User:Pokelego999/sandbox/Celebi (Pokémon)

Celebi is one of the many fictional species in the Pokémon franchise. It is a small, pink, Psychic and Grass-type Mythical Pokémon, which are incredibly rare and powerful Pokémon typically available only via special events. Celebi is a Pokemon capable of travelling through time, and as such, is exceptionally rare in the series' canon.

Conception and design
Celebi is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution. A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokémon index (Pokédex), a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.

Unlike prior Mythical Pokémon, Mew, Celebi was planned to be included as part of Pokémon Gold and Silver from the get-go. Celebi was designed by Hironobu Yoshida. According to staff, Yoshida designed the Pokémon alongside Dunsparce and Girafarig due to all three lacking designs at that point in development. Due to its association with Mew, Celebi's design was designed to be "fairy-like," similarly to Mew. Celebi's original design was initially significantly different from the final one. Early concepts for the Pokémon- dating back to 1998- depict it as an all-black creature which bore a trumpet-like snout, with origins reminiscent of the Native American god Kokopelli, who was known for music and fertility. This Celebi was originally Normal type, and was referred to as the "Plant Pokémon" instead of as the "Time Traveller Pokémon." Celebi's design eventually evolved as development progressed, shifting away from Native American influences into those based on Japanese Shinto beliefs.

In the games' lore, Celebi is associated with a shrine in the Ilex Forest location; in original concepts for the game, the shrine had no relation to Celebi. According to Yoshida, he believed that it was created in order to "spruce up" the Ilex Forest area, though its original purpose was unknown. Rumors, however, began to circulate around how to obtain Celebi, with many based around the shrine. This confused Game Freak staff, as they had no recollection of adding anything in association of the shrine. Celebi was officially revealed in a 2000 issue of CoroCoro, with prior rumors leading Game Freak to release Celebi as part of an event involving the Shrine, with distributions of the item needed to trigger the event- the GS Ball- being distributed to copies of Pokémon Crystal in 2000 in Japan and 2001 in other territories. Non-Asian versions of the game did not receive this distribution until the Virtual Console release of Pokémon Crystal in 2018, which further ramped up rumors in relation to Celebi's obtainment. This also led to Game Freak adding an event related to Celebi and the shrine in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the remakes of Gold and Silver.

Celebi is a small, fairy-like Pokémon, who is often depicted in association with nature and natural environments. It has a large head and eyes on a small body, with small wings and a pair of antennae on its head. It has been compared to a nature spirit, akin to Totoro in the 1989 film My Neighbour Totoro. In-universe, Celebi is known to bring mysterious eggs from the future, and grass and trees are said to flourish in areas in which it appears. Celebi is stated to exist throughout time, almost to a point of omnipresence, and often works to keep time in check. Multiple Celebi are believed to exist, though this is also believed to be due to every individual Celebi being the same Celebi at various points in time. Celebi's in-game stats are particularly well-rounded; as a result, it is considered an effective overall Pokémon in battle.

Appearances
Celebi first appeared in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, where it was not legitimately obtainable in-game. It was made available via special event distributions of an item known as the "GS Ball," which allowed players to trigger an in-game event to capture it. However, this was only available in Crystal, and was only obtainable in certain countries. Celebi was later made available via Pokémon Colosseum, where completing both it and a Game Boy Advance Pokémon game would allow the player to transfer a Celebi into their copy. In said game, Celebi also played a significant plot role, where it purified "Shadow Pokémon" who were corrupted by a villainous organization. A Celebi was distributed in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which had special functionality in Pokémon Black and White, and a later distribution occurred via Pokémon Bank. It has appeared in many spin-offs, including Pokken Tournament DX, and Pokémon Shuffle, where it was added to the game to celebrate the game hitting 3.5 million total downloads.

