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Football has had some strange crossovers over the years, but Japan’s J.League may just have produced one of the best yet, as every professional club in the country has now been assigned its own official Pokémon. I mean, it would be less likely in the UK if Brentford got one, but Japan gonna Japan.

The collaboration between The Pokémon Company and the J.League has been announced as part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebrations, with all 60 teams across Japan’s top three divisions getting what is being called a “Club Partner Pokémon.” Yes, that means every club now has its own officially sanctioned monster buddy, and frankly, more leagues should be doing this immediately.

The tie-in is themed around “Evolution,” partly because Pokémon is celebrating three decades since the original Red and Green games launched in Japan, and partly because the J.League itself is moving into a new era with its 2026/27 season kicking off on August 7. As branding exercises go, that is a fairly tidy open goal.

Some of the choices are pretty inspired, too. Kashima Antlers have been paired with Charizard, Urawa Reds get Incineroar, Gamba Osaka have Luxray, Kyoto Sanga get Gengar, FC Machida Zelvia get Greninja, and Vissel Kobe are now partnered with Houndoom, which honestly feels like it should make their next home shirt mandatory viewing.

The promotion is not just a social media graphic, either. Fans attending selected home matches between August and September will be able to pick up an exclusive Pokémon eco bag featuring their club badge and partner Pokémon. Around one million bags are set to be given away across the country, and they will not be sold separately, meaning the only way to get one officially is by actually going to a participating match.

That, of course, probably means the resale market is already warming up somewhere in the distance, because limited Pokémon merch plus football fans plus region-locked stadium is not going to end well for everyday collectors.

The J.League has also said clubs will be holding Pokémon J.League Festival events, with some teams already confirming additional stadium activity, merchandise, and even Pokémon GO tie-ins. Gamba Osaka, for example, says its September 12 match against FC Tokyo will include its own Pokémon festival day, with all eligible home supporters receiving the club’s Luxray bag at the gates.

It is not the first time Pokémon has crossed over with football. The franchise previously worked with the English FA for the Pokémon Futsal programme, which included special trading cards featuring Pikachu, Eevee, Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. It has also collaborated with FC Seoul in South Korea.

Still, giving every professional club in a national league its own Pokémon feels like a different level of commitment. The Premier League is now under pressure, because if Everton do not get Psyduck and Manchester United do not get Magikarp, what are we even doing here?