Which game is Pokémon Pokopia's concept director credited with directing before it?

Pokémon Pokopia's concept director, Shigeru Ohmori, previously directed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Ohmori conceived Pokopia while working as director of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. His earlier role is important because it connects the spin-off's origin to a major mainline Pokémon project rather than to a separate company or unrelated series.

The two games have different goals. Scarlet and Violet are open-world role-playing games built around exploration, battles, and story progression, while Pokopia is a sandbox life simulation centered on creating habitats and living alongside Pokémon.

Ohmori also drew inspiration from his work as a map designer on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. That does not mean Ruby and Sapphire was the game he directed immediately before conceiving Pokopia; it was an earlier design experience that influenced his interest in player-created environments. The precise answer is therefore Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.