20 YEARS
How a simple kid’s video game grew into a media phenomenon By Anthony Scannella Twenty years ago, Japanese video game developer Game Freak released its first pair of games in the Pokémon series, Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions. Released for Nintendo’s Game Boy portable handheld in 1996, Pokémon’s release would reinvigorate the system, which was largely considered to be at the end of its lifespan. Few anticipated the coming resurgence in popularity of the system that would soon follow. The beginning of Pokémon was less than explosive, and not at all indicative of the international phenomenon that it would eventually become. But, through a series of creative decisions, partnerships, and iteration, a team of a few dozen managed to capture the attention and imagination of people all around the world.
Special sections
Comics
What is Pokémon?
Games
Mythical Pokémon
Trading cards
Merchandising
The future
The numbers
Comics
TV & Movies TV & movies
The fans
Life in the world of Pokémon Pokémon sets players in a fictional 21st century world similar to our own, but inhabited by a series of wild animals known as Pokémon. In this world, Pokémon are an everyday part of life and society, kept as pets and also pitted against each other in one-on-one fights known as Pokémon battles.
What is Pokémon?
Upon turning 10-years-old, children in the world of Pokémon, known as Pokémon trainers, leave home to travel the world. On their journey, they capture wild Pokémon and use them to battle the Pokémon of others. Players take control of one of these children, visiting towns across the region and exploring terrain like mountains and caves. The players’ Pokémon become stronger and stronger the more they battle, allowing them to take on more powerful opponents. The ultimate goal is to defeat the worlds eight strongest Pokémon trainers, who reside in karate-like Pokémon dojos known as gyms. After this, they can challenge the region’s strongest Pokémon master’s, the Elite Four, for the title of Pokémon Champion.
The title screen of the first Pokémon game, depicting the main character and the fire-type Pokémon Charmander.
A simplification of Japan’s popular role-playing game (RPG) genre, it features a simple and easy to understand turn-based battle system in which players’ Pokémon take turns attacking. Each Pokémon has elemental attributes, called the Pokémon’s type, such as fire, water, or grass. This gives them various strengths and weaknesses to other elements. The strategy of Pokémon battling is derived from this simple rock, paper, scissors approach, and has helped the Pokémon games become accessible to all demographics, especially children.
Japanese Origins
A Pokémon battle as portrayed in game. The player’s Pokémon, left, takes turns attacking with its opponent until one defeats the other, causing it to faint.
The name Pokémon dates to Game Freak developer Satoshi Tajiri’s original 1990 pitch to Nintendo for a game called Capsule Monsters. The pitch, which laid the foundation for Pokémon, was inspired by the Japanese tradition of bug collecting. The name came from Japan’s Gashapon machines, vending machines that distribute capsules that hold a secret prize. Photo by Saku Takakusaki
The game would feature an adventurer travelling the world using his skill and charisma to entice wild monsters to join him on his journey. The monsters would then be kept in special capsules until needed to fight. But Tajiri would eventually have problems trademarking the name Capsule Monsters, even after shortening the name to CapuMon. Years later, the game would ultimately be named Pocket Monsters for its Japanese release, a reference to the portable nature Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld for which the game was developed. When the series was brought to other regions, it was shortened to Pokémon, the name that is used internationally.
Japanese Gashopon capsules, above, distributed by small vending machines similar to bubblegum machines, inspired the franchise’s Pokéball, a device used to capture and house wild Pokémon.
Social and portable gaming
Two Game Boys connected via game link cable. Players could use this cable to trade Pokémon they had collected or battle them one-on-one against each other.
The Pokémon franchise began with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan on Feb. 27, 1996. It would come to the United States in 1998 as Pokémon Red and Blue.
Pokémon’s developer, Game Freak, wanted to promote interaction between players. Since the game was largely a single-player experience, Game Freak designed Pokémon to make use of the Game Boy’s game link cable, which allowed players to connect their systems together and play certain games together. Pokémon allowed players to trade Pokémon with others, as well as engage in battles with their friends and the Pokémon they had collected.
Games
To encourage this feature, Game Freak released two versions of the game, Pocket Monsters Red and Green. The games feature largely the same experience and plot, but each respective game contained Pokémon that did not appear in the other version, forcing players to trade if they want to obtain every available Pokémon. The franchises two-version release structure has continued with every subsequent major release.
