"There’s almost no way you haven’t heard of Pokémon. It’s a long- running series of bestselling video games, dating all the way back to 1996. Pokémon is an entertainment property with over 1,200 TV episodes and more than 20 feature films. It’s also a card game that has produced and sold over 34 billion individual cards. In short, Pokémon is everything and everywhere. It’s the biggest media franchise in the world. In these pages, you’ll discover the humble origins of this fun- filled pastime. You’ll learn how Pokémon Go unleashed a worldwide phenomenon. You’ll discover how a bestselling video game for the tiny Nintendo Game Boy spun into a massively successful television series. You’ll even find out how a single Pokémon card sold for over $5 million and made a cameo in WWE’s WrestleMania. We’re revealing the story of Pokémon’s beginnings, some of its greatest hits and how its world has stayed relevant with its legions of fans. We’ll also explain what “gotta catch ’em all” really means and share all the new surprises in store for lovers of this incredible franchise!"
POKÉMON THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ANNIVERSARY SPOTLIGHT®
POKÉMON FOREVER • THIS BILLION-DOLLAR FRANCHISE KEEPS GETTING BIGGER AND BETTER!
CHAPTER 1 FOR THE LOVE OF POKÉMON
IN THE BEGINNING • HOW A UNIQUELY JAPANESE IDEA BECAME A GLOBAL SENSATION.
MEET THE CREATOR OF POKÉMON
THE STARS WHO LOVE POKÉMON
By the Numbers
CELEBRITIES WHO LOOK LIKE POKÉMON • OR IS IT POKÉMON WHO LOOK LIKE CELEBS? YOU BE THE JUDGE!
What’s Next for Pokémon?
ALL THE SCOOP ON POKÉMON SCARLET AND VIOLET • THE NEWEST GAME IN THE SERIES IS NINTENDO’S BIGGEST LAUNCH OF ALL TIME.
THE NEWEST WAY TO PLAY POKÉMON TCG LIVE • BIG NEWS! THE THRILL OF THE TRADING CARD GAME ACTION IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THE MOST FAMOUS POKÉMON OF ALL • HOW A LITTLE YELLOW CRITTER NAMED PIKACHU BECAME A GLOBAL ICON.
CHAPTER 2 POKÉMON ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN
TAKING OVER TELEVISIONN • THE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL ANIME SERIES POWERED THE MERCHANDISING MACHINE.
WHICH MOVIE IS THE BEST? • YOU’VE GOTTA WATCH ’EM ALL!
HE’S ALIVE! • THE LITTLE GUY TALKED—AND HE SOUNDED LIKE RYAN REYNOLDS!—IN THE FIRST LIVE-ACTION FILM, 2019’S DETECTIVE PIKACHU.
THE DARK SIDE OF POKÉMON • THE POKÉMON ADVENTURES MANGA ISN’T AFRAID TO GET DANGEROUS—BUT ITS DISTRIBUTORS ARE.
CHAPTER 3 GOING MOBILE
MONSTERS ON THE MOVE • GAMING HEADS OUT INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS WITH THE HIT APP.
WATCH YOUR STEP—AND YOUR BACK—FOR REAL-LIFE DANGERS
POKÉMON TCG IT’S ADDICTIVE • A COLLECTIBLE GAME LAUNCHED IN 1996 HAS SOLD MORE THAN 43 BILLION CARDS WORLDWIDE.
Famous Pokémon Card Collectors
THE MOST VALUABLE POKÉMON CARDS
BANNED CARDS
POKÉMON VS. YU-GI-OH!
The Original Trading Card Game
Anatomy of a Pokémon Card
CHAPTER 4 THE VIDEO GAMES
POKÉMON VIDEO GAMES THE BASICS • FROM RED AND BLUE TO SCARLET AND VIOLET, HERE’S A GUIDETO THE NINE GENERATIONS OF THE ELECTRONIC PHENOMENON.
GENERATION I POKÉMON RED AND BLUE • THE GLOBAL OBSESSION BEGINS WITH THESE TWO GAME BOY HITS.
POKÉMON YELLOW SPECIAL PIKACHU EDITION • THE LITTLE YELLOW GUY GOT HIS OWN GAME TO CAPITALIZE ON HIS POPULARITY FROM POKÉMON: THE FIRST MOVIE.
MEW THE MOST MYSTERIOUS POKÉMON • ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL GAME AS A LAST-MINUTE PRANK, THE FELINE CHARACTER CAPTIVATED PLAYERS’ IMAGINATIONS.
GENERATION II POKÉMON GOLD AND SILVER • THE FRANCHISE HOPED LIGHTNING WOULD STRIKE TWICE WITH THESE SEQUELS THAT BRING THE MONSTERS INTO...