What Japanese phrase was shortened to create the name Pokémon?

The name Pokémon was shortened from the Japanese phrase Pocket Monsters.

In Japan, the franchise is called Pocket Monsters, written as Poketto Monsutā. The international name Pokémon is a contracted form of “Pocket Monsters,” using an accented e to distinguish the pronunciation and branding. The name reflects the original idea of carrying collectible creatures in a pocket-sized Game Boy.

The title was created for the video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. In Japan, the first games were titled Pocket Monsters Red and Green, while overseas releases used Pokémon Red and Blue. The wording therefore differs by market even though it refers to the same franchise.

The name is sometimes mistakenly expanded as “Pocket Monsters” in English without recognizing that Pokémon is the official international brand spelling. The accent mark is part of the brand identity, although it is often omitted in informal writing or older software text.