Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

Important Study: L.A. Has More Rare Pokemon Than Any Other U.S. City

pokemonyoga-1.jpg
Graphic by Julia Wick/LAist (Photo of Bellevue Park by Red Metal Ticket via Flickr)

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.

The rent may be high in L.A. And perhaps we don't have the friendliest of neighbors. But you know what? We have more rare pokemon than anyone else, so we're doing just fine.

According to Wanderu, a website that helps users book bus and train tickets, L.A. ranks first when it comes to the number of rare pokemon that Pokemon Go players have encountered. The site claims that, among the hard-to-find pokemon, the only two that have eluded L.A. users are Magnemite and Hitmonchan. We do, however, have Dratini, Hitmonlee, and Chansey, which is apparently non-existent in Boston and New York City.

There's a chart at Wanderu that shows which rare pokemon can be found in which city. They've also mapped out the rare pokemon across the U.S.:

Sponsored message

Seattle, who have two less rare pokemon than we do, came in second in the rankings, and local publication The Stranger is none too happy about it.

How was this groundbreaking research done? The folks at Wanderu basically used Twitter's API (application program interface) to look through tons of photos and tweets mentioning Pokemon Go. They tallied up the number of pokemon sightings, and noted the diversity of species from each city. They took care to exclude dubious claims; anything that didn't have photo or video evidence was dropped from consideration.

Meanwhile, Mew is still eluding everyone.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible year-end gift today

A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right