Short answers, pulled from the story.
Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon franchise, and the game was released on the 27th of February 1996. Tajiri founded Game Freak in 1989 to develop the project, which was originally named Capsule Monsters before becoming Pocket Monsters and finally Pokémon.
Pokémon is jointly owned by three entities: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The Pokémon Company (TPC) was established in 1998 to manage the property within Asia, while The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) has managed the franchise in all regions outside Asia since 2009.
The 38th episode of the Pokémon anime, titled Dennō Senshi Porygon, triggered photosensitive epileptic seizures in more than 10,000 viewers due to flashing red and blue lights. Broadcasting was halted, and new safety guidelines were implemented to prevent similar events from happening in the future.
Pokémon became a global phenomenon in North America starting in 1998 when the anime first aired on the 7th of September 1998 and the games were released on the 28th of September 1998. The craze, known as Pokémania, peaked in November 1999 before fading by 2002.
Pokémon Go generated more than $100 million by the end of July 2016 and reached $600 million in revenue after only 90 days on the market. By the 2nd of September 2016, the game had generated more than $440 million in worldwide revenue according to Sensor Tower.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released on the 28th of January 2022, followed by Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the 18th of November 2022. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is scheduled for release on the 16th of October 2025 for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.