What was the original Japanese name of the Pokémon game series before it was localized?

The original Japanese name of the Pokémon game series was Pocket Monsters.

The first Japanese releases were titled Pocket Monsters Red and Green. The franchise name was later shortened internationally to Pokémon, a contraction of “Pocket Monsters.” The accented é helped signal the intended pronunciation and distinguish the brand in English-speaking markets.

The name reflects the series’ central idea: portable games in which players collect and train monsters. The Game Boy’s link cable made it possible to exchange Pokémon with another player, turning the “gotta catch ’em all” concept into a cooperative and competitive activity.

Japanese players also received Pocket Monsters Blue as an enhanced version after Red and Green. For overseas markets, Nintendo used Red and Blue rather than translating the original version names directly. This is why many international fans never encountered the original Japanese Green release.