What Japanese title was used for the Pokémon anime when it premiered?

The Pokémon anime premiered in Japan under the title “Pocket Monsters.”

The Japanese title is written as ポケットモンスター and transliterated as Poketto Monsutā. It was used for the television series that debuted on TV Tokyo on April 1, 1997, before later international broadcasts adopted the shorter Pokémon branding.

“Pokémon” is a contracted form of “Pocket Monsters,” created from the English words to make the franchise name easier to trademark and distinguish internationally. The Japanese series retained Pocket Monsters as its core title even as the English-language brand became globally dominant.

The title should not be confused with Pokémon Adventures, which is a manga series, or with the later English season names such as Indigo League. Those labels describe other adaptations or regional branding, while Pocket Monsters identifies the original Japanese anime title.