Who created the Pokémon franchise before it became a worldwide phenomenon?

Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon franchise before it became a worldwide phenomenon.

Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, where he enjoyed collecting insects and exploring natural areas. As urban development changed his surroundings, he imagined a video game that could let children collect and exchange creatures electronically.

The Game Boy Link Cable was central to that idea. Tajiri saw that two Game Boys could communicate, and he envisioned creatures moving between systems. He pitched the concept to Nintendo around 1990, with development eventually handled by Game Freak.

Ken Sugimori, a longtime collaborator, created the artwork for the original Pokémon. Shigeru Miyamoto helped guide the project at Nintendo, while Tsunekazu Ishihara produced the games. These contributors are sometimes confused with the franchise’s creator, but the original concept is credited to Tajiri. His childhood interest in insect collecting remains one of the best-known inspirations behind Pokémon’s collecting and trading mechanics.