Which company originally published the Pokémon Trading Card Game in Japan?

Media Factory originally published the Pokémon Trading Card Game in Japan.

Media Factory released the first Japanese Pokémon cards in October 1996 through the 1st Starter & Expansion Pack. The cards translated the video-game world into a tabletop battle system built around Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards.

Wizards of the Coast later published the English-language game in the United States, beginning with the Base Set in January 1999. That later publisher is why many English-speaking collectors associate the earliest Pokémon cards with Wizards rather than Media Factory.

Creatures Inc. helped develop the trading card game and remains closely associated with Pokémon card production, but it was not the original Japanese publisher. The Pokémon Company later became the worldwide publisher.