Pokémon turns 20 after two decades of capturing our hearts

Pikachu, Squirtle, Charizard, and all their of friends turn 20 years old today.

On this day in 1996, Pokémon Red and Green came out in Japan for the Game Boy. It spawned a series that has sold over 200 million copies. But Pokémon’s reach goes far beyond video games, as it has also inspired a cartoon that has run for more than 900 episodes, 19 movies, and a popular card game that still receives updates (it has a total of 68 sets, including the original release and expansions). Fans even play the game competitively, and Nintendo has earned plenty of cash thanks to sales of merchandise like T-shirts and plush with the brand earning $1.5 billion annually. The only thing more shocking than a bolt from Pikachu is how relevant Pokémon still is today.