Cresselia
Cresselia is a Psychic-type Pokémon, the Lunar Pokémon, number 488 (#0488) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 85.6 kg.
Cresselia is the Lunar Pokémon, a graceful Psychic type said to embody the crescent moon. Its feathers bring joyful dreams and can chase away the nightmares of Darkrai, and every Cresselia in the games is female.
How to pronounce Cresselia
Cresselia is pronounced kreh-SEL-ee-uh. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Cresselia said out loud:
In Japanese it is クレセリア.
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Cresselia is a blue, swan-shaped Pokémon with a yellow underside, a round dark pink head tuft and a sharp, beaklike snout, and it floats instead of walking. Glowing, ring-like pink wings sit on its sides and back. It is 1.5 m tall and weighs 85.6 kg. The Pokédex says shining particles drift from its wings like a veil, and that around the quarter moon the aurora trailing from its tail stretches and ripples.
Behaviour
Cresselia is a night-time flier. The Pokédex says anyone who sleeps holding one of its feathers is assured of joyful dreams, and Bulbapedia adds that a Lunar Feather can dispel Darkrai's nightmares. Very rarely it has been seen asleep, wrapped in light, as if praying. Whether it opposes Darkrai or works with it differs between games and anime episodes.
Habitat
Bulbapedia says Cresselia lives on Fullmoon Island. In Scarlet and Violet it can only be brought in through Pokémon HOME, and it is not available in Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Its Ability Levitate makes it immune to Ground moves. Its signature move Lunar Dance makes Cresselia faint to fully restore the next Pokémon sent out; it learns it at level 72 alongside Lunar Blessing, and Bulbapedia says no other Pokémon can learn either. It also uses Psycho Cut, Moonblast and Future Sight. With 120 base HP and 120 base Special Defense it is a very sturdy defender.
Name origin
Cresselia may combine 'crescent' with Selene, the Greek goddess of the Moon. The Japanese name is Cresselia (クレセリア), spelled the same in Latin letters.
Design inspiration
Bulbapedia reads Cresselia as a swan or crane blended with the xiānnǚ, the 'heavenly maidens' of East Asian swan-maiden tales, and the Moon goddess Chang'e is a possible fit. The Legends: Arceus Pokédex compares it to the heavenly maiden who made the Milky Way, and its ring-like wings may recall planetary rings or a maiden's flowing scarf. These are fan readings.
In the games
Cresselia is a roaming Legendary that you chase across Sinnoh in Diamond and Pearl once you have found it, and Palmer fields one at the Battle Tower. In Legends: Arceus it waits in the Moonview Arena in the Coronet Highlands.
In the anime
Cresselia debuted in 'Sleepless In Pre-Battle!', stopping Darkrai's nightmares over Canalave City. In the Journeys episodes 'Nightfall? Nightmares!' and 'A Midsummer Night's Light!', Team Rocket's Matori Matrix tries to catch it, Darkrai defends it, and Cresselia heals Darkrai in return.
Fun facts
- Bulbapedia, citing Pokémon Sleep, says Cresselia can pair its Drowsy Power with Snorlax's to drive off Darkrai's nightmares.
- Among Legendary Pokémon, only Cresselia appears under the Coronet Highlands in the Hisui Pokédex.
- Bulbapedia notes Cresselia kept its original base stats longer than any other Pokémon whose stats were later cut: the cut came in Generation IX, five generations on.
- Despite being Legendary, a wild Cresselia gets ordinary wild-Pokémon battle music in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Base stats
- HP: 120
- Attack: 70
- Defense: 110
- Sp. Atk: 75
- Sp. Def: 120
- Speed: 85
Cresselia’s base stat total is 580. Its highest stat is HP and Sp. Def.
Type matchups
What is Cresselia weak to?
Cresselia takes extra damage from Bug (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.
It resists Fighting (½×), Psychic (½×).
Evolution
Cresselia does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Abilities
- Levitate: Evades Ground moves.
Moves
Moves Cresselia learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confusion | Psychic | Special | 50 |
| 1 | Double Team | Normal | Status | — |
| 6 | Mist | Ice | Status | — |
| 12 | Aurora Beam | Ice | Special | 65 |
| 18 | Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 |
| 24 | Ally Switch | Psychic | Status | — |
| 30 | Slash | Normal | Physical | 70 |
| 36 | Psycho Cut | Psychic | Physical | 70 |
| 42 | Moonlight | Fairy | Status | — |
| 48 | Safeguard | Normal | Status | — |
| 54 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 |
| 60 | Moonblast | Fairy | Special | 95 |
| 66 | Future Sight | Psychic | Special | 120 |
| 72 | Lunar Dance | Psychic | Status | — |
| 72 | Lunar Blessing | Psychic | Status | 0 |
TM moves (45)
Cresselia can learn 45 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Charge Beam, Facade, Swift, Icy Wind, Stored Power, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Psyshock, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Reflect, Light Screen, Dazzling Gleam, Grass Knot, Thunder Wave, Rest, Skill Swap, Power Gem, Substitute, Trick, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Psychic, Thunderbolt, Calm Mind, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Psychic Terrain, Giga Impact, Trick Room, Hyper Beam, Thunder, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Gravity, Psych Up, Future Sight, Expanding Force.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 0% male, 100% female.
- Egg groups: Undiscovered.
- Egg cycles: 120 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 15,360).
- Catch rate: 3 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 100.
- Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 3 Sp. Def effort values.
- Base experience yield: 270.
Pokédex entries
Cresselia is reminiscent of the crescent moon. It leaves a brilliant line of light in its wake as it flies across the night sky. I daresay it resembles the heavenly maiden who created the Milky Way. (Legends: Arceus)
Those who sleep holding Cresselia's feather are assured of joyful dreams. It is said to represent the crescent moon. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
Shiny particles are released from its wings like a veil. It is said to represent the crescent moon. (Diamond, Pearl, X, Omega Ruby)
On nights around the quarter moon, the aurora from its tail extends and undulates beautifully. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | クレセリア |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Cresselia |
| French | Cresselia |
| German | Cresselia |
| Spanish | Cresselia |
| Italian | Cresselia |
| Korean | 크레세리아 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 克雷色利亚 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 克雷色利亞 |
Trivia
- Highest HP among Psychic types in Gen 4: 120.
- Taller than 72% of all Pokémon (1.5 m).
- Heavier than 79% of all Pokémon (85.6 kg).
- Base stat total 580, ranked #69 of 1,025.
- Its best stat is HP, ranked #37 of 1,025.
- One of 102 Psychic-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
- Number 102 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
- Can learn 57 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 3: about 0.4% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 4 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: Cresselia (Pokémon), Serebii: Cresselia (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (kreh-SEL-ee-uh): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Psychic-type Pokémon · Cresselia vs Darkrai · Sinnoh region guide · Levitate ability · Compare Cresselia · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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