What was The Pokémon Company called before adopting its current name?

The Pokémon Company was formerly called Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.

Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak established Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. in April 1998. Its original purpose was to manage Pokémon Center stores in Japan, which sold franchise merchandise and related products. The company was not initially responsible for every part of the Pokémon business.

In October 2000, the organization expanded its role to cover the entire franchise and adopted the name The Pokémon Company. Its responsibilities came to include brand management, licensing, marketing, publishing, and coordination across games, cards, animation, films, and merchandise.

Pokémon USA, Inc. is a different organization: it opened in 2001 to handle licensing in the Americas. The Pokémon Company International was also created later to manage operations outside Asia. These similarly named organizations are a common source of confusion, but Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. is the company's direct former name.