Gaming on the go Pokémon games have always been released on Nintendo’s portable handheld systems. Nintendo’s Game Boy, pictured far left, was originally released in 1989, and was largely thought to be a dead console until Pokémon’s release reinvigorated the system’s sales. Pokémon Red and Green, also left, originally appeared only in black and white until the release of the Game Boy Color, which had a display that allowed for special color palettes. The latest Pokémon releases in 2013 and 2014 have been for the Nintendo 3DS, notable for dual screens and glasses-free 3D display. Pokémon X and Y, pictured right, was the first fully three dimensional Pokémon game.
The mysterious Mew
The original Pocket Monsters Red and Green featured 150 Pokémon to battle and collect. Just before the release of the game, programmer Shigeki Morimoto added a secret 151st Pokémon named Mew that was unobtainable through normal gameplay. The hope was that eventually it might be used for special promotions, and if the games were a failure it would remain known only to the game’s developers.
Mythical Pokémon
Glitches in the games programming eventually allowed players to encounter Mew, making it known to the public. Mew was soon catapulted into the status of rumor and urban legend similar to the Beatle’s “Paul is Dead” conspiracy.
Mew, a hidden 151st Pokémon not normally obtainable in-game.
2016: The year of free mythical Pokémon gifts n As part of it’s yearlong 20th anniversary celebration, Nintendo and Game Freak will be giving away one mythical Pokémon a month starting in February. These Pokémon can be obtained in either Pokémon X and Y or Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for Nintendo 3DS. n Gamestop/EB Games exclusive Pokémon can be obtained by visiting stores to receive a one-time use redeemable code to download the Pokémon. Nintendo Network exclusives will be available by connecting your Nintendo 3DS to the Internet and downloading the Pokémon directly. Game Freak decided to distribute Mew through a contest in the April 1996 edition of CoroCoro Comics. Pocket Monsters Red and Green, which at that time had relatively average sales, began to see increased sales in part because of swirling rumors on the Internet and among children about how to obtain Mew. The contest received 78,000 entries despite only advertising 20 winners. Mew was at one point distributed in the United States via a similar Nintendo Power contest. The first Pokémon animated movie, Mewtwo Strikes Back, prominently featured Mew as a plot point which furthered the mystery surrounding the character. Game Freak and Nintendo would soon make a tradition of withholding a special Pokémon in each subsequent game to distribute only via special events. These rare Pokémon, now classified as Mythical Pokémon, are typically incredibly powerful and one-of-a-kind, and are usually featured prominently in the plot of a Pokémon movie for purposes of cross-promotion.
Pokémon
Release
Store
Mew
Feb. 1-24
Gamestop/EB Games
Celebi
March 1-24
Nintendo Network
Jirachi
April 1-24
Nintendo Network
Darkrai
May 1-24
Gamestop/EB Games
Manaphy
June 1-24
Nintendo Network
Shaymin
July 1-24
Nintendo Network
Arcaeus
Aug. 1-24
Gamestop/EB Games
Victini
Sept. 1-24
Nintendo Network
Keldeo
Oct. 1-24
Nintendo Network
Genesect
Nov. 1-24
Gamestop/EB Games
Meloetta
Dec. 1-24
Nintendo Network
Pokémon enters other media
By the end of 1996, an official Pokémon Trading Card game had been created and published by a company called Media Factory. The card game, similar to the video game series, revolved around the Pokémon battling system, with its own specific set of rules adapted to better fit a tabletop card game.
Trading cards
The card game finally made its way to the United States in 1999, localized by popular card company Wizards of the Coast, known for their work on other popular series like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. The Pokémon Company International would eventually regain the rights to the card game in 2003, taking over publishing and design. Cards were distributed via pre-made starter decks, after which they would purchase smaller booster packs with specific themes like fire, water or grass. The card game has been sadded to since that time, with numerous expansion packs released to add more cards into the game. Similar to Mew’s distribution events, rare and limited card releases have been attached to things like magazine subscriptions, movies, tournaments and store purchases.
Comics
Dozens of Pokémon comics have been released, some drawing inspiration from the video game series, and others from the teleivision show. Other popular formats include gag comics based on jokes in the Pokémon universe, similar to comics in the Sunday paper.
