The Pokémon Company has announced a collaboration with Japan's J. League, pairing all 60 of the league's football clubs with their own partner Pokémon, each accompanied by a bespoke logo. The tie-in forms part of the franchise's ongoing 30th anniversary celebrations and coincides with heightened football interest during the World Cup, blending the country's top-flight football with one of its best-known entertainment brands.

Pikachu has been assigned to the J. League itself, while individual clubs receive pairings drawn from across the game's generations — the Kashima Antlers get the Charmander evolution line, Kamatamare Sanuki are matched with Tangela, and Vissel Kobe are given the Houndour line. To mark the collaboration, fans attending a J. League match between 7th August and the end of September can pick up a tote bag showing their club's mascot Pokémon on one side and Pikachu on the other. The logos add to the 1,000-plus new designs the company released earlier this year, one for every Pokémon in the series.