>>81726641VShojo doesn't force them to do this. They almost certainly suggest it, because mascots are helpful for branding, merch, etc, but there's too many inconsistencies to really suggest it's a requirement. Not least of which is Kson as was already mentioned, since people who want to do art of the mascots together never know what to draw for her. Even some people who have mascots now didn't when they started out, like Froot, Zen, and Hime.
