Who created the Pokémon franchise’s main concept?

Satoshi Tajiri created the main concept of the Pokémon franchise.

Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, where he enjoyed collecting insects and other small creatures. That childhood hobby became a central inspiration for a video game about discovering, collecting, and exchanging creatures.

He founded Game Freak with illustrator Ken Sugimori. Tajiri first conceived Pokémon after learning that Nintendo’s Game Boy could connect two systems with a Link Cable. He imagined players trading creatures between handheld consoles.

Tajiri directed and designed the original Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Green, which Game Freak developed for Nintendo’s Game Boy. Shigeru Miyamoto served as an important mentor during development, while Sugimori created the series’ original artwork. These contributors are sometimes confused with the franchise’s creator, but the core concept is credited to Tajiri.