Satoshi Tajiri created the original Pokémon video game concept and directed the first Pokémon games.
Tajiri grew up in Machida, Japan, where he enjoyed exploring natural areas and collecting insects and other small creatures. Those childhood interests helped inspire the idea of a game centered on discovering, collecting, and exchanging creatures.
He founded Game Freak, first as a video game magazine and later as a development company. Tajiri pitched Pocket Monsters to Nintendo, and Game Freak spent roughly six years developing the project for the Game Boy before its Japanese release in 1996.
Other major creators are sometimes confused with Tajiri. Ken Sugimori handled much of the original character art, while Junichi Masuda composed music and later became a prominent director and producer. Shigeru Miyamoto advised on the project, but Tajiri is credited as the creator of Pokémon.