What was the original full name shortened to “Pokémon”?

The original full name shortened to “Pokémon” was Pocket Monsters.

The Japanese franchise launched as Pocket Monsters, written as Poketto Monsutā. The shortened international form became Pokémon, using an acute accent over the e to guide pronunciation and distinguish the brand name.

Satoshi Tajiri initially called the project Capsule Monsters. That name was changed because it could not be trademarked, leading to the Pocket Monsters title used for the first Japanese games and the anime. The English word “Pokémon” is now used for both the franchise and each individual creature.

“Pokémon” is grammatically unchanged in singular and plural usage: one Pokémon and many Pokémon are both standard. Another common mix-up is assuming that “Pocket Monsters” was only an anime title; it was the original name of the game project and Japanese franchise before the abbreviated international branding became dominant.