Celebi was added to Pokémon GO as part of a special in-game series of tasks, which, upon completion, rewarded the player with an encounter with Celebi. It was initially only obtainable at in-person "GO Fest" events, though it was later made obtainable worldwide. A later questline rewarding a "Shiny" Celebi was later added as promotion for Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle. A specially colored pink "Shiny" Celebi appeared in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, where it aided the protagonists at various points in the plot. It also appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series, appearing as a Poke Ball summon in Melee and Brawl and as a Spirit in Ultimate.

Celebi appeared in the Pokémon anime, where it was a main character in the movie Pokémon: 4ever. It time-travelled into the present, accidentally dragging Sammy- a younger version of major character Professor Oak- with it. A villain named the Iron Masked Marauder attempts to capture it, succeeding in doing so, but the Marauder is eventually defeated by series protagonist Ash Ketchum in conjunction with the Legendary Pokémon Suicune. Celebi appears dead, but numerous Celebi arrive from various points in time to heal Celebi. Celebi eventually departs, returning Sammy to his proper time in the process. It later appeared in the movie Zoroark: Master of Illusions, where one time travels from the future and befriends one of the main characters, Zorua. The antagonist Grings Kodai seeks its power so he can gain precognition abilities. It later appears in Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, with both a normal and Shiny Celebi cameoing. A Shiny Celebi was later distributed as part of an event to promote the film.

Promotion and reception
In 2001, a "Celebi Tour" was held in London, with distributions of Celebi being a large draw for the event. Other similar events were held in other cities, such as Madrid and Barcelona. The Pokémon Company collaborated with artist Daniel Arsham to create the "A Ripple in Time" art collaboration, with many works being based around Celebi. A special short film, featuring Ash Ketchum being transported to an abandoned future by Celebi, was also released. In 2016, various Mythical Pokémon were promoted bimonthly, with Celebi being among them, with a large amount of merchandise being produced in its image.

Celebi was been noted as a fan-favorite Pokémon since its debut, being highlighted for its overall cuteness. Its lore has been credited as giving it an "air of mystique," with Screen Rant writer David Caballero noting that the paradox surrounding the number of Celebi at any given time is an intriguing puzzle for players to figure out on their own. It has been described as "iconic." Cian Maher of USAToday praised Celebi's design, especially in comparison to other similar Pokémon. He stated that "Psychic Pokémon have a very specific mood to them. They’re usually calm, ethereal, near-celestial beings that seem to be a cut above other Pokemon intellectually. They’re detached, mysterious, and standoffish. Celebi changes all of that, bearing all of the same qualities while also being playful and approachable. It’s probably one of the ten best Pokémon ever designed, period." Gamepur writer Jessica Oliver also considered its usage as a time traveler to be well-done, citing its cute design and its role as an instigator in the plot. Celebi's role in its titular movie was considered an allegory for the selfishness of humans and its destruction of the environment.[Insert source here]

Zoë Miskelly of WhatCulture expressed disappointment that the Shiny Celebi in the Mystery Dungeon games was unobtainable, in part due to its incredible rarity and plot focus.

A better integration of fictional stories into the real world for gamifying daily life https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tatsuo-Nakajima-2/publication/269042304_A_Better_Integration_of_Fictional_Stories_into_the_Real_World_for_Gamifying_Daily_Life/links/56b2776d08ae5ec4ed4b5288/A-Better-Integration-of-Fictional-Stories-into-the-Real-World-for-Gamifying-Daily-Life.pdf

●     The first movie was Celebi; A Timeless Encounter4. The ideological message in the story was that we should not selfishly violate forests and lakes. Celebi is one of the Pokémon5 characters; he is a god who protects a forest. A selfish person caught Celebi and used the character’s power to destroy a forest and lake. Finally, Satoshi, who is the trainer of Pikachu (one species of Pokémon), reminded Celebi that he (i.e., Celebi) was their friend and that they had had joyful times together with the blessing of the forest and lake. In the end, the forest and lake were finally recovered. The story showed that protecting forests and lakes is essential to maintaining our ecological system.