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Fans find it hard to control their excitement when the dragon-type Pokémon pops up.

Tokyo’s premier zoo is located inside Ueno Park, and for decades its pandas have been the facility’s most popular residents. The mental connection between the neighborhood and the loveable animals is so strong that you’ll find all sorts of panda-themed sweets, toys, and souvenirs for sale in and around the park.

But now there’s another critter people are flocking to Ueno to see. Also located in the park is Shinobazu Pond, which always draws a crowd in the summer due to the beautiful lotus flowers that bloom upon its surface. This week, though, the pond is getting even more visitors, since word has gotten out that it’s a habitat for dragon-type Pokémon Dratini in Pokémon GO.

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The cute mini-dragon is pretty hard to find in central Tokyo. Until the game’s most recent update, players looking to add Dratini to their stable could find it within the grounds of Setagaya Park, located across town from Ueno. However, recently Dratini disappeared from Setagaya, with the much more common fox-like Eevee taking over its territory. But Dratini hasn’t vacated the capital entirely, as gamers can consistently find specimens along the shores of Shinobazu Pond.

▼ They can also find Magikarp, but that guy shows up everywhere.

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Not only is Ueno Park a huge attraction for tourists and families, it’s also located right next to Ueno Station, a major rail hub for people travelling to and from downtown Tokyo. This makes it easy for people who are students or working adults by day, but Pokémon Trainers by night, to stop by on their way home. We decided to pay the pond a visit after finishing our shift, and found a multi-generational mass of Pokémon GO players on the scene.

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Given the way Pocket Monsters appear in the game, however, it’s hard to pinpoint their exact location until you get pretty close. So every time someone’s map updated with a wild Dratini, the whole group would start a half-jog migration to get in range to start chucking Poké Balls at it, as you can see in the video below.

▼ Found you!

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Just remember to watch your step if you’re hunting Dratinis in Ueno. We wouldn’t want you to fall into Shinobazu Pond, even if there’s a pretty good chance of a couple dozen people who could help save you being right nearby.

Images ©RocketNews24
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s feeling sort of jealous that Ueno Park gets a Dratini, while his apartment is apparently a Pokemon GO Rattata nest.

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