What were the Japanese titles of the original Pokémon game pair?

The Japanese titles of the original Pokémon game pair were Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

Released for the Game Boy on February 27, 1996, the games introduced the franchise's first region, first 151 species, and central system of catching and trading Pokémon. Their Japanese branding used Pocket Monsters, the full name from which Pokémon was derived.

International audiences usually know the pair as Pokémon Red and Blue. That difference is not simply a translation: Japan received an updated Pokémon Blue release after Red and Green, and overseas versions were based on the revised Blue content while retaining Red and Blue as their titles.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are later remakes of the first-generation adventures, not the original releases. Gold and Silver belong to the second generation and take place after the Kanto story. These similar titles are why specifying the Japanese originals matters when discussing Pokémon's 30-year history.