Pokémon species
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of what each of thos ...
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of the mainline ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
History
Predating the vide ...
's ''
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, in ...
, it first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'' and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Celebi appears with central roles in the anime movies ''
Pokémon 4Ever
''Pokémon 4Ever – Celebi: Voice of the Forest'' is a 2001 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and based on the television series ''Pokémon''. The fourth official ''Pokémon'' film, it was released in Japan on July 7, 2001. The fi ...
Pokémon Adventures
is a Japanese manga series based on the ''Pokémon'' media franchise created by video game designer Satoshi Tajiri and managed by The Pokémon Company. Tajiri once stated that the series is closest to how he imagined the universe of ''Poké ...
'' manga, one of the main antagonists, Pryce, seeks Celebi so he can travel back in time.
Design and characteristics
Created by
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, in ...
, Celebi is a green onion-like creature (its original design was based on
Kokopelli
Kokopelli () is a fertility deity, usually depicted as a humpbacked flute player (often with feathers or antenna-like protrusions on his head), who is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Like most f ...
). Celebi has round toeless feet, three-fingered hands and translucent wings on its back. Celebi has a round head that comes to a point that sticks upward in the back and resembles the shape of an onion, particularly a
pearl onion
The pearl onion (''Allium ampeloprasum'' var. ''sectivum'' or ''A. ampeloprasum'' 'Pearl-Onion Group'), also known as button, baby or silverskin onions in the UK, is a close relative of the leek (''A. ampeloprasum'' var. ''porrum''), and may be d ...
. It has large baby-blue eyes, with thick black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae that are tipped blue. Celebi is a
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...
ing mythical Pokémon that debuted in ''
Pokémon Gold
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
'' and '' Pokémon Silver''. Celebi is a Psychic Grass type Pokémon that has the species category as the "Time Travel" Pokémon. It is known as the guardian of the forest, where it is worshipped as a god. It wanders through time, visiting various undisturbed
old-growth forest
An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s during peaceful times, leaving behind flourishing grass and trees. It often leaves behind an egg that it brought from the future. Celebi's continuing existence signifies a good future.
Appearances
In the video games
In the
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedb ...
, Celebi is an only available by being distributed from an event. In the Japanese version of ''
Pokémon Crystal
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. It is the third version of second generation games after ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', and it is also the final ''Pokémon'' game to be ...
'', Celebi could be found by the use of a GS Ball, which was obtainable by using the
Pokémon Mobile System GB
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. , in ...
; however, in the Virtual Console releases of ''Crystal'', the GS Ball can be obtained after entering the Hall of Fame. Celebi was obtainable from the Japanese '' Pokémon Colosseum'' bonus disc, which was available with pre-orders. In ''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'', Celebi activates an event in the game, which takes the player back in time to battle Giovanni. In North America, Celebi was distributed through GameStop stores from February 21 to March 6, 2011, or acquired from the tour promoting the ''Black'' and ''White'' games that began on February 5, 2011. In ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y'' Celebi could be obtained as a gift in Pokémon Bank. It also on other Pokémon games such as '' Pokémon Stadium 2'', ''
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
and are 2002 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. They are the first installments in the third generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series, also kn ...
'', ''
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
and are 2004 remakes of the 1996 Game Boy role-playing video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue''. They were developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' w ...
'', ''
Pokémon Emerald
is a 2004 role-playing video game developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. It was first released in Japan in 2004, and was later released internationally in 2005. It is a third version ...
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
and are 2009 remakes of the 1999 Game Boy Color role-playing video games ''Pokémon Gold'' and ''Silver'', also including features from ''Pokémon Crystal''. The games are part of the fourth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game serie ...
'', ''
Pokémon Black and White
and are 2010 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series. First release ...
'', ''
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
and are 2012 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. Part of the fifth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series, the games are direct sequels to ''Pok� ...
'', ''
Pokémon X and Y
and are 2013 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the main ''Pokémon'' video game series. First ...
'', ''
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
and are 2014 remakes of the 2002 Game Boy Advance role-playing video games ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', also including features from '' Pokémon Emerald''. The games are part of the sixth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game s ...
'' and ''
Pokémon Sword and Shield
and are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. They are the first installments in the eighth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series ...
Pokémon Trozei!
is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on April 28, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, ...
Pokémon GO
''Pokémon Go'' (stylized as ''Pokémon GO'') is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game, part of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android ...
'' and ''
New Pokémon Snap
''New Pokémon Snap'' is an on-rails first-person photography game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. It is a sequel to the 1999 Nintendo 64 game ''Pokémon Snap.'' Ann ...
''.
In other media
In the
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
, Celebi is represented as a generally weak Pokémon that constantly needs protection. Celebi is one of the main characters in the movie ''
Pokémon 4Ever
''Pokémon 4Ever – Celebi: Voice of the Forest'' is a 2001 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and based on the television series ''Pokémon''. The fourth official ''Pokémon'' film, it was released in Japan on July 7, 2001. The fi ...
