Who created the Pokémon franchise, first launched with the 1996 Game Boy games?

Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon franchise, first launched with the 1996 Game Boy games.

Tajiri grew up enjoying the collection of insects and other small creatures, an experience that became a major inspiration for Pokémon. He imagined a game in which players could collect creatures and exchange them with friends through the Game Boy Link Cable.

Tajiri co-founded Game Freak with artist Ken Sugimori. Sugimori later became central to the visual design of the original Pokémon, but Tajiri is credited as the franchise's creator and the principal originator of its concept.

The first Pokémon project took roughly six years to develop. Tajiri directed and designed the original games, while Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto served as an important mentor during development. Tajiri later moved into executive-producing roles on the series.