Perhaps among the most succesful animated television shows of all time, Pokémon took the world by storm, and with the incredibly popular series came toys, games, clothing, accesories, and the ever-popular Pokemon trading card game. Pokémon began as "Pocket Monsters", a role playing-style video game for Nintendo's handheld console Game Boy, where the player assumed the role of a "Pokemon-trainer", caught and trained creatures named "Pokémon" that inhabited the world the game was set to, and then used them in battles against other trainers' Pokémon. As for the show itself, the show is the tale of ten-year-old Ash Ketchum, who sets out from his hometown of Pallet Town on his 10th birthday to begin a Pokémon journey and become a Pokémon master. Late to start, he is given a Pikachu by Professor Oak, and the Pokémon does not like him very much. Soon, Pikachu does finally take a liking to Ash and the Pokémon becomes his primary one across every region. From region to region, it is almost the same. Ash sets out with only Pikachu by his side, makes a few new friends who he begins to travel with, and catch a few new Pokémon in each new land. He works his way through the eight gyms of each region, defeating their leaders and earning the badge, and makes his way to the regional Pokémon League only to be defeated. Along the way, he and his friends must put up with the villainous antics of Team Rocket, a trio of baddies who are after Pikachu and other Pokémon for their own nefarious deeds.