What name was originally planned for the game that became Pokémon?

The game that became Pokémon was originally planned under the name “Capsule Monsters.”

Satoshi Tajiri’s early concept centered on collecting creatures stored in capsules. The idea reflected influences including insect collecting, Japanese capsule toys, and the Game Boy Link Cable’s ability to let players exchange data. Tajiri and his team commonly shortened the working title to “Capumon.”

The name changed because “Capsule Monsters” could not be trademarked. The project eventually became Pocket Monsters, the Japanese title used for the first games. The international abbreviation Pokémon was later adopted for the franchise’s global branding.

This development history explains why Poké Balls and other capsule-like devices are central to the series, but “Capsule Monsters” is not the name of an earlier released Pokémon game. The first public games were Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in Japan in 1996 after a long and difficult development period.