>>48233227Because it is a foreign word, it may not have the same negative connotation in Japan for the product.
For example, if I create a chocolate called Unko for the rest of the world it just sounds funny, while for the Japanese it is unpleasant.
So I imagine TPC in America didn't want their product to be associated with any negative connotation, changing the Pocket Monster element to a cute-sounding hybrid word "Pokemon".