What was the first name used for the Pokémon game concept before it became Pocket Monsters?

The Pokémon game concept was initially called Capsule Monsters.

Satoshi Tajiri’s early idea involved collecting creatures stored in capsules, drawing on Japanese capsule-toy culture and monster media. Game Freak staff commonly shortened the working title to “Capumon” during development.

The phrase Capsule Monsters could not be trademarked, so the project was renamed Pocket Monsters. In Japanese, this became Poketto Monsutā, which was later shortened internationally to Pokémon. The accented spelling helped distinguish the brand in English-speaking markets.

The final title also reflected the game’s central idea: players carried collectible creatures and used them in battles, trading, and exploration. “Monster” here did not imply a villain; it referred broadly to the fantastical species players could find and raise. The first games were therefore released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Green, not under the later English branding alone.