Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism decided to give the Pokemon Vaporeon a very important role in Japanese society. Aiming to connect with a younger generation and appeal to children, they chose Vaporeon to become an ambassador.

August 1 is “Water Day” in Japan, a day where the Ministry promotes clean water conservation. An official statement on The Pocket Monsters website reads: “Showers (Vaporeon's name in the Japanese version of Pokemon) live near clean water and their cells resemble water molecules, so they are supporting Water Day and it is currently working as an ambassador for Water Day.” Water Day kicks off Water Week, which lasts until August 7, 2021.

This isn't the first time a government institution in Japan recruited Pokemon for their advocacy efforts. Mascots are a big thing in Japan, and are widely used to promote everything – from tourism to produce and transportation.

On a tangent, Japan claims to have improved water quality for swimming events for Tokyo 2020. That's something that Vaporeon would be really proud of. While the Pokemon mascot isn't directly connected to Tokyo 2020, the Olympics still embodies Water Day with these efforts. This will make sure that athletes are safe during the competition, especially now that diseases are rampant and spread so fast, whether on water or airborne.