The Pokémon Company announced a collaboration today with J League, Japan’s top professional soccer association. As part of the Pokémon 30th anniversary celebrations, each of the J League’s 60 teams is getting its own Pokémon.
The featured Pokémon were picked to match each of Japan’s pro soccer teams. For example, Roasso Kumamoto is getting Ponyta as its partner Pokémon, which matches up with the club’s horse logo and mascot. Akita Blaublitz gets seahorse Pokémon Horsea, which as Pokémon fans will know, has Water/Dragon-type Pokémon Kingdra as its final form. This meshes with Blaublitz’s mascot, which is a blue dragon called Blaugon.
J League’s current catchphrase is “Evolution! The J League is evolving,” and of course, Pokémon evolve too if you train them up right. The collaboration officially launches on August 7, with 1 million Pokémon eco bags in 60 different designs to be handed out to attendees at each respective club’s home ground. On the front of each bag is the club’s partner Pokémon, and on the reverse is a special Pikachu design. There are also plans to sell collaboration merchandise, so soccer and Pokémon fans should watch this space.
After Japan’s impressive showing at the World Cup, which ended after the Samurai Blue conceded a 96th minute winner to Brazil in the round of 32, attention in the country turns to the next season of the J League, which kicks off in August. Kashima Antlers are the defending champions, having won a record-extending ninth J.League title on the last matchday of the 2025 season.
Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.