Pokémon universe

Group Description

Pokémon (ポケモン, short for Pocket Monsters) is a media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996 and owned by Nintendo. It is also the general name given to the many creatures found in the Pokémon universe. There are over 600 different kinds of Pokémon, and each kind has a unique name (Pikachu, Charmander, Piplup, etc.) and attributes. These Pokémon are the stars of video games for a variety of Nintendo handheld and console systems, as well as a trading card game and animated series.

Developed by Game Freak, Pokémon games are predominantly RPGs with a heavy emphasis on monster training, somewhat similar in concept to earlier Megami Tensei games. Typically, the protagonist is a monster trainer whose goal is to capture various types of Pokémon and train them so that they can achieve higher level and participate in battles against enemies, which may include hostile trainers and their Pokémon.

Trivia

In 2001, Saudi Arabia's highest religious court, the mufti, issued a fatwa banning all Pokémon games and trading cards because they promote Zionism (6-pointed stars like the Star Of David are in the games), and are a bad influence to children in that they encourage gambling (the trading of characters). Punishments for disobeying the ban could include lashings and deportation.

Information also contributed by Scaryfun