The first edition of the Pikachu card from the official Trading Card Game, notable for its incorrectly colored yellow cheeks. They recolored red in later printings, making this version of the card quite rare.
The release of the initial Pocket Monsters video games in Japan were quickly followed with numerous Japanese comic book adaptations, known as manga. Each provided a different interpretation of characters and events in the video games. The first official manga, simply titled Pocket Monsters, was released in Japan in April of 1996. Notable for its slapstick humor, it featured the adventures of the main character Red and his Pokémon companion, a Clefairy with a name that can be loosely translated as Blockhead. By the third issue, Red is joined by a wild Pikachu, a small, yellow, mouse Pokémon with the power to control electricity. Clefairy and Pikachu would soon begin a behind-the-scenes battle over which character would become the franchise’s official mascot, that would soon known worldwide.
Pikachu
Clefairy
Pokémon conquers the airwaves Japanese animation studio OLM, Inc. would soon be commissioned to create an animated television series. An adaptation of the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green, the series would premiere on television in 1997.
Television & movies
By 1998, Pokémon’s first movie had been created, subtitled Mewtwo Strikes Back. This feature length film was released in theatres in both Japan and the United States, with a plot centered heavily on the mythical Pokémon Mew and its counterpart Mewtwo. Subsequent Pokémon movies would continue to focus on rare and powerful Pokémon from each new release in the series as a form of cross promotion. The television show made a number of creative choices that would inform the world of Pokémon as a whole, such as cementing the inability of Pokémon to speak human language. Furthermore, it finally settled the debate over which Pokémon would become the series official mascot. Pikachu was ultimately chosen as the series’ mascot because of his striking yellow color and the hope that his appearance would appeal to the female demographic.
Pikachu
This cute mouse-type Pokémon has a tail shaped like a lightning bolt and bright red cheeks. These features allow him to harness the power of electricity and discharge it through his cheeks, with this power often being used to humorous effect against human characers when Pikachu is unhappy.
Pokémon’s first run, comprised of Seasons 1-6 in the United States, is often considered the best by hardcore fans of the series.
The name Pikachu is a combination of two different sounds, the Japanese word for the sound of electricity, “pikapika,” and animal onomotopeia of a mouse, “chu.”
Pikachu would eventually go on to be the closest campanion of the series main character, Ash (pictured right), and has been one of the few Pokémon who has appeared in every season of the show.
The first known image of Pikachu, taken and ehanced from a 1995 piece of concept art by Satoshi Tariji.
The franchise’s television adaptation saw the main character, Satoshi (changed to Ash Ketchum for the English adaptation) receiving Pikachu as his first Pokémon. Not being one of the three traditional starting Pokémon for new trainers, Pikachu was given to Ash because he overslept and all the other Pokémon had already been taken.
Pikachu’s appearance has changed gradually over the years. Originally appear shorter and fatter, Pikachu has seen a gradual thinning of his entire body, as well as a rounding of his ears and stomache.
The latest iteration of Pikachu, notable for a thinner figure and rounded ears.
The business of globalization
By 1998, Pokémon merchandising was fast increasing. Game Freak was receiving up to 20 proposals for Pokémon related products per day, and staff was struggling to keep up. Furthermore, the copyright for Pokémon was split between three companies: Nintendo, the games’ publishers, Game Freak Inc., the game’s developers, and Creatures Inc., the developer of spin-off Pokémon video games as well as much of the series’ trading cards and toys.
Merchandising
The three would eventually establish Pokémon Center Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the three to consolidate and manage the Pokémon brand. By 2000, this consolidation was finally complete, with the company changing its name to The Pokémon Company, and beginning new and expanded license-related business. Beginning in 1998, Pokémon began to expand into the United States and other regions, and quickly caught on with the youth of other countries. This necessitated the creation of other branches like Pokémon USA and eventually Pokémon UK. Today, all regional Pokémon offices operate under the banner of The Pokémon Company International.
Pokémon international Pokémon was first brought to the United States in late 1998, and by January 1999 the video game, television show, a number of comics, and the trading card game had all been localized.
An already popular franchise, Pokémon expanded onto the global stage and saw an explosion in popularity, cemented its status as a global phenomenon. Hundreds of licensed toys, spin off video games, and collectibles were created to feed into the Pokémon frenzy.
Photo by Cheng-en Cheng
A series of Pokémon stores have opened since 1998, exclusively selling Pokémon merchandise.
