Who illustrated the original Pokémon game artwork?

Ken Sugimori illustrated the original Pokémon game artwork.

Sugimori was a founding member of Game Freak and worked closely with Satoshi Tajiri on the first Pokémon games. He created and refined the official character artwork that introduced the original Pokémon roster to players and helped establish the franchise's visual style.

His role is often confused with that of Tajiri, who conceived Pokémon and directed the original games. Sugimori was not the franchise's creator, but his illustrations gave the creatures their recognizable official forms. He also served as an art director and designer across later Pokémon projects.

Mitsuhiro Arita is another frequently confused name because of his influential Pokémon Trading Card Game illustrations. Card artists contributed important artwork, but Sugimori's original game designs formed the visual foundation for the franchise's first generation.