What was the Japanese title of the Pokémon franchise when it launched in 1996?

The Japanese title of the Pokémon franchise at launch was Pocket Monsters.

The first games were titled Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green in Japan. The shorter international name Pokémon came from the Japanese romanization of Pocket Monsters and was used for overseas releases. The acute accent in Pokémon was added internationally to guide pronunciation and distinguish the brand’s written form.

The title refers to the creatures being carried in compact Poké Balls, while also signaling that the games centered on collecting and training monsters. In Japan, the series continues to be known as Pokémon, written in Japanese as ポケットモンスター and commonly abbreviated as ポケモン.

Some early English-language material used “Pocket Monsters” as a descriptive translation, but the official international branding became Pokémon. This is why the original Japanese game titles and the worldwide franchise name look different even though they refer to the same property.