Who is credited as the creator and original designer of the Pokémon franchise?

Satoshi Tajiri is credited as the creator and original designer of the Pokémon franchise. He developed the central idea of collecting, raising, and trading creatures after being inspired by the Game Boy’s link-cable technology.

Tajiri grew up collecting insects, an interest that influenced Pokémon’s original Japanese concept. He imagined players discovering creatures, training them, and exchanging them with other players rather than simply finishing a game alone.

Tajiri founded Game Freak, first as a fanzine and later as a video game development company. He worked with Nintendo and Game Freak colleagues, including artist Ken Sugimori, to turn the concept into Pokémon Red and Green.

Sugimori became the franchise’s major art director and designed or finalized many Pokémon, while composers, programmers, writers, and producers shaped the games. Those collaborators were essential, but Tajiri remains the person officially associated with creating Pokémon.