Jirachi is a small, white humanoid Pokémon. Jirachi has short, stubby legs like Cleffa and arms that makes Jirachi look like it's wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Its short legs are most likely the reason it floats most of the time, rather than having to walk. There is a curved line on Jirachi's stomach which conceals a third eye that it rarely opens. Its two normal eyes have pale teal triangles underneath that resemble tears. Jirachi has two yellow streamers on its back. Jirachi appears to be wearing a yellow headdress that resembles a star. Three of the points have a teal-colored tag on them. Jirachi has smooth skin that apparently has the hardness of steel.
Jirachi spends most of its time asleep and is only awake for seven days once every 1,000 years when a voice of purity sings to it. During this time, Jirachi has the power to grant wishes. It has a child-like personality.
The seven days Jirachi was awake coincided with the seven days of the opening ceremonies for the Battle Frontier. At the request of Professor Oak, Emerald tried to capture Jirachi while he was there. However, Guile Hideout managed to capture Jirachi first. At the end of the chapter, Jirachi opened its third eye to Emerald and revived the five Pokédex holders.
Jirachi appears as a rare Poké Ball Pokémon in its first appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series. The chance of it appearing is 1 in 493 (the amount of Pokémon in the current National Pokédex). Like the other "secret" Pokémon, it drops rare items instead of just flying away. In Jirachi's case, the items are stickers.
Trophy Information
A Wish Pokémon. It's said to awaken for seven days once every thousand years, with the ability to grant any wish asked of it. It is truly a Pokémon of which dreams are made. In combat it uses its wish power to attack. Its attack, Doom Desire, which causes light to rain down from the heavens to do tremendous damage, is especially powerful.
Game data
NPC appearances
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire: While in the Ruins, one of the slot machine prizes is the chance to capture Jirachi. Jirachi will move around and must be hit three times in 30 seconds for the capture to be successful. There is only one chance per pinball game.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation III.
A legend states that Jirachi will make true any wish that is written on the notes attached to head when it awakens. If this Pokémon senses danger, it will fight without awakening.
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Jirachi, other than Smeargle and Arceus when not holding the Draco Plate, is the only non-Dragon-type Pokémon legitimately able to know the move Draco Meteor.
Jirachi and Manaphy have never been given an in-game location. Each Pokémon also starred in a Pokémon movie where they bonded with Max and May, respectively.
Jirachi stars in the movie in which Groudon made its first movie appearance, while Manaphy is the star Pokémon in a later movie in which Kyogre made its first movie appearance.
Jirachi's Generation III sprites show its true eye opened and blue streamers. However, in its Diamond and Pearl sprites, its true eye is closed and its streamers are teal instead of blue.
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky, its streamers are a light green (most noticeably in its overworld sprites rather than the headshots.)
Jirachi's design and ability of granting wishes probably refer to the habit of "wishing upon a star", so that the wish will come true. Considering its humanoid appearance and ability to grant wishes, it is also possible that it was inspired by Arabic myths about genies, or djinn. In some myths, imprisoned genies would grant wishes to the person who released them. The tags of paper on its head are a reference toward Tanabata.
Name origin
Jirachi gets its name from желать zhelatʹ, which is Russian for "to desire". It could also be from the Japanese word 幸 sachi, which means wish, happiness, or fortune. It also may have gotten its name from the Biblical term, "Jireh," which means provider.
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.
For other sprites and images, please see Jirachi images on Bulbagarden Archives.
