KENNEWICK -- Pokémon fans who subscribe to the game's motto of "Gotta Catch 'em All" have 156 more digital monsters to add to their lists when the black and white version of the popular video game series is released in the U.S. on March 6.
Pokémon Company International also is releasing a new animated TV series, feature-length film and a new toy line.
Not bad for a pop-culture phenomenon born in Japan in 1996.
That was just a couple of years after 17-year-old Southridge High junior Brandon Degarimore, president of Southridge High's Pokémon Club, was born.
Pokémon's eager fans include 12 to 20 Southridge students who meet each Monday during lunch to play on their Nintento DS portable video game systems -- battling, trading and having a good time.
"Currently, a couple of friends and I are taking this time to prepare for the 2011 Pokémon Video Game Championships in Seattle this May," Degarimore said. "I love raising my Pokmon and then using them to crush my opponent's team."
Nintendo's Pokémon, which originated in Japan, is considered the second-most successful video game franchise in the world behind Nintendo's Mario series, with millions of fans worldwide.
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