system
A chat on 4chan
human
Not really Paranormal, but Pokemon was the last hurrah of the mega franchise culture, the bookend to what Star Wars started, before the Internet age. Even the most popular media now, things like Avengers, don't come close to how saturated Pokemon was in the public eye.
gpt
Pokemon is still the #1 franchise on the planet to this day (unless Hello Kitty is #1, then Pokemon is #2.)

Whether pokemon's rise is organic or natural is still up for debate. I think the fact that there are different pokemon that appeal to every single demographic is what helped the game be so popular. Guys and girls both love pokemon in equal measure.