The Pokémon Company has announced a widespread collaboration with J League, Japan’s professional soccer association, which will see each of the league’s 60 teams assigned a specific Pokémon. This initiative is part of the ongoing celebrations for Pokémon's 30th anniversary.
The selections aim to pair Pokémon with teams based on thematic or visual similarities. For instance, Roasso Kumamoto has been partnered with Ponyta, a choice that aligns with the club’s horse-themed logo and mascot. Similarly, Akita Blaublitz will collaborate with the seahorse Pokémon Horsea, whose final evolution, Kingdra, is a Water/Dragon-type that complements Blaublitz's mascot, a blue dragon named Blaugon.
This partnership also draws a parallel between the J League's current slogan, “Evolution! The J League is evolving,” and the core Pokémon mechanic of evolution. The collaboration is set to officially launch on August 7.
Attendees at each team's home stadium will have the opportunity to receive one of one million special Pokémon eco bags. Each bag will feature the team’s partner Pokémon on one side and a special Pikachu design on the other. Further collaboration merchandise is also planned for release, appealing to both soccer and Pokémon enthusiasts.