Who designed the original Pokémon character artwork for the first games?

Ken Sugimori designed the original Pokémon character artwork for the first games.

Sugimori was a founding member of Game Freak and served as the principal artist for the original Pokémon titles. He created or refined the visual presentation of the first-generation Pokémon and produced much of the artwork associated with the franchise’s early identity.

Satoshi Tajiri created the Pokémon concept and directed the original games, so the two names are often mixed up. Tajiri originated the collecting and trading idea, while Sugimori translated the creatures and characters into visual form.

Atsuko Nishida is another important Pokémon designer, particularly associated with Pikachu and other later designs, but she is not the answer to the question about the original game artwork overall. Sugimori continued to contribute art direction and character design across the franchise, making his work central to Pokémon’s visual history.