Having secured an enormous and devoted fanbase all over the globe, Pokémon has grown to be a cultural phenomenon with its $100 Billion franchise! While the series is indeed unique in its own right, what sets this franchise further apart is the story of how Satoshi Tajiri, the creator, came up with this insane idea.

Ash Ketchum from Pokémon | Credits: Studio Olm

One might not know, but Tajiri was diagnosed with autism from a very early age. However, this very aspect of his life also helped him to come up with the concept of Pokémon. Tajiri’s one certain childhood hobby later became the core concept of the series, where people could collect, train, and befriend fantastical creatures known as “Pokémon.”

Pokémon Might Not Exist if Satoshi Tajiri Had Not Been Autistic Professor Oak from Pokémon | Credits: Studio Olm

Tajiri’s childhood hobby of collecting and studying insects became the basis...