Pokémon is a phenomenon in almost every sense of the word. The original Japanese game – called Poketto Monsuta (‘Pocket Monsters’, contracted to Pokémon) – began life quite modestly as a title for Nintendo’s handheld Gameboy system. By 22 November 1999, when Time magazine featured on its cover Pikachu, one of the player-controlled ‘Pocket Monsters’, it was a commercial success the world over. It has spawned countless video games, comic books, Web sites, video tapes, magazines, clubs, music CDs, books, trading cards, two cinema films, and, of course, an animated television series.

For kids, Pokémon is an engaging pastime; for its makers, Nintendo, it’s a multi-billion dollar money-maker and possibly the largest marketing effort in the history of toys. Satoshi Tajiri, the game’s creator, spent six years developing the game, in which a team of young boys and girls wander the world looking for small Pokémon creatures to befriend and train for battle against other trainers and their Pokémons. There are currently over 200 different Pokémons (with more on the way) and each creature has a unique personality and special powers. The ultimate aim is to collect one of every species and become a Pokémon Master. (The TV show’s theme song - “Gotta catch ‘em all!” – is a catchy ode to its merchandising potential.) Pikachu, the most popular Pokémon, looks a bit like a yellow rat with a lightning-bolt tail and has the ability to shock its opponents with electricity.

During 1997, Pokémon was broadcast from 37 television stations around the country and held the highest ratings for its time slot… when the unexpected happened; that December, the very profitable existence of Pikachu and friends nearly came to a dramatic end when some 12,000 Japanese children reported a range of disorienting illnesses after watching an episode on television.