''. In this movie, Celebi is running away from a hunter. It crashes into young Samuel Oak who protects it, and in return, Celebi transports them forty years into the future, where Sam teams up with
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as in Japan, is a fictional character in the ''Pokémon'' franchise owned by Nintendo. He is the protagonist of the ''Pokémon'' anime and certain manga series as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise. I ...
to save Celebi from a
Team Rocket
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to infor ...
member who turns it into a Dark Celebi by capturing it in a Dark Poké Ball. Near the end of the movie, several dozen Celebi appear from all sorts of different eras in time to help out. It also makes appearances in various episodes. Celebi appeared in a central role again in '' Zoroark: Master of Illusions''. Grings Kodai was after the Pokémon in order to restore his ability to see the future, which he got in a previous encounter with it. In the anime, Celebi has made many small appearances, the most notable being in
Pokémon Chronicles
''Pokémon Chronicles'', partly known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the original ''Pokémon'' anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.
It first aired in Japan on October 15, 2002 on TV Tokyo and concluded on Septemb ...
. In ''Celebi and Joy'', Celebi took
Ritchie
Ritchie may refer to:
People Surname
*Adele Ritchie (1874–1930), singer – comic opera, musical comedy and vaudeville
*Albert Ritchie (1876–1936), governor of Maryland 1920 to 1935
* Alistair Ferguson Ritchie (1890–1954), crossword compiler ...
back in time to help stop the destruction of a Pokémon Center. A shiny Celebi appeared in the 23rd film, '' Secrets of the Jungle''.
In ''
Pokémon Adventures
is a Japanese manga series based on the ''Pokémon'' media franchise created by video game designer Satoshi Tajiri and managed by The Pokémon Company. Tajiri once stated that the series is closest to how he imagined the universe of ''Poké ...
'', Pryce aimed to capture Celebi and use its time-traveling powers to save his two
Lapras
is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lapras first appeared in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' and subsequent sequels, later appearing in various merchandise, spino ...
, which he had lost years prior to the storyline. He failed numerous times throughout his reign, and would injure himself on each day of the month in which Celebi would show itself in the Ilex shrine, so
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
and
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
took this opportunity to steal his items and escape. Near the end of the RS Saga,
Ruby
A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapp ...
is revealed to have a Celebi. He explains that due to the lack of information he had on it, he rarely uses Celebi at all. Celebi was used to retrieve the Red and Blue Orbs from
Maxie
Maxie is a given name, a nickname and a surname which may refer to:
People Given name
* Max Baer (boxer) (1909–1959), American world champion heavyweight boxer, nicknamed "Madcap Maxie"
* Max Maxie Anderson (1934–1983), American hot air ball ...
and
Archie
Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
*Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands
* Archie Blake (mathemati ...
, to prevent them from ever controlling Groudon and Kyogre again. Then, it revived
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
,
Steven
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...
, and Courtney by sending them through an altered future.
Celebi also appeared in ''Pokémon: Sun And Moon'', in the episode "A Timeless Encounter" while sending Ash to the past to visit young Kukui, which resulted in Ash gaining a Firium Z.
Reception
Since it appeared in the ''
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
'' series, Celebi has been featured in numerous pieces of merchandise, including figures, plush toys, and the ''
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The , abbreviated as ''PTCG'' or ''Pokémon TCG'', is a collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the ''Pokémon'' franchise. It was first published in October 1996 by Media Factory in Japan. In the US, it was first published ...
''. A
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
featuring art of Celebi on its box as well as two white silhouettes of it on the unit itself was released as a promotion. The system changes colors depending on how it is held. A promotional e-Card was released at Space World 2001 that, when scanned, would feature Celebi floating around on the player's
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
screen eating apples off of a tree. Liz Finnegan of '' The Escapist'' listed Celebi as 84th of their favorite Pokémon, describing it as "freaking adorable, and it time travels." ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
'' ranked Celebi as the 79th of the best Pokémon.
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...
editor Angel Cohn described Celebi as a "diminutive, onion-shaped creature", stating that the resemblance between Celebi and
The Lorax
''The Lorax'' is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, the titular character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, a business magnate who caus ...
was "striking". ''
SPIN
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' magazine also described it as resembling an onion. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' editor Robert Koehler stated that Celebi appeared to appeal to young girls, describing it as an "Anime teardrop of a critter, with enormous, aquamarine eyes".
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
editor Jeffrey Westhoff described Celebi as looking like "
Tinkerbell
Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 a ...
with an
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the oni ...
for a head" as well as having many of E.T.'s tricks. Canoe.ca editor Liz Braun similarly compared Celebi to
Tinkerbell
Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 a ...
, also describing its appearance as being similar to a
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have b ...
's.
The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''The Galves ...
editor Nancy Churnin described Celebi as "lovable", while Post-Gazette editor Sharon Eberson called it "cute". The Daily Herald editor Dann Gire described Celebi as a "teardrop-shaped entity with big
puppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorksh ...
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relativ ...
eye
Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...
s", commenting that its words sound like the "goo-gooey utterances of an infant".
''
GamesRadar+
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites '' Total Film'', ''SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' called Celebi one of its favourite Pokémon, along with Suicune. They also describe it as "cute" and the "gem of any collection." They compare Celebi to Shaymin, a Pokémon from ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', describing both of them as "diminutive" and "super cute". ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa dist ...
'' editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" commented that Celebi was the "crappiest solo" legendary, explaining solo to mean a legendary Pokémon without counterparts (i.e. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres). She adds that she feels the "slightest twinge of pity" for Celebi. Authors Tracey West and Katherine Noll called Celebi the seventh best Pokémon overall and wrote that it had a "sweet appearance" that belied its "amazing power".
Celebi also is the
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
for the Pokémon news
website
A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wikip ...