On which Nintendo console did Pokémon first debut?

Pokémon first debuted on Nintendo’s Game Boy.

Pocket Monsters Red and Green were released in Japan for the original Game Boy on February 27, 1996. The monochrome handheld was already established worldwide, but Pokémon gave it a major new role as a platform for collecting, training, battling, and trading creatures.

The Game Boy Link Cable was central to the design. Some Pokémon were exclusive to one version, so players had to connect two systems and trade with another person to complete the collection. This encouraged face-to-face interaction rather than treating the game as a purely solo adventure.

Pokémon later appeared on the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. A frequent mistake is naming the Game Boy Color because Pokémon Yellow used its color palette, but the original Red and Green games debuted on the earlier Game Boy hardware.