What was the early working title of the Pokémon project before it was called Pocket Monsters?

The early working title of the Pokémon project was “Capsule Monsters.” Satoshi Tajiri and the Game Freak team used the name while developing the idea of collectible creatures for Nintendo’s Game Boy.

The capsule concept reflected the project’s monster-collecting design and the influence of Japanese monster media. Tajiri wanted players to capture creatures, carry them in compact form, and exchange them with other players. The Game Boy Link Cable made that exchange possible and became a defining feature of the games.

The name was later changed because “Capsule Monsters” created trademark difficulties. The team considered “Capumon,” then settled on “Pocket Monsters.” For international markets, the abbreviated form “Pokémon” was used, with an accent mark to help distinguish the pronunciation.

“Digital Monsters” is a common wrong answer because it is associated with another monster franchise, Digimon. The early title also should not be confused with the Japanese franchise name Pocket Monsters, which was used for the released games and anime.