My Friend Malamar
"My Friend Malamar" banner with logo
Japanese "My Friend Calamanero" logo

My Friend Malamar (Japanese: マイ・フレンド・カラマネロ My Friend Calamanero) was a Pokémon campaign held to celebrate the Overturning Pokémon, Malamar, as well as to promote the then-upcoming core series game Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It began online on September 4, 2025.

Promotional video

Ahead of all the other promotions, a video was uploaded on The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel on September 4, 2025, which showcases various people being enamored by Malamar and expressing their love for the Pokémon in various ways.

By The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

In spin-off games

Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Battle Board in Pokémon Trading Card Game Live from September 5 to 15, 2025

In Pokémon Trading Card Game Live, from September 5 to 15, 2025, the in-game Battle Board is given a visual update featuring Malamar. The "My Friend" collection, consisting of various Malamar-themed avatar and deck customization items, is made available for free to all players who logged in before September 15, 2025.[1]

Various Malamar-related catchphrases are also added to the player customization:

Intro catchphrases
  • My friend Malamar.
  • I'm a Malamar fanatic!
  • We all love Malamar!
  • Malamar has my heart!
  • Malamar makes me happy!
Victory catchphrases
  • Malamar, you are so sweet and adorable!
  • Malamar is the coolest and friendliest Pokémon out there.
  • Isn't Malamar just the best?
  • With Malamar, there's no job I can't do!
  • "My Friend" Card Sleeves
    "My Friend" Card Sleeves
  • "My Friend" Deck Box
    "My Friend" Deck Box
  • "My Friend" Coin
    "My Friend" Coin

On the internet

  • On September 5, 2025, the official Japanese Pokémon Twitter account (@Pokemon_cojp) posted three mobile phone wallpapers featuring Malamar.[2] On the same day, the official Korean Pokémon Twitter account (@PokemonKoreaInc) also posted four mobile phone wallpapers featuring Malamar.[3] On September 6, 2025, the official Twitter accounts of Pokémon in European regions posted three more wallpapers contained in a ZIP file, which also contains clips from the September 4 video.[4]
  • On September 5, 2025, the official Pokémon website posted an article detailing "The Top‑Five Pokémon Trading Card Game Cards of All Time" (all of them are Malamar cards).[5]
  • From September 5, 2025 for the duration of the campaign, the Featured section (Japanese: ピックアップ Pick-Up) on the official Japanese Pokédex website (https://zukan.pokemon.co.jp) is always set to Malamar.[6]
  • From September 5, 2025, one of the six Featured Pokémon spaces on the official Pokémon website (Pokemon.com) is always set to Malamar. Each subsequent day, another Malamar is added to one of the other Featured Pokémon spaces, culminating with Malamar being on all six Featured Pokémon spaces on September 10, 2025.
  • On September 7, 2025, the official Pokémon website posted an article detailing "The Top 5 Greatest Pokémon Evolutions in the Pokémon Video Games" (all of them are Evolutions of Inkay into Malamar).[7] Also on September 7, a clip from the Pokémon the Series: XY episode A Conspiracy to Conquer! that features Malamar was uploaded to the official Pokémon YouTube channel.[8]
  • On September 8, 2025, the official Pokémon website posted a Malamar-themed quiz.[9]
  • On September 8, 2025, the official Japanese Pokémon Information Bureau Twitter account (@poke_times) posted a mysterious phone camera video, where the screen is black for nearly its entire duration, and only sounds of the phone and various objects being shuffled around can be heard.[10]
    • The next day, on September 9, 2025, the @poke_times account is turned completely topsy-turvy. Its banner and profile picture are upside-down, and its display name and bio are written in reverse. Any tweets uploaded on this day are also written in reverse, and any included images are posted upside-down. The hashtag #ɐzspuǝɓǝluoɯǝʞod is used.[11][12]
  • On September 9, 2025, the official Pokémon website posted an article detailing Malamar's various animation appearances in Pokémon the Series. The same article also announced a "Malamar-athon" Twitch livestream held on the same day, from 14:00 to 17:00 PDT.[13]
  • On September 10, 2025, the official Pokémon Twitter account (@Pokemon) has its banner, profile picture, and bio all turned upside-down.[14] Later, from 13:00 UTC, the entirety of the official Pokémon website (Pokemon.com) received a Malamar-themed makeover.[15]
  • On September 10, 2025, the official Play! Pokémon Twitter account (@PlayPokemon) posted a team featuring six Malamar as a rate-my-team post.[16]
  • On September 13, 2025, the official Play! Pokémon Twitter account (@PlayPokemon) posted a video of a Pokémon GO PVP match, featuring crissslb7's Shadow Malamar knocking out TheMegaJuncko's Cradily.[17]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 1)[2]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 1)[2]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 2)[2]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 2)[2]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 3)[2]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 3)[2]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 4)[3]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 4)[3]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 5)[3]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 5)[3]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 6)[3]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 6)[3]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 7)[3]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 7)[3]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 8)[4]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 8)[4]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 9)[4]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 9)[4]
  • Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 10)[4]
    Malamar mobile wallpaper (variant 10)[4]

In real life

"My Friend Calamanero" Pokémon Center campaign announcement
  • From September 5 to 10, 2025, the My Friend Calamanero campaign is held at Pokémon Center stores across Japan.[18] The stores are decorated with Malamar memorabilia, and customers are given free Malamar paper hats and handouts detailing Malamar.
  • Several online Pokémon content creators, including Joe Merrick of Serebii.net, received a package containing Malamar-themed merchandise and materials,[19] among which is an announcement for a video to be released on September 10, 2025 at 13:00 UTC.[20]
  • Handouts and paper hats featuring Malamar, available at Japanese Pokémon Center stores[21]
    Handouts and paper hats featuring Malamar, available at Japanese Pokémon Center stores[21]

Fansites

Although not officially endorsed by The Pokémon Company, some Pokémon fan communities and websites have voluntarily joined in on the My Friend Malamar campaign.

