Who first conceived the idea for Pokémon?

Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the idea for Pokémon.

Tajiri developed the concept after seeing the Game Boy and imagining how its link cable could let players exchange creatures. His childhood interest in collecting insects helped inspire the idea of finding and collecting Pokémon, while the handheld system made trading between players possible.

Ken Sugimori, a longtime collaborator, illustrated the original Pokémon and helped shape their visual identity. Shigeru Miyamoto mentored Tajiri during development, and Junichi Masuda later became a major composer and developer associated with the series. These roles are important, but they are different from conceiving the original idea.

Tajiri and Sugimori had previously worked together on Game Freak, which began as a video-game fanzine and became a development company in 1989.