Celebi is a green fairy-like creature. It has round toeless feet, three-fingered hands, and clear wings on its back. It has a round head that comes to a curved point. It has large baby-blue eyes with thick black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae with blue tips.
Often found in forests, Celebi is a Legendary Pokémon, known in legend as the "Voice of the Forest." It is able to travel through time and exist simultaneously throughout time, and plant life flourishes wherever it has been. As seen in the anime, it is able to bring deceased Celebi back to life and restore plants to perfect health. It was shown in Pokémon Colosseum that Celebi has the power to instantly cause the Purification of any Shadow Pokémon and can be summoned at Relic Forest with the melody of a Time Flute. Despite living in forests as its guardian, Celebi only shows itself in areas and times of peace. It has been regarded that as long as Celebi are seen throughout the world, a prosperous and bright future is still in store for the Pokémon World.
Celebi first appeared in Celebi: Voice of the Forest. A Pokémon hunter was after it and Celebi traveled 40 years into future to escape from him, taking young Sam along with it accidentally. The Iron-Masked Marauder eventually captured the time traveling Pokémon in a Dark Ball and used it to destroy the forest. Ash and Sam managed to snap Celebi out of the Iron Masked Marauder's spell.
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 on a previous encounter with it. It befriended Zorua and helped save Zoroark after she was mortally injured by Kodai.
Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon. Celebi wanders across time as guardian of the forest. Wherever it appears, trees and grass flourish.
In the manga
Celebi in Pokémon Adventures
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In Pokémon Adventures, the Masked Man aimed to capture Celebi and use its time-traveling powers to reunite one his Pokémon with its deceased parents. Although the Masked Man managed to capture Celebi, the GS Ball holding it was destroyed by Gold, freeing it from the villain's control. Afterward, it would appear to help in the Ruby & Sapphire and HeartGold & SoulSilver arcs.
When a Poké Ball is thrown, there is a 1 in 493 chance of Celebi appearing. Like the other "secret" Pokémon, it drops collectible items; in Celebi's case, it drops trophies.
Melee trophy information
"Celebi has the power to travel through time, and thus wanders from one age to the next. It is considered a deity by the forests: plants and trees are said to grow in unimaginable abundance wherever Celebi visits. Like Mew, Celebi is a Pokémon shrouded in mystery. Its special techniques blend grass and psychic powers."
Brawl trophy information
"A Time Travel Pokémon. Celebi can travel throughout time and inhabit multiple places simultaneously. It is said that it appears only during times of peace, greeted by a flourishing of grass and trees. Two turns after Celebi uses its Future Sight move, the foe is bombarded with psychic energy. This proves to have a devastating impact on any Pokémon."
Game data
NPC appearances
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs: Celebi is the first boss of the game and a main Pokémon in the storyline. It has the power to time travel and can send the player (without the Ukulele Pichu) into the past. It can also send specific Pokémon to the present if the player uses the correct Ranger Signs.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
Celebi was the only Pokémon of the 100 Generation II Pokémon that wasn't used in Pokérap GS.
However, it was used in the Hoenn Pokérap along with Mew, another Pokémon that wasn't used in its own generation's Pokérap.
Unlike most legendary Pokémon, Celebi needs only 1,059,860 Exp. to get to level 100, whereas others need 1,250,000. It shares this trait with Mew and Shaymin.
Coincidentally, all three of these Pokémon share stats of 100 all around.
Although Celebi has the power to purify any Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD, trading Celebi to one of these games will not accelerate or complete the purification process.
Celebi follows the trend of every generation introducing a legendary Pokémon with a base stat total of 600 and a stat distribution of 100 all around. Others that follow this trend include Mew, Jirachi, Manaphy, Land FormeShaymin, and Victini.
According to a dead Nintendo of Japan page from the early 2000s, Celebi's Japanese name was initially romanized as Selbi as opposed to the later Celebi.[1][2]
Origin
Celebi has a natural theme.[3] Celebi might be related to nature worship of Shintoism. It may be based on a fairy, dryad, or the kodama. Its fierce protectiveness for its forest home resembles that of the Curupira.
Name origin
Celebi may be a combination of celestial and being, or it may be a combination of serenity and 美 bi (beauty).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
セレビィ Celebi
From celestial, cerebral, celery, Cybele, serenity, being, and 美 bi
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.