Texas Pokémon Search Data Reveals Surprising Favorite

It’s Pokémon Day and if you grew up in the late ‘90s or early 2000s, that probably unlocks a core memory!

From Game Boy battles and trading cards on the playground to Pokémon Go meetups in city parks, the franchise has managed to stick with Millennials for three decades. And according to new Google search data, Texans still hold Pokémon close to them! But which Pokémon does Texas love the most? The answer might surprise you.

New Search Data Reveals Texas’ Pokémon Obsession

To celebrate Pokémon Day, ACE.com analyzed 36 months of Google search data across the U.S. to determine which states are the most obsessed with Pokémon, and which characters they love most.

The data looked at monthly search averages and searches per 10,000 residents to measure just how deep each state’s fandom runs. The numbers landed Texas at no. 19 of the states most obsessed with Pokémon, pulling in 2,077,630 average monthly Pokémon-related searches, with 641 searches per 10,000 people.
That’s a lot of Poké Balls!

While Texas didn’t top the national obsession rankings, the Lone Star State is clearly still searching, battling, and probably arguing over evolutions in group chats.

Texas’ Favorite Pokémon Revealed in New Data

The data also revealed that Texas had a clear favorite. Nationally, Pikachu remains undefeated as America’s favorite Pokémon, pulling in an average of 685,100 searches per month.

But Texas? Texas went in a completely different direction. According to the search data, Texas’ favorite Pokémon is Slowpoke. Not Charizard. Not Mewtwo. Not even Pikachu. Slowpoke. Which I have to admit is adorable!

Slowpoke is famously chill, unbothered, and not exactly in a rush. It’s giving “take your time,” “float the river,” “why stress?” energy.

Now, I have to confess that I never really watched the original anime growing up. I was aware of its existence and tried to get into it, but I didn’t collect the cards- I just thought they were cute!

READ MORE: Texas Pokémon Fans Are Driving a Rare Card Boom

But when Pokémon Go launched in 2016? Oh. I was outside. Walking around parks pretending I “just needed some fresh air” when really I was trying to catch something rare. Pokémon Go completely revived the franchise for a whole generation- and for some of us, it was our first real entry point into the Pokémon universe.

It’s easy to think of Pokémon as a nostalgic childhood phase, but the numbers say otherwise. Whether you grew up battling on a Game Boy, collecting cards, or secretly downloading Pokémon Go like I did, Pokémon Day is a reminder that some fandoms can evolve without losing their original fans.