Who first conceived the Pokémon video-game series?

Satoshi Tajiri first conceived the Pokémon video-game series.

Tajiri's idea grew from two experiences: his childhood interest in collecting insects and his fascination with the Game Boy's ability to connect two consoles. He imagined players exchanging collectible creatures through the Game Link Cable, turning a technical feature into a social part of the game.

Tajiri pitched the project to Nintendo after developing games through his company, Game Freak. Shigeru Miyamoto became an important mentor during development, but Miyamoto was not Pokémon's creator. Ken Sugimori led much of the visual design, while Junichi Masuda became a major programmer and composer.

The project took about six years to complete and nearly bankrupted Game Freak. Tajiri also drew inspiration from Japanese monster entertainment, including Ultraman. The final concept evolved through several names and designs before becoming Pocket Monsters, later shortened internationally to Pokémon.