Digimon , short for "Digital Monsters", is a Japanese media franchise, which encompasses virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films, and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures that inhabit a "Digital World", which is a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.

A virtual pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment, as people may choose to keep a digital pet instead of a real one.