Summer is just around the corner, and popular Japanese clothing brand GU has revealed one Pokémon clothing collaboration perfect for lounging by the pool or strolling along the sea. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026 Pokémon franchise has shown no signs of slowing down in terms of popularity, with recent TCG releases and crossover products selling out almost instantly and fans clamoring for more. The year is packed with special events to celebrate three decades of the world's highest-grossing media franchise, and this new collaboration has already seen plenty of fanfare online.
The continued popularity of Pokémon has been both a blessing and a headache for longtime fans of the franchise. While new product releases are exciting, they also attract scalpers, with retailers becoming a major obstacle for those looking to either collect these items themselves or buy them for their children. The most recent example of this came on May 2, when it was much anticipated Pokémon The 30th anniversary collection went on sale at Target locations across the country. Posts quickly flooded social media, with some highlighting people turning up as early as 2am to line up for the release. Many claimed they couldn't get any of the items they wanted because scalpers simply took everything in sight as quickly as possible. Even the cardboard screens sell on eBay for upwards of $900.
I think Pokemon will dominate this summer for three big reasons
Pokemon fans have at least three big reasons to look forward to summer 2026, with more game reveals, events and merch coming soon.
Popular Japanese clothing chain GU unveils a Pokemon Collab perfect for summer lounging
Those who want something affordable Pokémon-Summer-themed clothes look no further, as popular Japanese clothing brand GU has unveiled a huge collection of 16 unique T-shirts and shorts for men, women and kids alike. All T-shirts and shorts for adults in the new collection are priced at JPY 1,490 (approximately US$10), while children's shirts are priced at JPY 990 (approximately US$7). Those looking for a themed shirt and pants set for their child can choose from Vaporeon, Pikachu, or Gengar-themed sets, all priced at ¥1,990 (about $13). Adult T-shirts range in sizes from XS to 3XL. Pre-orders are now open on GU's official website and the collection will be launched on May 22nd, both online and in store.
A number of collaborations with the popular franchise have been announced throughout 2026. In January, Secretlab revealed three new pokemon-theme gaming chairs with Pikachu, Gengar and Eevee. Pokemon Centers across Japan are offering exclusive 30th anniversary merchandise, while sportswear brand Puma recently revealed sneakers inspired by Umbreon and Espeon. Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo will offer vintage Pokémon merch this summer, while an Adidas collaboration is expected to launch in September 2026.
On the gaming front, this year has been dominated by social simulation sandbox titles Pokemon Pokopiawhich released for the Nintendo Switch 2 in March to rave reviews. Additionally, fans got their first look at Gen 10 and the next area they would explore when the first trailer for Pokemon winds and waves was revealed in February. The games are expected to launch sometime in 2027, and players will have to choose between three starters: Grass-type Browt, Fire-type Pombon, or Water-type Gecqua.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Start
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Light (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)
Those hoping to get their hands on a Switch 2 console to play Pokemon Pokopia or the coming Winds and waves was met with some unfortunate news this week, as Nintendo officially confirmed that the popular console is getting a price hike worldwide. While originally priced at $449.99 in the US, the Switch 2 will now cost $499.99, an 11% price increase. In Japan, the increase is even more notable, where the console now costs 20% more.
- Release date
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1997 – 2023
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuzaa,, Ken Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
- Author
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Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
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Rica Matsumoto
Satoshi (voice)
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Ikue Otani
Pikachu (voice)
