What was the Pokémon franchise called in Japan when it launched?

The Pokémon franchise was called Pocket Monsters in Japan when it launched.

The Japanese title is written as ポケットモンスター and romanized as Poketto Monsutā. The shortened brand name Pokémon became the internationally recognized form. The name refers to the fictional creatures that Trainers collect, raise, and battle.

The first games were released in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Green on February 27, 1996. The anime also used Pocket Monsters as its Japanese title, while international markets generally adopted Pokémon for the games, television series, cards, and merchandise.

The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri, with development handled by Game Freak and publishing by Nintendo. English-language materials usually retain the accented spelling Pokémon, which reflects the Japanese brand’s pronunciation and distinguishes it from the ordinary English words “pocket monsters.”