Who created the Pokémon franchise that began with the original Game Boy games?

Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon franchise that began with the original Game Boy games.

Tajiri founded Game Freak, which started as a video game fanzine before becoming a development company. His childhood interest in insect collecting inspired the central idea of catching, collecting, and exchanging creatures.

Tajiri proposed the concept to Nintendo, and development eventually brought together Game Freak, Nintendo, and Creatures. Ken Sugimori provided much of the character and Pokémon artwork, while many other developers helped turn the concept into a finished role-playing game.

Tajiri is sometimes confused with Sugimori because Sugimori is strongly associated with the visual identity of Pokémon. Sugimori was the original game's art director and illustrator, but Tajiri is credited as the franchise's creator and the person who conceived its core idea.