Highlights
- This month, McDonald's Japan is releasing a new series of Happy Meal toys inspired by Pokemon Horizons: The Series.
- The new toys feature popular characters like Captain Pikachu, Terrapagos, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.
- Whether these Happy Meal toys will be made available in the United States remains to be seen.
McDonald’s and Pokemon are teaming up once again for a new Happy Meal promotion themed after Pokemon Horizons: The Series. This new incarnation of the long-running Pokemon anime first started airing in Japan last April and finally reached the US via Netflix this March. The series sees the spotlight shift from longtime protagonist Ash Ketchum to a new pair of main characters named Liko and Roy who embark on their own adventures through the region of Paldea, encountering the many new Pokemon creatures introduced in 2022’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet along the way.
With the new Pokemon show well into its run at this point, some fans have wondered if McDonald’s is preparing to release a new Happy Meal promotion to celebrate its success. There have been several Pokemon Happy Meal tie-ins over the past few decades, featuring either special Happy Meal toys or limited-edition Pokemon trading cards. One of the most recent Pokemon Happy Meal promotions was held in Japan last August and offered customers a fun assortment of festival-themed toys. Another took place in September and included special cards featuring Pikachu and the Scarlet and Violet starters.
McDonald’s is joining forces with Pokemon once again in Japan, as revealed in a pair of new announcement videos posted to the official McDonald’s Japan YouTube channel (via CBR). The new promotion will run in two waves and feature a small line-up of toys themed after Pokemon Horizons: The Series. The first will run from August 8 to August 15 and offer customers a Captain Pikachu-themed spinning waterwheel, a Poke Ball watering can with a plastic Terrapagos to place on top, a toy shovel patterned after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Grass-type starter Sprigatito, and a small Fuecoco frisbee.
Pokemon Happy Meal August 2024 Lineup
Wave 1 (August 8-15)
- Captain Pikachu's Spinning Waterwheel
- Terrapagos' Poké Ball Watering Can
- Sprigatito's Shovel Set
- Fuecoco's Frisbee
Wave 2 (August 16-22)
- Quaxly's Water Gun
- Captain Pikachu's Roller
- Sprigatito's Telescope
- A Poké Ball Compass (feat. Fuecoco, Captain Pikachu, Quaxly, and Sprigatito)
The second planned Pokemon Happy Meal wave will run from August 16 to 22 and introduce four new toys: a plastic Quaxly that squirts water, a roller themed after Captain Pikachu, a toy telescope decorated with a Sprigatito design, and a Poke Ball compass decorated with the images of Fuecoco, Captain Pikachu, Quaxly and Sprigatito. A third and final Pokemon Happy Meal wave will start on August 23 to clear all remaining toys from the previous couple of weeks from each shop's inventory.
There is currently no word if this newest batch of Pokemon Happy Meal toys will make their way outside of Japan, but it continues a wave of video game-themed promotions by McDonald's. Earlier this year, the popular fast-food chain offered a limited supply of Kirby plushies in Japan, while other territories were lucky enough to snag MultiVersus tins and puzzles.
Created by Satoshi Tajiri