Photo by Kentaro Iemato
In 2014 Pikachu was declared Japan’s official mascot for its FIFA World Cup soccer team. It was even featuring on the team’s official jersey.
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways has featured Pokémon themed planes called Pokémon Jets since 1998.
New horizons and competitors As Pokémon celebrates its 20th anniversary, the game industry appears to be on the verge of significant change. Thanks to iOS and Android devices, the mobile games market is now the most profitable segment of the video games industry. Nintendo, Pokémon’s publisher, has faced criticism for being slow to change with the times, and has yet to release any dedicated games for phones or tablets, likely out of fear of making their dedicated video game handhelds obsolete.
The future
But in March of 2015, Nintendo finally announced its intention to develop games specifically for mobile devices. Six months later, they revealed Pokémon GO, the first Pokémon game for a handheld other than Nintendo’s own official hardware. Developed in partnership by Niantic, Inc., the game presents a slight twist on the tried and true Pokémon formula, with Pokémon “appearing” in real life locations relative to their physical characteristics via augmented reality. Last month, Niantic released a limited Beta version available only in Japan. Similar tests are expected to come to other countries later in the year, with the final verison releasing sometime in 2016. The final game will be released alongside a watch called the Pokémon GO Plus, which will link with phones via Bluetooth and can notify players when Pokémon are near.
Generation VII
Somewhat of a wild card has been the sudden appearance of Yo-Kai Watch, an independent and unrelated competitor to Pokémon also for Nintendo’s newest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. The game is heavily inspired by traditional Japanese folklore, but takes place in a fictional town in modern-day Japan. It featured a boy named Nate who used a special watch to reveal hidden spirits known as Yo-Kai, which take the form of everything from animals to normal household objects. Developed by Level-5, Yo-Kai Watch has become increasingly popular much in the same way that Pokémon did in the 90s. Thus far, it has had two manga adaptations and an animated series produced by OLM, Inc., the same company that still produces the Pokémon anime. 2014 saw the release of Yo-Kai Watch 2 Gonso/Honkey, which was split into two different versions in the same way as Pokémon. It became the number one selling game in Japan, outselling that years Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Similar to Pokémon, it took Yo-Kai Watch two years to come to the United States. A third game in the series, set this time in America, is set for a Summer 2016 release, but it remains to be seen if Yo-Kai Watch will become the same international phenomenon as Pokémon.
Nintendo recently announced the seventh generation of Pokémon games, Pokémon Sun and Moon for the Nintendo 3DS, with an anticipated Holiday 2016 release. Pokémon’s website advertises the highest number of available languages of any entry in the series, which will for the first time include Chinese. The games will also allow players to transfer Pokémon from all Pokémon games for 3DS, including the 20th anniversary re-releases of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, through the system’s free Pokémon Bank app.
Twenty years in perspective
n $40 billion worldwide market n 200 million games sold n $57.65 billion in profits n 2nd best selling video game franchise
Games Generation I
Platform: Game Boy Region: Kanto Pokémon: 151 Years: 1996-1999 Sales: 46.02 million
Generation IV
Platform: Nintendo DS Region: Sinnoh Pokémon: 493 Years: 2006-2010 Sales: 25.23 million
Generation III
Generation II
Platform: Game Boy Color Region: Johto Pokémon: 251 Years: 1999-2002 Sales: 29.49 million
Platform: Game Boy Advance Region: Hoenn Pokémon: 386 Years: 2003-2005 Sales: 22.54 million
Generation V
Platform: Nintendo DS Region: Unova Pokémon: 649 Years: 2010-2013 Sales: 24.12 million
Generation VI
Platform: Nintendo 3DS Region: Kalos Pokémon: 722 Years: 2013-2016 Sales: 14.46 million
n 6 main series entries n 25 versions n 2 remakes n 14 major spin-off games
Trading card game
n 9800+ unique cards n 67 expansion packs
Comics
n 88 comic adaptations n First adaptation into a new medium
20th anniversary n Games: Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow re-released on Nintendo 3DS for $9.99 n Promotions: free downloads of rare, mythical Pokémon every month from Nintendo Network or GameStop/EB Games n Cards: Japanese reprinting of the first set of the trading card game
Television
n 19 seasons n 915+ episodes n 105 television specials n 74+ localizations to different countries
Movies
n 4 television specials
n 19 feature films n 4 feature length television specials n 27 Pikachu-centered short films
New generation, new fans Ask any child of the late 1990s or early 2000s, and the name Pokémon will likely bring back vivid memories of portable video games, trading cards, and early morning cartoons.
