ATLANTA — Happy National Pokémon Day! Today marks the birth of the beloved brand that took the world by storm 28 years ago and taught many of us to 'catch 'em all.'
On Feb. 27, 1996, the very first Pokémon games, "Pokémon Red and Green," were released on the Game Boy in Japan. Soon after, in 1997, Pokémon was animated into a TV show based on the games, quickly propelling the brand into a household name worldwide. Fans fell in love with the show's protagonist, Ash Ketchum (Soshito), and his journey to become a Pokémon Master alongside his adorable best friend and partner, Pikachu.
The following year brought Pokémon trading cards, creating one of the biggest crazes of the decade by allowing fans to collect, battle, and try to find rare Pokemon.
In 2016, a virtual game, “Pokémon Go,” was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the franchise, captivating the masses once again.
Through the years, the brand has continued to capture fans' hearts, accumulating over 1,000 Pokémon across 26 TV show seasons, 23 animated films and one live-action film.
How will you celebrate National Pokémon Day?
