What was Pokémon initially called during development?

Pokémon was initially called Capsule Monsters during development. Satoshi Tajiri’s early concept centered on collecting creatures and storing them in capsules.

The idea combined Tajiri’s childhood memories of catching insects with the Game Boy’s link cable, which could connect two systems. He imagined players exchanging creatures with one another, turning the portable console into a way to recreate collecting and trading.

The project’s working name was later shortened informally to Capumon. Because Capsule Monsters could not be trademarked, the name changed to Pocket Monsters, the Japanese title used for the original games and franchise.

The international abbreviation Pokémon came from Pocket Monsters. The accented “é” helped signal the intended pronunciation in overseas markets. “Capumon” is therefore associated with an intermediate development name, but Capsule Monsters was the earlier concept name most often cited in the franchise’s origin story.