>Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario franchise.[3] Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media.
Pokemon was inspired by bug catching/collecting, a hobby that Satoshi Tajiri (The creator of Pokemon) enjoyed as a child.
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