On what date did the Pokémon franchise debut on Game Boy in Japan?

The Pokémon franchise debuted on Game Boy in Japan on 27 February 1996.

The launch titles were Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. They introduced the central formula of catching, training, battling, and trading creatures.

The games were not an immediate worldwide release. Japan received the first versions in 1996, while international releases followed later, beginning with Pokémon Red and Blue in North America in 1998. The original Japanese Green version was not released outside Japan in its original form.

The 27 February date became known as Pokémon Day. It marks the anniversary of the franchise's first commercial release and is now used for major announcements, celebrations, and promotional events. It is sometimes confused with the dates of the anime, trading card game, or international game launches, but those came later.