On which video-game console did the first Pokémon games debut?

The first Pokémon games debuted on Nintendo's Game Boy.

Pocket Monsters Red and Green were designed as role-playing games for the handheld system and released in Japan in 1996. The Game Boy's portability made it possible for players to carry their collections with them and meet others to battle or trade.

The Link Cable was especially important. It connected two Game Boy systems, allowing Pokémon to be traded and battles to be played between people. That communication feature supported the franchise's central idea that no single version contained every original Pokémon.

The Game Boy Color arrived later, and Pokémon Yellow made use of its color capabilities while remaining compatible with the broader Game Boy family. This is why the Game Boy Color is sometimes incorrectly named as the original platform; it was important to later releases, but not the debut system.