Arceus

**Arceus** (Japanese: **アルセウス** *Arceus*) is a Normal-type Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation IV.

While it is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon, it will change type when it is holding a Plateor type-specific Z-Crystal.

Like Darkrai and Shaymin before it, Arceus was not officially recognized by Nintendo until February 14, 2009, the year of its debut movie. It was officially revealed to international audiences on August 3, 2009.

Arceus is known as "The Original One", as it is said that it created Sinnoh and Ransei, and possibly the entire Pokémon universe, along with the lake guardians and creation trio.

It is the trio master of both the lake guardians and the creation trio.

Arceus is an equine being similar to a Qilin or Centaur. Its body color is white with a gray, vertically-striated underside, the pattern of which has similar recurrences on the underside of Arceus's mane, tail, and face, and Arceus's pointed feet are tipped with gold hooves. Its mane is quite long, jutting away from its head, and its face is gray, with green eyes and red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. Arceus also has a streak of gold coloration on its head, and ears that point upward. Its neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is colored white like much of the body. It also has a golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen, which changes color along with its eyes and hooves based on Arceus's current type. The wheel also has four jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of Arceus's underbelly resumes past Arceus's waist, the underside of Arceus's limbs also being gray in coloration, and with extrusions at the tops of the legs. Arceus's tail is fairly like its mane in shape and coloration. Arceus looks like a fusion of Palkia and Dialga, resembling a wingless dragon of some sort. It's appearance also bears some resemblance to a llama. Arceus will change color as well as type with whatever type plate it is holding. It is shown with other colors of the wheel, though always being different.

Arceus is thought to have created the Sinnoh region and possibly the entire Pokémon world, the lake guardians: Uxie, Azelf, Mesprit, and the creation trio: Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Because of this, Arceus is thought to be one of the most long-lived of all Pokémon species. It has the power to recreate the creation trio as well, presumably to guard the dimensions when a Trainer has caught one of them. According to the anime, its power can also bring back things that it once destroyed, make certain things vanish into thin air, or to halt time.
Arceus is shown to care for and safeguard the planet in ancient times and protected it from cataclysms such as meteors, and it would show gratitude and compassion in return to those who treated it with equal kindness. Arceus does not suffer fools gladly, and it will attack in a violent rampage if betrayed or deceived. It also holds long grudges if betrayed by those it considered friends. In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, it is said to "feed" off the energy of the elemental plates. It is the only known Pokémon that can learn Judgment.

Arceus has the ability Multitype, which is an ability exclusive only to this Pokémon. Multitype allows Arceus to change its type based on whichever plate it is currently holding, e.g. holding the Flame Plate makes it the Template:Type-Type. Likewise, a Splash Plate will make it a Template:Type-Type. Generation VI introduced Fairy type, so Arceus can be a Template:Type Type upon having Pixie Plate.

According to the Pokédex, Arceus in mythology is said to have shaped the Universe with its "1,000 " arms, though, due to Arceus not actually having any arms, it can safely be assumed that the "1,000 arms" are metaphorical. The "1,000" arms could be Arceus's move "Judgement" but this is still unknown. It has also been stated that Arceus created the Legendary Titans (otherwise known as the Dragon Trio) Dialga, Palkia, and surprisingly Giratina, as well as the Lake Guardian Trio (also known as the Lake Spirits) Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Arceus can also easily hold off Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga all at the same time, making it incredibly powerful and it can speak using telepathy. Its balanced stats surpasses Mew's, Celebi's, Jirachi's, Manaphy's, and even Victini's. It is also capable of learning Draco Meteor if given the Draco Plate. It can learn nearly every move, excluding ones that require the use of arms or hands. The exception to this is Seismic Toss, although it can be presumed that it can lift its foes with telekinesis. It can be said that Arceus is arguably the most powerful Pokémon since its the creator of all Pokémon and its ability to overpower three extremely powerful legendary Pokémon (Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.)

Arceus first appeared in the Generation IV games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl being a Legendary Pokémon. As of November 2009, Nintendo released a one of a kind Arceus to the USA. So far this has been the only way to get an Arceus except through the use of a cheating device. Arceus is captured in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum versions after obtaining the Azure Flute event item through the aforementioned cheating device and using it to gain access to the Hall of Origin. Even though Arceus existed in the first Generation IV games, it was not revealed by Nintendo until February 2009. In the game there exists data for the ??? Type Arceus (and apparently the ??? Plate as well), but there is no way of obtaining it except via hacking. (It is possible that Nintendo only put a ??? type coloring for Arceus and a ??? Plate in the games code to keep it from crashing). In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, there is an event in which you can trade the 12th movie Arceus over from Diamond, Pearl or Platinum, enter a new set of ruins (the Sinjoh Ruins) and watch Arceus create a newborn Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina, all at level one and each holding their respective orbs. The event can be activated twice; once with the movie/TRU Arceus and another time with a Hall of Origin Arceus, although the only way to obtain a Hall of Origin Arceus at this time is through cheating. Arceus is also in the game Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky. At the final floor at the last dungeon, your hero will find a Silver Arceus Statue. It will give you a very powerful item called a Space Globe, which raises all the active Team Member's Attack stat. Arceus itself does not appear in the game. However, Arceus has a very small role in the end of the Final episode. After beating Primal Dialga and Dusknoir vanishes from the timeline Grovyle and Celebi are about to themselves. However, it is suddenly cancelled and Dusknoir's fading is erased. Dialga (despite being how the Hero is brought back to the timeline) says it is not his doing, but another Pokémon's at a much higher power level. Many think that this Pokémon is Arceus, because Arceus is stronger than Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina combined and Dialga controls time while Palkia controls Space. In Guardian Signs, he is found the Light Temple along in the Sky Fortress.