#0251 · Johto · Generation 2 · mythical

Celebi

Time Travel Pokémon · Psychic/Grass-type

Celebi is a Psychic/Grass-type Pokémon, the Time Travel Pokémon, number 251 (#0251) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 5 kg.

Celebi is the Time Travel Pokémon, a small green forest spirit that the Pokédex says crossed over from the future. Plants thrive wherever it has passed, and it is said that a bright future awaits as long as Celebi keeps appearing.

How to pronounce Celebi

Celebi is pronounced SEL-uh-bee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Celebi said out loud:

In Japanese it is セレビィ.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Celebi is a small, green, fairy-like Pokémon, 0.6 m tall and 5 kg. It has clear wings, round toeless feet, three-fingered hands, large baby-blue eyes ringed in black, and green antennae tipped in blue. Bulbapedia says it can heal wounds and release a telekinetic wave to defend itself.

Behaviour

Celebi shows itself only in peaceful times and places, and the Pokédex says it appears wherever beautiful forests exist. Records of it as a forest deity turn up in many different eras. One Pokédex entry says it leaves an egg from the future behind whenever it disappears into a deep forest. In the anime it can sense when something is out of place in time and send it back to its own era.

Habitat

The Pokédex puts it in forests, and Bulbapedia calls it the guardian of Ilex Forest in Johto.

Powers

Celebi's only Ability is Natural Cure, which cures status conditions when it switches out. Its moves are as gentle as its nature: Leaf Storm, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Heal Bell, Healing Wish and Recover, plus Future Sight, Baton Pass and Perish Song. Every base stat is 100, making it a balanced, flexible Pokémon rather than a specialist.

Name origin

Celebi may draw on 精霊 seirei ('spirit'), on Ceres, the Roman fertility goddess, and on words like 'celebrate', 'celestial' and 'serenity', with 美 bi ('beauty') at the end; çelebi is also an Ottoman Turkish title for distinguished people. The Japanese name is Celebi (セレビィ), which an early-2000s Nintendo of Japan page is said to have romanised as Selbi.

Design inspiration

Hironobu Yoshida designed Celebi. Bulbapedia says its natural theme may connect to Shinto nature worship, and that it may blend a fairy, dryad or kodama with a plant bulb. Its early beta designs, and more faintly the final one, appear to echo Kokopelli, a fertility and music god of some southwestern Native American cultures; these are fan readings.

In the games

Celebi is an event Pokémon in the main series: in Crystal it appears in Ilex Forest with the GS Ball, which was originally given out in Japan only. A Shiny Celebi stars in a supporting role in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, and in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs it is the first boss. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet or Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Celebi debuted in the film Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, which sends it 40 years into the future, taking a boy named Sam along by accident. In 'A Timeless Encounter!' it accidentally sends Ash and Torracat to the past, then brings them back.

Fun facts

• A 2008 interview with Masamitsu Hidaka reportedly revealed that the GS Ball was first meant to hold a Celebi for a story arc in the Gold and Silver anime, until Celebi became the star of its own film.
• Dada Zarude wears a purple scarf marked with Celebi's National Pokédex number, 251.
• Celebi is the only Generation II Pokémon left out of Pokérap GS, though it appears in the Hoenn Pokérap alongside Mew.
• The story calls the Shiny Celebi of Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness female, and it is the Mystery Dungeon series' first Shiny Pokémon.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Celebi · Serebii: Celebi (Sword/Shield Pokédex page; Celebi is transfer-only there)

Base stats

• HP: 100
• Attack: 100
• Defense: 100
• Sp. Atk: 100
• Sp. Def: 100
• Speed: 100

Celebi’s base stat total is 600. Its highest stat is HP and Attack and Defense and Sp. Atk and Sp. Def and Speed.

Type matchups

What is Celebi weak to?

Celebi takes extra damage from Bug (4×), Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Poison (2×), Flying (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Fighting (½×), Ground (½×), Psychic (½×).

Evolution

Celebi does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Abilities

• Natural Cure: Cures any major status ailment upon switching out.

Moves

Moves Celebi learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (56)

Celebi can learn 56 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Magical Leaf, Solar Beam, Solar Blade, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, Safeguard, Rest, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Sandstorm, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Facade, Swift, Helping Hand, Imprison, Weather Ball, U-turn, Fling, Psycho Cut, Trick Room, Wonder Room, Magic Room, Round, Grassy Terrain, Psychic Terrain, Swords Dance, Psychic, Metronome, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Baton Pass, Shadow Ball, Future Sight, Uproar, Trick, Skill Swap, Calm Mind, Leaf Blade, Aura Sphere, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Earth Power, Nasty Plot, Zen Headbutt, Leaf Storm, Stealth Rock, Grass Knot, Ally Switch, Dazzling Gleam, Pollen Puff.

Move tutor moves (3): Dual Wingbeat, Expanding Force, Grassy Glide.

Breeding & training

• Gender: genderless.
• Egg groups: Undiscovered.
• Egg cycles: 120 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 15,360).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 100.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 3 HP effort values.
• Base experience yield: 270.

Pokédex entries

This Pokémon traveled through time to come from the future. It bolsters grass and trees with its own strength, and it can heal wounds, too. (Shield)

This Pokémon has the ability to move through time. Records describing it as a forest deity can be found from many different eras. (Sword)

This Pokémon came from the future by crossing over time. It is thought that so long as Celebi appears, a bright and shining future awaits us. (Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

It has the power to travel across time, but it is said to appear only in peaceful times. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, Y)

This Pokémon wanders across time. Grass and trees flourish in the forests in which it has appeared. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold, X)

When Celebi disappears deep in a forest, it is said to leave behind an egg it brought from the future. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest base stat total among Grass types: 600, shared with 2 others.
• Highest HP among Grass types in Gen 2: 100.
• Highest Attack among Grass types in Gen 2: 100.
• Highest Defense among Grass types in Gen 2: 100, shared with 1 other.
• Highest Sp. Def among Grass types in Gen 2: 100, shared with 2 others.
• Highest base stat total among Grass types in Gen 2: 600.
• Highest Attack among Psychic types in Gen 2: 100.
• Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
• Heavier than 15% of all Pokémon (5 kg).
• Base stat total 600, ranked #25 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is HP, ranked #95 of 1,025.
• One of 5 Pokémon that are both Psychic and Grass.
• One of 130 green Pokémon.
• Number 100 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Can learn 67 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 7 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Celebi, Serebii: Celebi (Sword/Shield Pokédex page; Celebi is transfer-only there).
• Pronunciation (SEL-uh-bee): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Psychic-type Pokémon · Grass-type Pokémon · Psychic/Grass weaknesses and matchups · Celebi vs Mew · Johto region guide · Natural Cure ability · Compare Celebi · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Psychic-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Green Pokémon list · No Eggs Discovered egg group · Pokémon that start with C

← Ho-Oh | Treecko →