What were the first Pokémon games released internationally?

Pokémon Red and Blue were the first Pokémon games released internationally.

The franchise began in Japan with Pocket Monsters Red and Green in February 1996. For markets outside Japan, Nintendo used a revised version based largely on the Japanese Blue release and renamed the pair Pokémon Red and Blue. The original Japanese Green version was not released internationally.

North America received Red and Blue on September 28, 1998, more than two years after the Japanese debut. Australia followed later in 1998, while Europe received the games in October 1999. The delay allowed Nintendo to localize the text, rename Pokémon for English-speaking audiences, and rebuild the software for overseas release.

Although the international games are commonly called Red and Blue, they still represent the same first generation as the Japanese Red, Green, and Blue releases. Pokémon Yellow was an enhanced edition that arrived afterward, not the first international launch.