Bulbagarden

  • From September 5 to 10, 2025, Bulbapedia became "Malapedia", and its main page received a Malamar-themed overhaul.[22] The browsing portal page Browse:Malamar was also created.
  • On September 9, 2025, an article detailing Malamar's usage in the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC) is released on the Bulbanews forum of Bulbagarden.
Bulbanews
Bulbanews
  • Malapedia Main Page
    Malapedia Main Page

Other fansites

  • From September 5 to 15, 2025, Serebii.net changed its Pokémon Legends: Z-A-themed banner to include Malamar.
  • On September 6, 2025, the daily online Pokémon-based Sudoku game PokeDoku released a bonus puzzle themed after My Friend Malamar.[23]
  • From September 7, 2025 until the end of the campaign, Pokémon Showdown is renamed "Malamar Showdown", and the website received a few Malamar-themed visual overhauls.
  • The Reddit r/Pokémon Discord server got a Malamar theme.
  • Serebii.net banner with Malamar
    Serebii.net banner with Malamar
  • Malamar Showdown Main Page
    Malamar Showdown Main Page

End of campaign

  • The My Friend Malamar campaign culminated with a video released on September 10, 2025, at 13:00 UTC. The video informs that the people in the "Malamar.mp4" video who expressed themselves as Malamar fanatics had been affected by the powers of the newly revealed Mega Evolution of Malamar.
SPECIAL REPORT: The Truth About Malamar
By The Official Pokémon YouTube channel
  • The official Japanese Pokémon Information Bureau Twitter account (@poke_times) returned to normal.[24] On September 10, 2025, at 13:15 UTC, the account posted an apology regarding all the upside-down posts from September 9-10, 2025. The apology explained that the posts had been distorted by an employee who had no recollection of doing so, and said person was given a warning not to do it again. The apology stated that it is "unclear" whether this incident had anything to do with the newly revealed Mega Malamar.[25]
  • On October 7, 2025, the official Pokémon Center website put up a sale for a special edition of the Malamar Sitting Cuties plush, packaged in a "My Friend Malamar"-themed box.[26]

In other languages

Language Title
Japanese マイ・フレンド・カラマネロ My Friend Calamanero
French Mon ami Sepiatroce
German Mein Freund Calamanero
Italian Il mio amico Malamar
Korean 마이프렌드칼라마네로 My Friend Calamanero
Spanish Mi amigo Malamar

Related articles

References

  1. ↑ (September 11, 2025). Tweet by Pokémon TCG Live (@PokemonTCGLive). Twitter.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 (September 5, 2025). Tweet by ポケモン公式 (@Pokemon_cojp). Twitter.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 (September 5, 2025). Tweet by 포켓몬 게임 소식 (@PokemonKoreaInc). Twitter.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 (September 6, 2025). Tweet by Pokémon UK (@PokemonNewsUK). Twitter.
  5. ↑ (September 5, 2025). "The Top‑Five Pokémon Trading Card Game Cards of All Time." Pokemon.com
  6. ↑ Archived version of the Pokémon Zukan Main Page from September 8, 2025
  7. ↑ (September 7, 2025). "The Top 5 Greatest Pokémon Evolutions in the Pokémon Video Games." Pokemon.com
  8. ↑ (September 7, 2025). "Officer Jenny was brainwashed by Malamar? | Pokémon the Series: XY | Official Clip." The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel. YouTube.
  9. ↑ (September 8, 2025). "The Malamar-velous Malamar Quiz." Pokemon.com
  10. ↑ (September 9, 2025). Tweet by 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times). Twitter.
  11. ↑ Archive of 局報情ンモケポ【式公】 (@poke_times) on Twitter on September 9, 2025, 07:10:36 UTC.
  12. ↑ Archive of 局報情ンモケポ【式公】 (@poke_times) on Twitter on September 10, 2025, 07:51:34 UTC.
  13. ↑ (September 9, 2025). "Malamar’s Most Iconic Animation Moments and a Malamar-athon." Pokemon.com
  14. ↑ Archive of Pokémon (@Pokemon) on Twitter on September 10, 2025, 07:54:44 UTC.
  15. ↑ Archive of The Official Pokémon Website (Pokemon.com) on September 10, 2025, 13:47:46 UTC.
  16. ↑ (September 6, 2025). Tweet by Play! Pokémon (@PlayPokemon). Twitter.
  17. ↑ (September 6, 2025). Tweet by Play! Pokémon (@PlayPokemon). Twitter.
  18. ↑ (September 5, 2025). "ポケモンセンターで「マイ・フレンド・カラマネロ」が開催中！" Pokémon Official Website (Japanese)
  19. ↑ (September 5, 2025). Tweet by Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick). Twitter.
  20. ↑ Serebii News (September 5, 2025).
  21. ↑ (September 5, 2025). Tweet by ポケモンセンター公式 (@pokemoncenterPR). Twitter.
  22. ↑ Archived version of the Bulbapedia Main Page from September 5, 2025
  23. ↑ (September 6, 2025). Tweet by PokeDoku (@poke_doku_). Twitter.
  24. ↑ Archive of 局報情ンモケポ【式公】 (@poke_times) on Twitter on September 10, 2025, 15:41:36 UTC.
  25. ↑ (September 10, 2025). Tweet by 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times). Twitter.
  26. ↑ My Friend Malamar Edition - Malamar Sitting Cuties Plush - 7 In. | Pokémon Center Official Site
This article is part of Project Mass Media, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on official Pokémon publishing, broadcasting, communications, and other media.
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