What idea inspired Satoshi Tajiri to make Pokémon creatures collectible?

Collecting insects inspired Satoshi Tajiri’s idea for collectible Pokémon creatures.

As a child in Machida, Japan, Tajiri enjoyed exploring fields and ponds, where he searched for insects and other small creatures. That childhood hobby became the emotional foundation for a game about discovering, catching, and cataloguing creatures.

The concept gained a distinctive multiplayer element from the Game Boy Link Cable. Tajiri imagined players exchanging creatures between cartridges, turning the solitary act of collecting into a social activity.

The project was initially associated with the name Capsule Monsters before becoming Pocket Monsters, later shortened internationally to Pokémon. Game Freak then developed the idea with Nintendo, eventually releasing Red and Green in Japan in 1996.