Pokémon, a portmanteau of “Pocket Monsters,” refers to a media franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, and managed by The Pokémon Company, a collaboration among Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The franchise centers around fictional creatures called Pokémon, which humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and train to battle each other for sport. The first video games, “Pokémon Red” and “Pokémon Green,” were released in Japan in 1996, launching a series that expanded into trading card games, animated television shows, movies, toys, and various merchandise. The core appeal of Pokémon lies in the mechanics of capturing and evolving these creatures, as well as the strategy involved in their combat. The franchise encourages exploration, competition, and collection, appealing to a wide audience across different age groups. Over the years, Pokémon has become a significant cultural phenomenon, with a vast and evolving universe featuring hundreds of different species of Pokémon, each with unique attributes and abilities.
Kochi City hosts a special pre-race event for the Kochi Ryoma Marathon, featuring the beloved Pokémon, Quagsire. Quagsire, known as the "Kochi-loving Pokémon," delights attendees, especially selected guests, with its…