Who created the original Pokémon concept and founded Game Freak?

Satoshi Tajiri created the original Pokémon concept and founded Game Freak.

Tajiri was inspired by his childhood interest in insect collecting and by the Game Boy’s link cable. He imagined creatures that players could find, collect and exchange between connected systems. Game Freak developed the first Pokémon games with assistance from Nintendo and Creatures.

Tajiri founded Game Freak as a fanzine in 1981 with friends, and it later became a video-game development company. The studio’s early work included arcade and console games before production began on Pokémon. Tajiri served as director of Pokémon Red and Green, while Ken Sugimori handled much of the character design.

Shigeru Miyamoto is a different Nintendo creator associated with Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Tsunekazu Ishihara became a major Pokémon executive and producer, but he was not the person who originated the concept. Tajiri’s collecting idea remains central to the franchise’s identity.