The Wolfram|Alpha Blog is now part of the Wolfram Blog. Join us there for the latest on Wolfram|Alpha and other Wolfram offerings »
The Wolfram|Alpha Team

They Choose You, Pikachu!

March 11, 2014 —
Comments Off

Ever since we added Pokémon data to Wolfram|Alpha last fall, it’s been interesting to see the recurring traffic spikes as word spreads and the linkbacks on the interwebs continue to grow. You also wanted to know who are the most-searched Pokémon, so we thought we’d share an update on what our site data says so far.

Pokémon Are Popular in Germany (Among Other Places)

Like the Pokémon series and games themselves, interest in Pokémon data on Wolfram|Alpha has been a global phenomenon, as shown by the map below of readership by country.

Our Top 10 Pokémon-friendly countries by number of visitors are, in order from 1 to 10: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, Australia, France, Singapore, and Japan—with Belgium, India, and New Zealand in a three-way tie for 10th place.

Numbers of visitors

However—with the exception of Germany, which made both lists—the Top 10 countries as measured by the amount of time each visitor spent reading about our Pokémon data are, in order from 1 to 10: Italy, Colombia, Greece, Taiwan, Venezuela, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh, Germany, Dominican Republic, and Norway.

Length of visit

Top 10 Most-Searched Pokémon on Wolfram|Alpha

So, as of press time, who ranks as the Top 10 most-queried Pokémon on Wolfram|Alpha since we added the data?

10. Zangoose. This Generation III leader bears the distinction of being the only non-Generation I Pokémon to make the Top 10.

9. Jigglypuff. Don’t let yourself be mesmerized by this disturbingly cute pink bouncy ball. No, seriously.

8. Raichu. The evolution of Pikachu and final form of Pichu.

Zangoose Jigglypuff Raichu

7. Snorlax. The tallest and heaviest in the Top 10, coming in at 6’11” and 1014 pounds.

6. Squirtle. One of the three starter Pokémon from the early Pokémon series.

5. Charmander. Also a starter, this little orange reptile is quite the fire hazard.

Snorlax Squirtle Charmander

4. Mewtwo. Half of the legendary, psychic Mew duo; its partner, Mew, is currently #14 overall.

3. Bulbasaur. The third Generation I starter, and the only grass-type to make our Top 10.

2. Charizard. The second and final evolution of Charmander.

Mewtwo Bulbasaur Charizard

And the top queried Pokémon on Wolfram|Alpha, by more than four times the second place Charizard and almost 20 times more than Zangoose in 10th place…

1. Pikachu. Of course.

Pikachu

Even accounting for Pikachu being featured in our first Pokémon blog post, and again as part of our Wolfram|Alpha’s Best Blog Posts of 2013, Pikachu is the most-searched Pokémon by a landslide. Diminutive size and mediocre base stats notwithstanding, this squeaky, electrifying guy clearly benefits from the universal appeal and recognizability that comes with being Ash’s favorite Pokémon and best friend through thick and thin.

5 Comments

I thought that Pokémon in Germany had different names than the English ones, while in Italy they are the same. Strange that Germany got a so high place!

Posted by Lazza March 11, 2014 at 1:27 pm

Heh folks, this is one really creative step from you!! Kudos and of course, Pikachu is the best IMHO.

Posted by David Breckejn March 26, 2014 at 8:49 am

Italians spend the most amount of time analyzing Pokemon data on Wolfram Alpha followed by…Columbia? That is interesting and disturbing at the same time.

Posted by Jeffrey March 27, 2014 at 11:50 am

I like a Pokémon

Posted by Ramon September 19, 2014 at 7:05 pm

My favorite is Pikachu. Just loved it.

Posted by Kerrie April 4, 2015 at 11:48 am