Celebrating Pokémon Day: CEO Envisions an Exciting Future for the Series Over the Next 50 Years!

Tsunekazu Ishihara, the head of The Pokémon Company, believes Pokémon can thrive for another 50 years if it keeps evolving.

Since its debut on Nintendo’s Game Boy in 1996, the franchise has grown into films, TV, and toys, making it one of the biggest media sensations.

Recently, the trading card game has gained popularity, though it’s attracted scalpers and counterfeiters.

Ishihara, leading since 1998, shared insights with BBC News about Pokémon’s success and its future.

Pokémon Day features a livestream highlighting upcoming games and events. This year, fans got a sneak peek at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set to release soon.

A new mobile game, Pokémon Champions, inspired by the Stadium series, was also revealed.

Additionally, new features for the trading card game were announced.

Ishihara emphasized the company’s long-term goal: to “enrich both the real and virtual worlds,” showcasing Pokémon GO as an example.

Scalpers are a hot topic among Pokémon fans. The card game’s comeback has led resellers to buy up packs, searching for rare cards.

Logan Paul made headlines when he bought the most expensive Pokémon card for $5.3 million, drawing attention to the collectible market.

Ishihara recognizes that the second-hand market complicates sales of new products. He believes that this affects the overall business.

While some fans suggest making more limited editions, Ishihara insists they cannot control resale value effectively.

On counterfeits, Ishihara states their legal team has battled against clones for years. They recently won a case against a company that copied their mobile app.

Additionally, Pokémon is suing Pocketpair, the creator of Palworld, accusing them of patent infringement.

Pokémon’s success comes from its diverse offerings. It includes anime, card games, movies, and toys, which attract many fans.

Ishihara points out that fans span many generations, with Pokémon serving as a form of connection.

Around 13,000 fans attended the recent International Championships in London, reinforcing this idea.

Justin, 25, and Marina, 28, both shared how they fell in love with Pokémon through the TV show as kids.

Many attendees dressed up, showing their passion and excitement for connecting with fellow fans.

The Pokémon Company is unique as a private firm. Unlike companies like Nintendo, it isn’t public and has no shareholders to answer to.

Ishihara believes this allows them to focus solely on Pokémon.

“Pokémon is what we do,” he says, emphasizing that profits are reinvested back into the brand.

He also mentions that they avoid pressure from shareholders to divert from their core purpose.

As of late 2023, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu have left the animated Pokémon series.

Despite this, Ishihara reassures fans that their adventures continue.

With the 30th anniversary approaching, there’s buzz about exciting plans.

Some hope for remakes of the original Game Boy games.

Ishihara is tight-lipped on specifics but emphasizes that Pokémon’s focus remains on connecting real and virtual experiences.