Pokemon Day: Fans reflect as the series turns 30 and new Gen 10 starters debut on pokemon day

On pokemon day The Pokémon Company used its February livestream to kick off a 30th‑anniversary celebration, unveiling a tenth generation of characters and giving fans a first look at new starter Pokémon. That rollout matters because the franchise — from Pocket Monsters on Game Boy to Pokémon GO and the Trading Card Game — remains a global cultural force.

Pokemon Day livestream, Kenji Okubo and the tenth generation

The Pokémon Company unveils its plans for the coming year with a live stream every February, and this year's event was framed as an anniversary kickoff. President Kenji Okubo said this year's Pokémon Day was "extra special as we kick off the celebration of 30 years of Pokémon. " During the stream the company introduced the tenth generation of characters and unveiled upcoming games Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, and fans got their first glimpse of the three starter Pokémon.

First look at Browt, Pombon and Gecqua

The three new starters were shown to viewers: Bean Chick Browt, Puppy‑type Pombon and Water Gecko Gecqua. The reveal put a spotlight on the Gen 10 trio at the same moment the company announced its yearlong plans and the new games, giving fans tangible new characters to discuss and collect.

From Pocket Monsters on Game Boy to a global hit

It is 30 years since a little game called Pocket Monsters launched in Japan on Nintendo's Game Boy handheld in 1996. When the first games were released they were not expected to be a huge hit, but strong word‑of‑mouth and the console's low price helped them to sell more than one million copies in their first year on sale. That early success set the stage for a broader craze.

Pokémania, the Trading Card Game and playground bans

A popular animated series and the spin‑off Trading Card Game helped turn the brand into what the press called "Pokémania. " The craze reached the point that schools started to ban children from bringing the cards to the playground, an early sign of how deeply the phenomenon had embedded itself in daily life.

Gameplay foundations: trainer battles, catching and collecting

Battles between rival trainers have always been at the heart of Pokémon games. The series has long been about playing the part of a trainer — catching and collecting monsters before battling them against others — a loop that has driven player engagement generation after generation and helped the brand reach new audiences worldwide.

Pokémon GO, downloads and the pandemic spike

The brand sparked a second global trend with the launch of the mobile phone game Pokémon GO in 2016. That app used a device's GPS and camera to place monsters in the real world, and it has been downloaded more than a billion times. When the Covid‑19 pandemic hit there was an explosion in Pokémon‑related content, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game in particular saw a big increase in interest.

Invitation for readers to share what Pokémon means

An invitation accompanying the anniversary asked readers to say what the franchise means to them after three decades and to submit memories and reflections using an online form. The call requested as much detail as possible, noted a maximum file size of 5. 7 MB for uploads, and said contact details are helpful so editors can contact contributors for more information; those contact details will only be seen by the publication. Contributors were asked to secure permission before including other people's names, and the invitation referenced help for the form along with terms of service and a privacy policy.