Exactly. The anime is basically promo for the games, cards, merchandise, etc. The Pokemon anime is still widely watched by kids around the world. As adults grow out of the anime, a new generation of kids get introduced to Pokemon through the anime. That's the entry point into the franchise for most people, who then go on to buy the games, cards, merch, etc.
In China alone, Pokemon has been watched by hundreds of millions. And in India, Pokemon has nearly 100 million viewers. And that's just two countries. Across the world, Pokemon's viewership could be anywhere from hundreds of millions to possibly even a billion.