K-Pop artists have caught the attention of showrunners for the Pokémon anime, which has featured aespa, IVE, ZEROBASEONE, and NCT WISH singing themes for the latest series in Asia. These groups have gotten the opportunity to contribute to the highest-grossing anime franchise worldwide. Their theme songs help introduce the current iteration of the anime, called Pokémon Horizons in English, to a new generation of fans. 

aespa: “We Go” 

aespa received the honor of singing the first opening theme for Pokémon Horizons’s Korean dub. Though 2024 saw aespa explore rock with songs like “Live My Life,” “Licorice,” and “Just Another Girl,” “We Go” showed aespa’s first take on this genre when it was released on August 23, 2023. This pop rock composition by Lee Wonjung, KEYOR, C’SA, and Yakyung boosts motivation with its electric guitar riffs. “We Go” served as the Korean opening theme for the series’s first arc, Pokémon: Liko and Roy’s Adventure (포켓몬스터: 리코와 로드의 모험), and its second one, Pokémon: Terapagos’s Brilliance (포켓몬스터: 테라파고스의 빛).  

“We Go” also received an English version aired with Asian English dubs in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, the Phillipines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The members’ favorite Pokémon grace the single’s digital cover: Chikorita for Karina, Pichu for Giselle, Pikachu for Winter, and Espeon for Ningning. Using lyrics written by British Korean singer-songwriter Sophiya, the English version describes taking a chance on an opportunity with unknown results, no matter how frightening it seems. Though aespa no longer sings the series’s current theme song, they still collaborate with Pokémon Korea as Pokémon GO ambassadors. 

IVE: “Will”

IVE made history as the first non-Japanese artist to sing a Japanese opening theme song for the Pokémon anime. On April 12, 2024, the third Japanese arc, Terastal Debut (テラスタルデビュー), premiered with IVE’s “Will” as its opening theme. With IVE earning many accomplishments in the Japanese market, including multiple songs reaching over 100 million streams on Billboard Japan and Japanese music show appearances, the group’s appeal makes them a great fit for this theme song.  

Written and composed by YHEL, gratia, Sorato, and Ryo Ito, “Will” generates anticipation for episodes with its marching band instrumental. IVE chants, “Together, we challenge / to the future, let’s go!” Similar to aespa’s “We Go,” “Will” encourages listeners to take a leap of faith with treasured friends by their side. IVE also included the song on their second Japanese EP ALIVE, which offered a limited Pokémon CD with Pokémon-themed photocards. The Korean version of “Will” serves as the opening theme for the Korean dub of Terastal Debut. 

ZEROBASEONE: “Only One Story”

 On October 11, 2024, ZEROBASEONE took over the latest opening theme for the Japanese anime’s current and ongoing arc, Rayquaza Rising (レックウザ ライジング). The song “Only One Story” cheers listeners on to keep going in spite of hardship: “I’ll send you cheers that’ll connect us, can you hear? / I can definitely write our only one story,” ZEROBASEONE sings in the chorus. This collaboration must feel like a dream for ZEROBASEONE member Matthew, a massive Pokemon fan who has fond memories with the series. 

As the Rayquaza Rizing arc has yet to debut in Korea, it is unknown whether or not a “Only One Story” Korean version will serve as the opening theme for the Korean dub. ZEROBASEONE will include “Only One Story” as one of two title tracks for their first Japanese EP, PREZENT. PREZENT will release with “Only One Story” and “NOW OR NEVER” as dual title tracks on January 29, 2025. A “limited anime version” of the physical EP will feature Pokémon-themed photocards.   

NCT WISH: “Make You Shine”

The latest K-Pop and Pokémon collaboration comes from NCT WISH. The group sang “Make You Shine,” the Korean ending theme for the series’s Terastal Debut arc. Released on October 15, 2024, “Make You Shine” reinvigorates listeners with lyrics that say believing in each other makes people stronger. The rock instrumental by BreadBeat, B.O., YOUNG2BEAT, and SHITOKO does a great job of driving the song forward. The electric guitar gives the song a lot of strength, like what the lyrics wish to give the audience. 

The title “Make You Shine” works as a pun on the verb “to shine” while it references the current anime arc’s name. Terastal Debut draws from the Terastal Phenomenon in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. This gives Pokémon a shimmering appearance and a new type, allowing them to take advantage of different strategies. “Make You Shine” matches the energizing effect the song and the game mechanic give off.