Which Pokémon game first gave players the option to play as a female protagonist?

Pokémon Crystal was the first Pokémon game to offer a female protagonist option.

Developed by Game Freak for the Game Boy Color, Crystal was released in Japan on December 14, 2000, as an enhanced edition of Pokémon Gold and Silver. Players could choose between the male protagonist and the female character later known as Kris.

The game also added animated Pokémon sprites, new story elements, and a stronger role for the Legendary Pokémon Suicune. It was the first Pokémon title incompatible with the original monochrome Game Boy because it used the Game Boy Color’s capabilities.

Gold and Silver had already introduced the Johto region and 100 new Pokémon, but they provided only a male player character. Later games made protagonist selection a standard feature, while Crystal’s choice represented an important expansion of who could be visibly represented as the player’s Pokémon Trainer.