Who published the original Pokémon video games?

Nintendo published the original Pokémon video games.

Game Freak developed Pocket Monsters Red and Green for the Game Boy, but Nintendo handled publication. This developer-publisher relationship continued through many later main-series Pokémon releases and helped connect the franchise to Nintendo’s handheld hardware.

Nintendo’s role is sometimes confused with that of The Pokémon Company. The Pokémon Company manages licensing, marketing, and many franchise operations, while Game Freak remains closely associated with development of the core games. Creatures is another major partner, especially in relation to Pokémon-related production and the trading-card business.

The first games also benefited from the Game Boy’s link technology. Nintendo’s Game Link Cable made trading and battling between two players possible, turning Pokémon from a solitary role-playing game into a social experience. That feature became one of the series’ defining ideas.