Who illustrated the original 151 Pokémon species?

Ken Sugimori illustrated the original 151 Pokémon species.

Sugimori met Satoshi Tajiri through Game Freak, the video game magazine Tajiri created before it became a development company. Sugimori became the magazine's illustrator and later helped establish the visual identity of Pokémon through official artwork and character designs.

The original Pokémon began as sprites and game concepts, but Sugimori's illustrations gave the creatures a consistent presentation in promotional materials, manuals, cards, and other media. His work helped define the recognizable look of the first-generation roster.

Satoshi Tajiri is the franchise's creator, so the two names are easy to confuse. Atsuko Nishida also designed important Pokémon, including Pikachu, but she was not the illustrator of the complete original roster. Sugimori's role was broader and closely tied to the first 151 species as a group.