Who created the original Pokémon video-game concept?

Satoshi Tajiri created the original Pokémon video-game concept.

Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, where he enjoyed collecting insects and other small creatures. As urban development reduced the natural spaces around him, he imagined a game that could let children experience collecting creatures through a screen.

The Game Boy’s link cable gave the idea its defining feature. Tajiri envisioned creatures traveling between two connected handhelds, turning collecting into a social activity involving trading. He pitched the concept to Nintendo, where Shigeru Miyamoto became an important mentor during development.

The project took about six years to complete and nearly bankrupted Game Freak. Tajiri’s concept eventually became Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in Japan in 1996. Ken Sugimori handled much of the early artwork, while Junichi Masuda contributed programming and music, so these collaborators are sometimes mistakenly credited as the sole creator.