Which Pokémon game first allowed a selectable female player character?

Pokémon Crystal was the first Pokémon game to allow players to select a female player character.

Developed by Game Freak, Pokémon Crystal is an enhanced version of Pokémon Gold and Silver for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on December 14, 2000, and added the female trainer Kris alongside the established male player character. This made gender selection part of the main Pokémon role-playing game experience.

Crystal also introduced animated Pokémon sprites during battles, a larger role for Suicune, and the Battle Tower. Its story remained closely related to Gold and Silver, but the selectable protagonist gave players a new way to experience the Johto adventure.

The feature is sometimes confused with later games because Ruby and Sapphire expanded character customization and female representation internationally. However, those games came afterward. Pokémon Crystal established the choice first in the main series, and gender selection became a recurring feature in subsequent generations.