Who conceived the Pokémon franchise before founding Game Freak?

Satoshi Tajiri conceived the Pokémon franchise before founding Game Freak.

Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, where he enjoyed collecting insects and exploring natural surroundings. Those childhood experiences inspired the idea of a game in which players could find, collect, and exchange creatures. The Game Boy’s link port gave him a practical way to turn that idea into a social game, because two systems could communicate through a cable.

Tajiri had already established Game Freak as a video-game magazine in 1983 and later transformed it into a development company. Game Freak’s early Pokémon project was initially known in Japan as Pocket Monsters. Ken Sugimori, one of Tajiri’s longtime collaborators, created the finished artwork for the creatures and characters.

Tajiri is sometimes confused with Junichi Masuda, who composed music and later became a major director and producer, or with Tsunekazu Ishihara, a key business executive. Tajiri remains credited as the original creator of the concept.