What was the Japanese title of the Pokémon franchise before its international abbreviation?

The Japanese title of the Pokémon franchise was Pocket Monsters.

In Japan, the franchise is known as Poketto Monsutā, written in Japanese as ポケットモンスター. The shorter form Pokémon became the internationally familiar name and is derived from that original title. The acute accent over the e was used in the international spelling to help indicate pronunciation.

The project’s earlier working title was Capsule Monsters, inspired partly by Japanese capsule-toy culture and monster media. Because that name could not be trademarked, the developers settled on Pocket Monsters. The title also fit the idea of carrying collectible creatures in portable devices.

The first games were released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green in 1996. International versions later used Pokémon Red and Blue, helping establish the abbreviated name in markets outside Japan.