Freak develops the core role-playing games, while Creatures supports the trading-card and 3D production sides. However, the organization that manages the unified franchise is The Pokémon Company.