Creatures created the Pokémon Trading Card Game before its international publication.
Creatures, Inc. developed the original Pokémon Trading Card Game, which was first published in Japan by Media Factory in 1996. The game translated Pokémon’s collection and battle ideas into a physical card format.
Nintendo was involved in publishing and franchise ownership, but it was not the original card-game developer. Game Freak developed the core video games, while Wizards of the Coast later published the first English-language Pokémon cards in North America.
Creatures has also been involved in broader Pokémon production, including support for game-related artwork and 3D modeling. The different roles of Creatures, Game Freak, Nintendo, and Wizards of the Coast are a frequent source of confusion because all four names appear in Pokémon’s early history.