Pokemon Day: 30 years of Pocket Monsters, new Gen 10 starters and fresh plans
On pokemon day the franchise marked three decades since Pocket Monsters launched in Japan, a milestone underscored by a February livestream from The Pokémon Company that introduced the tenth generation of characters and teased upcoming games. The anniversary matters now because the company used the annual stream to show new starters and outline plans that will guide the franchise into its next era.
Pokemon Day livestream and The Pokémon Company’s yearly reveal
The Pokémon Company unveils its plans for the coming year with a live stream every February, and this year's event coincided with Pokemon Day. President Kenji Okubo said this year's Pokemon Day was "extra special as we kick off the celebration of 30 years of Pokémon, " reflecting the company's role in framing the anniversary and the new slate of releases.
Tenth generation reveal: Browt, Pombon and Gecqua, plus new games
This year introduced the tenth generation of characters and unveiled upcoming games Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves. Fans got their first glimpse of the three starter Pokémon: Bean Chick Browt, Puppy-type Pombon and Water Gecko Gecqua, details that set the tone for Gen 10 playstyles and early reactions.
From Game Boy origins to early sales and the rise of Pokémania
It is 30 years since Pocket Monsters was released for Nintendo's Game Boy handheld in Japan, and the first games were released on Game Boy in 1996. They were not expected to be a huge hit, but strong word-of-mouth and the console's low price helped them sell more than one million copies in their first year on sale. A popular animated TV series and the spin-off Trading Card Game helped to turn the brand into a craze dubbed "Pokémania, " a phenomenon so intense that schools started to ban children from bringing the cards to the playground.
Pokémon Go’s second wave and the pandemic surge in interest
The brand sparked a second global trend with the launch of mobile game Pokémon GO in 2016; the app used a device's GPS and camera to place monsters in the real world and has since been downloaded more than a billion times. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, there was an explosion in Pokémon-related content, and Pokémon TCG in particular saw a big increase in interest, adding momentum to the franchise entering its thirtieth year.
What the series means to fans and how readers can respond
A news outlet has invited people to share what Pokémon means to them as the franchise turns 30, asking contributors to use a submission form and to include as much detail as possible. The invitation notes a maximum file size of 5. 7 MB for uploads, asks for contact details that would be used to follow up, and requests that contributors ask permission before including other people's names. The outreach follows broader interest in why the series appeals to so many and how fans experience playing the part of a trainer—catching and collecting monsters before battling rival trainers, a concept at the heart of the games.
