Oh, Japan – never change. It has been revealed this week that Japan will be using Pikachu, the adorable yellow face of the Pokemon franchise, as their mascot for the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
As revealed on Adidas and The Pokemon Company‘s official Japanese websites, the electrifying bundle of cute will be cheering alongside the Japanese national football squad as they venture to Rio de Janeiro in order to take part in the football tournament.
The Adidas website even featured a quote from the new mascot, with the Pokemon reportedly saying: “Pikka~tsu!” I’m assuming that’s Japanese for “Pikachu!” as I’m pretty sure Pokemon are only capable of saying their names.
Obviously the pressure is now on Japan’s goalkeeper, as a barrage of “Gotta Catch ‘Em All!” jokes will inevitably fly his way.
