Who conceived the original Pokémon game idea after being inspired by insect collecting?

Satoshi Tajiri conceived the original Pokémon game idea after being inspired by insect collecting.

As a child, Tajiri enjoyed finding and collecting insects around Machida, Japan. As urban development reduced the natural spaces where children could explore, he imagined recreating that sense of discovery in a video game.

The Game Boy’s link capability gave the idea its defining feature. Tajiri realized that two players could connect their systems and exchange creatures, turning collecting into an activity shared between friends. The concept was pitched to Nintendo around 1990 and developed by Tajiri’s company, Game Freak.

The project took years to complete and nearly caused serious financial strain for Game Freak. Shigeru Miyamoto encouraged the two-version structure, while Ken Sugimori handled major visual and character-design work. Tajiri directed the project and remained closely associated with the franchise’s original concept.