30 years of Pokémon—how the Japanese franchise mirrors real-world science

image via New Scientist

April 15, 2026, 10:00 AM

• •Pokémon, with its focus on taxonomy and classification, has served as a gateway for many children into the world of science and natural history.
• •The creator of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri, drew inspiration from his childhood as an entomologist, reflecting the real-world influence on the franchise.
• •Scientists are naming real-life species after Pokémon characters, further demonstrating the intersection of the franchise and scientific fields.
• •The upcoming exhibition at the Field Museum showcases the connection between Pokémon and the real-world fossils that inspired them.

The article explores the relationship between the Pokémon franchise and real-world science, highlighting how the series has inspired scientific careers and how science, in turn, influences Pokémon. Scientists like Arjan Mann and Spencer Monckton, who were Pokémon fans as children, credit the franchise for sparking their interest in paleontology and entomology, respectively. The article discusses examples of Pokémon based on real animals and vice versa, while also touching upon the franchise's inspiration from Satoshi Tajiri's childhood as an entomologist. The exhibit in the Field Museum will feature Pokémon and real-life fossils, comparing fossil Pokémon to their real-world influences.

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