Pokemon is short for pocket monsters and it refers to a very popular game that originated in Japan.  Developed by Nintendo, this game involves having players take the role of trainers to cute little creatures or animals called pocket monsters.  Players will basically train their own pocket monsters and let them engage in fights and other activities with other people.  Pokemons will then grow and develop new skills as they grow older. The popularity of this game has invaded several countries around the world and has resulted in various versions of game play and even turned into a movie and a TV series.  Here are some facts associated with Pokemon:

Fact 1:  Ash’s Japanese name which is Satoshi is actually the name of Pokémon’s creator.  Ash Ketchum may be the main character’s name in western countries like the US, but the original Japanese version is named after the creator himself.

Fact 2:  Clefairy was supposed to be Ash’s sidekick and main mascot of the Pokemon anime series.  For fans of Pokemon around the world, yellow monster Pikachu along with Ash are the main characters.  Before the game was officially released, it was the pink Clefairy who was supposed to be Ash’s buddy but this was eventually changed to Pikachu at the last minute.

Fact 3:  There are now more than 700 cute little monsters in the Pokemon universe.  Players from different platforms can now basically choose their own favorite pocket monster to train with so many of them to choose from.  More pocket monsters were added to the series as more and more people have become fans of the Pokemon universe.

Fact 4:  Nintendo’s own gaming consoles make an appearance in various games aside from Pokemon.  As a form of tribute to the original gaming console, the game developers put some images of them during opening credits and in other scenes of various games.

Fact 5:  The Pokemon Gold and Silver series were initially planned to be the last versions of this very popular anime game.  With great success and popularity, Nintendo’s own Satoru Iwata opted to release newer and updated versions.

Fact 6:  Rhydon gets the distinction of being the first ever designed pocket monster.  The pocket monster’s image can actually be seen some parts of the Pokemon universe.

Fact 7:  Many areas of the Pokemon universe are patterned after actual places.  The Kanto area for example is a reference to the Kanto region in Japan which includes the city of Tokyo and Yokohama.  Mt. Silver in the Pokemon universe is also a reference to Japan’s famous Mt. Fuji.

Fact 8:  Pikachu gets the honor of being immortalized in a coin.  The image of this popular Pokemon character is used in a 1-dollar coin by the island of Niue in the South Pacific.

Fact 9:  Ash Ketchum has a romantic link with Misty.  In the original Japanese version of Pokemon, Ash is known to be romantically paired with the character of Misty. This connection was taken out in the western release of the Pokemon gaming series.

Fact 10:  Pikachu can be found in all so-called pokedexes which are essential tools for trainers to know more about various pocket monsters around the world.  Pikachu’s character is known to be a Kanto-area native but the same character is found in other pokedexes.