Which company was established in 1998 to manage the Pokémon brand?

The Pokémon Company was established in 1998 to manage and develop the Pokémon brand.

The company was originally created as Pokémon Center Company to operate Pokémon Center stores in Japan. It later became The Pokémon Company and took on broader responsibilities across licensing, merchandise, publishing, events, and coordination among the organizations behind the franchise.

Pokémon is not owned and operated by Game Freak alone. Game Freak developed the original video games, Nintendo published them and remains a major corporate partner, and Creatures has worked on areas including the trading-card game. The Pokémon Company sits at the center of this partnership, helping maintain a consistent global brand.

The company’s role expanded as Pokémon grew beyond Game Boy software into television, films, cards, toys, mobile games, and international retail. This is why the name can appear in credits and licensing information across many different Pokémon products. The exact corporate history is often simplified by fans, but its 1998 establishment marks an important stage in turning Pokémon into a coordinated multimedia business.