Since the release of Niantic’s Pokemon GO, Nintendo’s little monsters have invaded the phones of millions of people around the world. Everyone has their favorite pocket monster, but a study of the Toyzone District found that this preference varies from country to country.
The discovery was made in celebration of the 25th birthday of the franchise by analyzing the search volume of each Pokémon in different countries.
The Greatest of All
The study only took into account the Pokemon introduced in the first games —Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue — released in 1996. Among the original 151 Pokemon, the one that stood out in a larger number of countries does not surprise anyone: it is the Pikachu, mascot of the franchise.
The electric rodent gained its fame by starring in all 23 seasons of the anime alongside Ash. This also explains why its popularity is even greater in Asia, a strong consumer market for anime, and in Africa, where games do not have such a great appeal.
Europe seems to suffer a greater influence on card games and laptops. In the old continent, the most wanted were Abra and Golem, quite different from the global average.
The winner of the Americas
In the Americas, the division is much more balanced. In North America, the great champion of quests is the ghost Pokemon Gengar. Most Pokémon fans around the world are focused on American soil, so their preference for playful Pokémon has boosted their popularity in the region.
Central America doesn’t exactly have a consensus of its favorite monster. There is a certain preference for the initials, the Pokémon available for players to choose from at the beginning of each game. Squirtle and Charmander’s evolutionary line divide fans’ hearts, while the Bulbasaur remains forgotten.
Here in South America we also have a tie, between the mascot Pikachu and Charmander — this second, being the most loved by Brazilians. Argentina and Uruguay named Bulbasaur as their champion, but in the first publication of the research, it was different.
As reported by the page Coach’s Life, Onix had been mistakenly declared the most popular Pokemon in this region. It turns out that the best-selling car in Latin America between 2016 and 2019 shares its name with the stone giant, which confused British researchers.
