Pokémon and Digimon are constantly compared to each other, and you don't have to look far to see why; both have "Mon" in the name, both center around kids using magical/elemental/super-powered animal-type creatures to fight battles, and both came out around the same time, in the mid to late '90s. Suffice to say, the two appear to be exact copies, and with the original Digimon toys coming out after the first Pokémon game was released, it appears as though one is a ripoff of the other. However, it's not as one-sided as it seems, as both properties have "borrowed" from each other throughout the years— be it by using the same animal as a basis for a monster or in larger ways, such as copying entire game or lore mechanics.