Editing Pokémon (section)

==== The Pokémon Company and Pokémon USA established ====
<!-- Pokemon Center, the forerunner of The Pokémon Company, is founded -->
[[File:Mega Tokyo Pokémon Center wares 4.jpg|thumb|350px|Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, a large Pokémon merchandise shop in [[Sunshine City, Tokyo|Sunshine City]], [[Ikebukuro]].<ref>{{Cite web | title=Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo | website=pokemon.co.jp | url=https://www.pokemon.co.jp/shop/en/pokecen/megatokyo/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621072852/https://www.pokemon.co.jp/shop/en/pokecen/megatokyo/ | archive-date=21 June 2024 | url-status=live}}</ref>]]
On 23 April 1998, Pokémon Center Co. Ltd. was founded as a joint venture by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Company Profile | website=pokemon.co.jp | url=http://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/outline/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108090446/http://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/outline/ | archive-date=8 November 2017 | url-status=dead}}</ref> It was initially formed for the management of specialized merchandise stores called Pokemon Centers, of which the first location opened in [[Nihonbashi]], Tokyo, on 18 July 1998.<ref name="Company_History">{{Cite web | title=Company History | website=pokemon.co.jp | url=http://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/history/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205054303/http://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/history/ | archive-date=5 December 2017 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>See [https://web.archive.org/web/20230407091240im_/https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HVEAAOSwAJpj9t-N/s-l1600.png this phone card].</ref> Throughout the years, multiple Japanese Pokémon Centers would open and close. {{As of|2024|January}}, a total of 24 Pokémon merchandise shops exist in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Official Shop List | website=pokemon.co.jp | url=https://www.pokemon.co.jp/shop/en/}}</ref> An American Pokémon Center also existed in New York City from 2001<ref>{{Cite press release | title=Pokémon says "I Choose You!" To Rockefeller Center for First U.S. Store Dedicated To the Growing Worldwide Phenomenon | publisher=Pokémon USA | date=1 November 2001 | url=http://www.pokemoncenter.com/pkstore/text_2.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119104638/http://www.pokemoncenter.com/pkstore/text_2.asp | archive-date=19 November 2001 | url-status=dead}}</ref> to 2005.<ref>{{Cite web | title=announcement | website=pokemoncenter.com | url=http://www.pokemoncenter.com/store/announcement.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050116021019/http://www.pokemoncenter.com/store/announcement.html | archive-date=16 January 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> It was then remodelled into Nintendo World,<ref>{{Cite web | first=Marc-André | last=Sarrazin | title=Nintendo World Store Opening Party | website=Nintendo Spin | date=21 April 2005 | url=http://www.nintendospin.com/news/nintendo-world-store-opening-party/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714185247/http://www.nintendospin.com/news/nintendo-world-store-opening-party/ | archive-date=14 July 2011 | url-status=dead}}</ref> later renamed [[Nintendo New York]].<ref>{{Cite web | first=Allegra | last=Frank | title=Nintendo NY opens its doors to fans from around the world | website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | date=19 February 2016 | url=https://www.polygon.com/2016/2/19/11064418/nintendo-ny-opening-photos | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219221452/https://www.polygon.com/2016/2/19/11064418/nintendo-ny-opening-photos | archive-date=19 February 2016 | url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- The Pokémon Company is created -->
After the release of ''Gold'' and ''Silver'', Tsunekazu Ishihara began setting out a number of long-term goals for the ''Pokémon'' franchise, which included releasing a movie every year.{{efn|Shogakukan kept this condition until 2021. {{As of|2024}}, the last animated ''Pokémon'' feature is {{nihongo||ポケモン ココ|Pokemon: Coco}}, released in Japan on 25 December 2020. It was released worldwide (excluding Japan, Korea, and China) as ''[[Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle]]'' on 8 October 2021. Between 1998 and 2021, [[List of Pokémon films|a total of 23 anime films]] were released.}} As part of Ishihara's plan, the Pokemon Center Co. Ltd. was reformatted into [[the Pokémon Company]] (TPC), and officially renamed in October 2000.<ref name="Company_History" /><ref name="Iwata_Asks_3">{{Cite interview | title=Just Being President Was A Waste! | series=[[Iwata Asks]] | interviewer-first=Satoru | interviewer-last=Iwata | interviewer-link=Satoru Iwata | url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ds/pokemon/0/2/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328012415/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/ds/pokemon/0/2/ | archive-date=28 March 2023 | url-status=live}}</ref> The goal of TPC is to centralize and streamline the global management of Pokémon.<ref name="4Kids_another_5_Years">{{Cite press release | title=4Kids Entertainment Signs New Five-Year Agreement With Pokémon USA | date=10 October 2001 | publisher=[[4Kids Entertainment]] | url=http://www.4kidsentertainment.com/docs/news/2001-1010b.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051024051709/http://www.4kidsentertainment.com/docs/news/2001-1010b.pdf | archive-date=24 October 2005 | url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Satoru Iwata]], who had joined Nintendo of Japan in June, was involved with the company's creation, which was one of his first jobs at Nintendo.<ref name="Iwata_Asks_3" />

<!-- Pokémon USA established -->
In February 2001, [[Pokémon USA]] (PUSA) was established, an affiliated firm of the Pokémon Company.<ref name="Company_History" /> The company's first president was [[Tatsumi Kimishima]] (who would later become president of NoA, and subsequently president of NoJ).<ref>{{Cite web | first=Nick | last=Summers | date=14 September 2015 | title=Nintendo appoints Pokemon USA head as company president | url=https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/14/nintendo-president-tatsumi-kimishima | website=[[Engadget]] | language=en-US | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916164820/http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/14/nintendo-president-tatsumi-kimishima | archive-date=16 September 2015 | url-status=live | quote=Kimishima has also been chief financial officer for the Pokémon Company, president of Pokémon USA, and president of Nintendo of America.}}</ref> In 2002, Kimishima was succeeded by [[Akira Chiba]].<ref>{{Cite web | first=Gary | last=Rusak | title=Pokémon USA president steps down | website=[[Kidscreen]] | date=12 December 2007 | url=https://kidscreen.com/2007/12/12/pokemon-20071212/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814172507/https://kidscreen.com/2007/12/12/pokemon-20071212/ | archive-date=14 August 2011 | url-status=live | quote=Chiba joined the company in 2002}}</ref>