Which Nintendo console hosted the first Pokémon video games?

The first Pokémon video games were released for Nintendo's Game Boy.

Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green launched in Japan in 1996 on the original monochrome handheld. Their design used the Game Boy's link-cable feature, allowing players to trade Pokémon and battle another player with a second system and game cartridge.

The franchise later appeared on the Game Boy Color through Pokémon Yellow and on the Game Boy Advance through games such as Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Those later systems are sometimes mistakenly associated with Pokémon's beginning because they hosted major early releases outside Japan.

The Game Boy's portability and link-cable connectivity were central to the original concept. Trading was not merely an optional extra: different Pokémon were available in different versions, encouraging players to connect and exchange creatures to complete their collection.