Pocket Monsters had not yet reached the U.S. in full fury in 1997 when I received this yo-yo in the mail. All that would change in 1998. My kids didn't even know what it was and had never heard of "Pikachu" or "Mew". This yo-yo was our first introduction to what would soon become a huge sensation across the country--Pokemon.
In my yo-yo database, the original description that I wrote about this yo-yo was, "A Pocket Monsters Roulette yo with a rodent-looking animal inside." I didn't even know the character's name at the time but my kids found out the next year.
Wish I could read the Japanese on the packaging to understand more how the roulette worked inside the yo halve.