The Global Trade Station already allows the trade of millions of Pokemon between trainers worldwide. Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl are the fastest-selling games in the history of the series, with worldwide sales in excess of 10 million games. Players use their Nintendo DS portable game systems to link wirelessly to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing them to scan which Pokemon are available from different nations and offer to trade with other players.

The new Pokemon Global Trade Station Web site, www.pokemon-gts.net, can be reached via any Internet-connected computer. The site will let users see which Pokemon are the most popular to trade, provide statistics about the number of trades completed and allow them to bookmark their favorite Pokemon. The site will operate in seven different languages and inform users about the nation they're "visiting" electronically. Visitors can even listen to audio files to learn how to say "hello" and "thank you" in select countries languages.

"Pokemon is now truly global in nature," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "A Pokemon Trainer from Chicago can be traveling in Sydney and trade one of their Pokemon with another owner in Helsinki."