Who originally conceived Pokémon Pokopia as a Pokémon spinoff?

Shigeru Ohmori originally conceived Pokémon Pokopia as a Pokémon spinoff.

Ohmori is a Game Freak director and producer who worked on several major Pokémon titles. The Pokopia concept began during development of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, where he considered a separate project focused on a different way to engage with the Pokémon world. That idea eventually became a life simulation centered on building, crafting, and restoring environments.

Pokopia’s development later involved Omega Force, the Koei Tecmo studio that co-developed the game with Game Freak. Ohmori’s role is therefore distinct from the wider development partnership: he is credited with the original concept, while the finished game was produced through collaboration between studios.

The answer is not Satoshi Tajiri, who co-founded Game Freak and created the original Pokémon concept, nor Ken Sugimori, whose best-known Pokémon role is as an artist and designer. Junichi Masuda is another major Game Freak figure, but the reported origin of Pokopia specifically points to Ohmori.