What was The Pokémon Company called before its 2000 renaming?

Before its 2000 renaming, The Pokémon Company was called Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.

The company was established in 1998 as a joint venture involving Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak. Its original purpose was to manage specialized Pokémon merchandise stores in Japan, rather than oversee every part of the global franchise.

The first Pokémon Center store opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, in July 1998. As Pokémon expanded into animation, trading cards, films, licensing, and merchandise, the need for a broader brand-management organization became clear.

In October 2000, Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was renamed The Pokémon Company. Pokémon Center stores remained an important part of the business, but the company’s responsibilities expanded to cover the Pokémon brand as a whole. Pokémon USA, Inc. was a later overseas organization, not the company’s former name.