Which Pokémon game first offered a female playable protagonist?

Pokémon Crystal was the first Pokémon game to offer a female playable protagonist. It was released for the Game Boy Color in Japan in December 2000 and internationally during 2001.

The player could choose between the male protagonist Ethan and the female protagonist Kris. Earlier main-series games, including Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, Gold, and Silver, gave players only a male player character.

Crystal was an enhanced version of Pokémon Gold and Silver. Along with the choice of protagonist, it added animated Pokémon sprites, a Battle Tower, additional story material, and a stronger narrative role for the Legendary Pokémon Suicune.

The female protagonist is sometimes incorrectly attributed to Pokémon Ruby or Pokémon Sapphire, but those games came later in the third generation. Pokémon Crystal therefore represents an important step in the series’ expansion of player customization.