The Pokémon Company establishes new Pokémon Works subsidiary

The Pokémon Company has established a new subsidiary, Pokémon Works.

The new company, which was discovered by Serebii webmaster Joe Merrick, will operate out of the same building as ILCA, the company behind Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

The purpose of the company is unknown. Although the company will share a building with ILCA, it should be noted that ILCA is not owned or operated by The Pokémon Company, though it does have a close relationship given its work on Pokémon Home and the Diamond and Pearl remakes.

ILCA is currently considered more closely aligned with Bandai Namco, having established a new studio in partnership with Bandai Namco in 2022.

Currently, the Pokémon franchise is handled by several different entities. The franchise is owned in part by three main companies – Nintendo, Creatures Inc, and Game Freak.

Creatures Inc – which was founded in the mid-90s by the current Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara and the late Satoru Iwata – largely looks after The Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Game Freak, which began as a fan-made magazine, and later evolved into a video game developer, is the steward of the main series of games and oversees the majority of other game-related products.

The next game in the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Legends Z-A, has been officially announced. 

The game, which will be the second Pokémon Legends game following Pokémon Legends Arceus, was revealed during a Pokémon Presents showcase last month.

The game will see players revisit the Kalos region and Lumoise City, and is set for release in 2025.