Pokemon is a popular media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori. It began as a pair of video games for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996 and has since grown to include several sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations in the form of anime, manga, and trading card games, among other things. The franchise is centered around fictional creatures called "Pokemon," which humans, known as Pokemon Trainers, catch and train to battle each other for sport. The franchise's slogan is "Gotta catch 'em all!"
In the main series of Pokemon games, players take on the role of a young Pokemon Trainer and set out on a journey to catch and train a variety of Pokemon. Each Pokemon has its own unique abilities and strengths, and trainers must strategically use their Pokemon in battle against other trainers' Pokemon. The ultimate goal of the games is to become the strongest trainer by defeating the Elite Four and Champion of the Pokemon League, and collecting all the Pokemon.
The anime series, which began airing in 1997, follows the journey of a young boy named Ash Ketchum as he sets out to become a Pokemon Master. The anime, like the games, features a wide variety of Pokemon and explores the relationships between trainers and their Pokemon.
The franchise also includes a popular trading card game, where players collect cards featuring different Pokemon and use them to battle against each other.
Pokemon has also been expanded to other media such as movies and various merchandise. The franchise has become one of the most successful and long-running media franchises of all time, with a huge global fan base and continues to release new games, anime and merchandise regularly.
The main characters in the Pokemon franchise include:
1 - Ash Ketchum (Satoshi in Japan) - the main protagonist of the Pokemon anime series. He is a young boy who sets out on a journey to become a Pokemon Master.
2 - Pikachu - Ash's first and most well-known Pokemon. Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokemon and is one of the most recognizable and popular characters in the franchise.
3 - Misty (Kasumi in Japan) - a young girl who is one of Ash's closest friends and traveling companions in the anime. She is a skilled Pokemon trainer and specializes in Water-type Pokemon.
4 - Brock (Takeshi in Japan) - another one of Ash's friends and traveling companions in the anime. He is a skilled Pokemon breeder and specializes in Rock-type Pokemon.
5 - Team Rocket (Rocket-dan in Japan) - a criminal organization that is constantly trying to steal rare and powerful Pokemon. The trio Jessie, James and their talking Meowth, are the main antagonists in the anime.
6 - Professor Oak (Ichiro in Japan) - a Pokemon researcher who gives Ash his first Pokemon and serves as a mentor figure to him throughout the series.
7 - Giovanni - the leader of Team Rocket and a recurring antagonist in the anime and games. He is also known as the gym leader of Viridian City's gym in the games.
8 - Gary Oak (Shigeru in Japan) - Ash's rival in the anime and a skilled Pokemon trainer.
These are some of the main characters in the Pokemon franchise, but there are many other characters and Pokemon that play important roles in the series as well.
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