The fans
The same people might also think that Pokémon is a relic of their childhoods, much like G.I. Joe, Barbie, and He-Man. But on its 20th anniversary, the Pokémon franchise is still going strong, attracting a new generation of kids. Beginning in Japan in 1996 with the release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions for Nintendo’s Game Boy, developer Game Freak launched what would become an international phenomenon. Today, it’s more popular than ever. Just ask 9-year-old Alex Virzi. At Columbia’s Brennen Elementary School, where he is a third grader, Pokémon was so popular among students that certain teachers had to ban Pokémon cards and games from the classroom. “About a month later, I convinced my teacher to bring Pokémon back,” he said.
Photo by Anthony Scannella
9-year-old Alex Virzi says he was first introduced to Pokémon when a student gave out free cards in exchange for others passing him the ball during recess.
Pokémon sets players in a fictional 21st century world similar to our own, but inhabited by a series of wild animals known as Pokémon. In this world, Pokémon are an everyday part of life and society, kept as pets and also pitted against each other in one-on-one fights known as Pokémon battles. Players take control of children known as Pokémon trainers, who travel the world exploring and capturing wild Pokémon to do battle with others. Perhaps Pokémon’s most significant feat has been its ability to transcend generational barriers, inspiring a new generation of children just as it did when it first was introduced in the late 1990s. Pokémon has caught on among a new generation in almost the same way as it did when it came to the U.S. in 1998 – word of mouth. “I heard everyone was playing it and I wanted to try it out,” said Jackson. Alex said he first heard about Pokémon when another student was giving out free Pokémon cards at recess to whomever would pass him a ball. He became really interested after receiving his first card from the student – a Ghastly. Both have been collecting Pokémon cards ever since.
Photo by Anthony Scannella
In more recent years, Pokémon has introduced the full art card, a type of card that features an embossed finish and art that spans the entire card, rather than just the area above the text.
While Pokémon cards are as popular as ever, the way that these kids view Pokémon video games has changed. Each Pokémon release still sells millions of copies, but among a generation of kids raised with tablets, some just aren’t as drawn to them as games for tablets. The past couple years have seen the rise of a new competitor for Pokémon, a similar style of game called Yo-Kai Watch, based instead on hidden spirits from Japanese folklore called Yo-Kai. The franchise has seen two games, both with a two-version release structure like Pokémon, as well as an animated adaptation.
Alex says he prefers the Yo-Kai Watch games because they are more complicated, and you can speak with the Yo-Kai characters, unlike Pokémon who are only capable of repeating their own names. “I like the Yo-Kai watch games better, but I like every other thing about Pokémon,” said Alex.
Both said that they preferred playing games on tablets, mostly because the games are more easily accessible and cheaper. “I’m really interested in, and it might sound like the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard, but it’s Disco Zoo,” said Alex. Disco Zoo, a new game for phones and tablets from the creators of the popular game Tiny Tower, allows the player to collect all types of animals, including everyday zoo animals like elephants as well as extinct creatures such as dinosaurs. Jackson says he has an affinity for Legos, being a fan of The Lego Movie, sometimes watching it twice in a day. Both boys agree that Pokémon remains their favorite. “It’s probably Pokémon tied at first place,” said Alex. “I like Legos as much as Pokémon,” Jackson said. First-generation Pokémon have now grown up in the 20 years since its original release. Some have stayed with the franchise since they were young, while others have chosen to return for a trip down memory lane.
Photo by Anthony Scannella
Kids who collect Pokémon cards often end trading cards with their friends to obtain cards that they have been unable to find. Jackson Butler, left, and Alex Virzi, right, solidifed a 10-for-1 card trade Virzi’s Mega Charizard-EX, a card than goes online for as much as $60.
