Pokémon Basic Darkness Energy card

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) is a massively popular collectible card game based on the Pokémon media franchise. Originally launched in Japan in 1996 by Media Factory, the brand has grown into a global phenomenon.

For the international market, the cards were initially published by Wizards of the Coast, but ownership and distribution were eventually taken over by The Pokémon Company International. Most English-language cards are manufactured in the United States to supply the Western markets. The brand is ultimately owned by a joint venture between three Japanese companies: Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak, with Nintendo holding the primary trademark rights and a significant stake in the management of the franchise.