What were Pokémon Red and Green called in their original Japanese releases?

The original Japanese releases were titled Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

The Japanese name reflects the franchise’s original title, Pocket Monsters, which is shortened to Pokémon in international branding. The games were released as a pair because their Pokémon rosters differed, encouraging players to connect their Game Boys and trade species unavailable in their own version.

Japan later received Pocket Monsters Blue as a revised special edition. International releases used Pokémon Red and Blue instead: the overseas Blue version was based largely on the revised Japanese Blue edition, while Green itself was not released outside Japan.

This history explains why fans sometimes refer to the first games as Red and Blue even when discussing the actual 1996 Japanese launch. Red and Green are the precise original pair, while Red and Blue describe the best-known international versions.