Tyler Jones, a 22-year-old manager at a Moe’s, is one of those people. He was introduced to the card game in the 1st grade when his mother began to buy him Pokémon cards as a present for doing well on his weekly report cards. “That one card every week was like the highlight of my week,” he said. He collected the cards and played the games for many years before selling his collection. “I really regret doing that,” he said. In his early 20s, he returned to card collecting as a way to bond with his then-girlfriend. Soon, he found out about the competitive strategy behind the Pokémon card game, and started attending local gatherings to play with others. Jones says there are all types of people that attend, including children, serious competitive players, and adults that grew up with the series. The meetings usually attract people from age 8 to 50.
Mobile games for phones and tablets, like Disco Zoo, are considerably cheaper than those for a dedicated portable like the Nintendo 3DS, which has games that can retail as high as $35-$40.
Eventually, Jones went on to compete in the South Carolina Pokémon State Championships, where he finished 26th out of several hundred competitors. Jones says he isn’t sure if the Pokémon card game will resonate with kids now the same way it did in the late 90s and early 2000s, in part because of the impressive technology like phones and the Nintendo 3DS that they can now access. “I wish I could go back to their age to see how their emotions vibe,” he said.
Twenty years and billions of dollars later, Pokémon has become nothing short of a media empire. Millions of fans still remain. “I’ll probably be playing Pokémon until I’m in college,” Alex says. “But I won’t sell them until I’m really old.” Jones says he’s stopped playing Pokémon after breaking up with his girlfriend, but that he’ll never stop being interested in it and wants to start playing again. “The biggest thing that I enjoyed: a day off work and you’re back in childhood. You’re not worried about bills, you’re just playing Pokémon.”
In 2011, the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online was released for web browsers. Now it is available as a download for both computers and tablets. Players earn cards the more they play and succeed in battle.
How a kid’s game spawned a media empire
20 YEARS Two decades ago, a Japanese video game developer released the first pair of games in the Pokémon series, Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions. The beginning of Pokémon was less than explosive, and not at all indicative of the international phenomenon that it would eventually become. Today, Pokémon is still capturing the attention and imagination of people all around the world. n $40 billion worldwide market n 200 million games sold n $57.65 billion in profits n 2nd best selling video game franchise behind Super Mario
What is Pokémon? n Who: Beginning at age 10, children can become Pokémon trainers n What: Wild animals with elemental abilities, called Pokémon n When: Fictional 21st century n Where: Fictional Earth-like planet based on Japan and its islands n Why: Wild Pokémon are captured and trained for one-on-one battles n How: Devices known as Pokéballs
Games n System: Nintendo’ s portable handhelds, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS n Series: 6 entries (called generations), 25 different versions, 2 remakes, 14+ spinoffs n Features: Link two system’s together to trade or battle Pokémon with others n Versions: 2-3 versions of the same game are released, featuring different Pokémon
Comics n 88+ comic book adaptations n First adaptation of Pokémon to another medium, based on the video game and later television series
Trading card game n Based on battling system n 9,800+ unique cards n 67 expansion backs n Later adapted to PC as an online multiplayer game
Television & movies n 19 seasons n 19 feature films n 915+ episodes n 4 tv specials n 27 Pikachucentered short films n 74+ localizations to different countries
20th anniversary n Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow re-released on Nintendo 3DS for $9.99 n A free mythical Pokémon avilable each month for download for Nintendo 3DS n Japanese reprinting of the first set of the trading card game n Generation VII, Pokémon Sun and Moon, set for Holiday 2016 release Anthony Scannella / The Carolina Reporter
Photo Credits Title: “Poké Ball.svg” Author: “Geni” - Wikimedia Commons, Website Source: “Wikimedia Commons” License: “CC BY-SA 2.5” Modification: “Resized, Recoloured”
Title: “Gashapon.jpg” Author: “Saku Takakusaki” - Picasa, Flickr, Website Source: “Wikimedia Commons” License: “CC BY-SA 4.0” Modification: “Resized”
Title: “POKEMON STORE (16261624078).jpg” Author: “Cheng-en Cheng” - Flickr, Blog Source: “Wikimedia Commons” License: “CC BY-SA 2.0” Modification: “Resized”
Title: “ANA B747-400D(JA8956) (4960399530).jpg” Author: “Kentaro Iemoto” - Flickr, Blog Source: “Wikimedia Commons” License: “CC BY-SA 2.5” Modification: “Resized”
Title: “Bonus - Kanto Starters” Author: “MapleRose” - Twitter, Deviant Art Source: “Pokewalls” License: “Terms of Use” Modification: “Resized, Changed layout”