What were the Japanese names of Pokémon's first two games?

Pokémon's first two Japanese games were called Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

They launched together in Japan for the Game Boy on February 27, 1996. The Japanese titles used the franchise's original name, Pocket Monsters, rather than the shortened international brand name Pokémon.

A revised Blue version followed in Japan later in 1996, first as a special mail-order edition and later as a retail release. For international markets, Nintendo used Red and Blue, not Red and Green. The Japanese Green version therefore became a familiar point of historical confusion for players who started with the overseas releases.

The paired versions were designed to encourage trading. Each version contained Pokémon that the other did not, so players needed a link cable and another game version to complete the collection. That exchange mechanic was one of the original ideas that distinguished Pokémon from many other role-playing games.