Pokémon to collab with Japan’s pro baseball league for special Pokémon appearances at games, new merchandise, and special events in Pokémon GO

The Pokémon Company has announced a partnership with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Japan’s professional baseball league, in honor of the Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary. This collaboration will include Pokémon appearances at some of the league’s games, special merchandise sold exclusively at the stadiums, and events and challenges in Pokémon GO.

At a press event at Tokyo Midtown Hall in Tokyo today, twelve Pikachu wearing each of the twelve NPB team jerseys helped announce “Pokémon Baseball Festival 2026: Putting 30 years of feelings into the ball.” The six teams in the Pacific League of NPB will be holding special Pokémon-themed games throughout the season, at which they will be selling Pokémon merchandise. All teams will be offering a baseball-uniformed Pikachu acrylic keychain, penlight, and souvenir chain necklace. The Orix Buffaloes will also have available a classic baseball jersey, the Chiba Lotte Marines will have a baseball cap for sale, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles will sell towels featuring their players with Pikachu.


Pokémon games will also feature Pokémon mascots, chosen in theme with the team’s mascot, plus Pikachu. See below for the list of games and which Pokémon will appear there.


The Pokémon GO portion of the collab will feature Pikachu in a baseball jersey, which players can encounter in a few different ways, and which can be Shiny. PokéStops with Baseball Pikachu pictures will be set up at NPB stadiums throughout the entire 2026 season. Players visiting the stadiums at any time can obtain a Timed Research, at the end of which they can encounter Baseball Pikachu. Players can also find Raid Battles for Baseball Pikachu at Gyms around stadiums on the below specified dates.

• Yomiuri Giants: April 3, 4, and 5, 2026
• Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles: April 10, 11, and 12, 2026
• Hanshin Tigers: April 17, 2026
• Hiroshima Toyo Carp: April 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2026
• Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks: May 1, 2, and 3, 2026
• Saitama Seibu Lions: May 4, 5, and 6, 2026
• Orix Buffaloes: May 8, 9, and 10, 2026
• Chiba Lotte Marines: May 15, 16, and 17, 2026
• Yokohama DeNA BayStars: May 23rd and 24th, 2026
• Tokyo Yakult Swallows: July 20, 21, and 22, 2026
• Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters: August 11, 12, and 13, 2026
• Chunichi Dragons: August 21, 22, and 23, 2026