Pokemon player finally encounters Mythical Pokemon after decades of waiting
The Pokemon CompanyA Pokemon player has finally encountered Gen 2’s Mythical Pokemon, following decades of missed opportunities to catch one.
In Pokemon, Legendary Pokemon can be found in-game, while Mythical Pokemon are mostly encountered through outside means. In the old days, this meant attending real-world events to receive Mythical Pokemon, though modern games offer them as downloads occasionally.
Celebi was the second Mythical Pokemon introduced in the franchise. This Psychic/Grass-type Pokemon originally had a distribution event in Pokemon Crystal that involved a Japan-exclusive peripheral, allowing players to connect their Game Boy to mobile devices.
Unfortunately, the mobile distribution event was never localized, which meant that Pokemon Crystal owners had to travel or trade if they wanted a Celebi. If a player lived in a remote area, they were likely out of luck.
The Pokemon Company / BulbapediaCelebi was finally encountered after decades of waiting
A user on the official Pokemon Reddit has shared their encounter with Celebi, having missed every real-life and online event involving the Mythical Pokemon over the past 30 years.
This is possible thanks to the Pokemon Crystal Virtual Console release on Nintendo 3DS, which added a Celebi distribution event. Once the player beats the Elite Four, they can receive a GS Ball in Goldenrod City, allowing them to encounter Celebi in Ilex Forest.
It’s understandable why someone would miss real-life Celebi distribution events, depending on where they live, but there have been chances to get one online. Shiny Celebi was available in 2021 via a newsletter sign-up, while a regular Celebi was available during the launch of Pokemon Bank.
The Celebi encountered after decades isn’t trapped on the 3DS either, as the Poke Transporter app can move it to Pokemon Bank, then Pokemon Home. This allows it to be moved to the later games in the series on Nintendo Switch.
The early Pokemon fans often had to miss out on Mythical Pokemon giveaways due to time and distance factors. Luckily, modern fans have countless ways to encounter Mythical Pokemon, even if it means booting up a 3DS and beating the Johto Elite Four once more.