Time travel
- If you were looking for the e-Reader application, see Time Travel (e-Reader).
Time travel is an infrequent theme in the Pokémon franchise and has been depicted in several forms of media, including the games, the animated series, and various manga. In general, stories in which a character travels through time focus on the repercussions of traveling into the past or the future. Usually, the motivation for time traveling comes from the need or desire to change history. Characters who interfere with the timeline will generally notice an altered present upon their return.
Overview
Many Pokémon possess time travel abilities throughout various media. These species are Celebi, a Mythical Pokémon who is known as the Time Travel Pokémon and has been shown to physically travel into different time periods, the Legendary Pokémon Dialga, the Temporal Pokémon that can travel at will through past and future and has the power to send humans and Pokémon to specific points in time, and the Tera Pokémon, Terapagos, another Legendary Pokémon who appears to be capable of using Terastal energy to transport Pokémon or humans across different time periods. Arceus and Giratina have also been seen to have the ability to either transport things through time, or create abnormalities in the space-time continuum.
Beyond use of Pokémon, many objects, machines, phenomenon, and temporal abnormalities have also appeared. Usage of time travel has been used to explain the crossing of different dimensions and even different continuity. Similarly to inter-dimensional travel, a different time period may be described as a different "world".
In the core series games
There is a series of multiple instances where time travel has appeared in the core series. A notable case being the act of transferring a Pokémon between games, including trade, in which a Pokémon can be sent between two games that happen canonically at different times. These Pokémon who have been transferred to another game are usually described as having "crossed through time and space".
Making their debut in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokémon transferred to Legends: Arceus via Pokémon HOME that are not kept in Poké Balls made in Hisui are held in Strange Balls. This is also true for the inverse, Pokémon caught with Poké Balls made in Hisui and sent to Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Pokémon Scarlet, or Pokémon Violet, are held in Strange Balls.
Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal
The Time Capsule, a machine created by Bill, allows a Pokémon to be sent back and forth through time to explain how trading works between Generation I and II games. The machine itself only exists in Pokémon Gold and Silver, and it's follow-up title, Pokémon Crystal. The Mythical Pokémon Celebi was introduced in these games and are said to time travel between different time periods.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the player and Ethan/Lyra travel into the past with a Celebi in an event. During a visit to two different time periods, the player discovers a part of Silver's past, as well as battles Giovanni to prevent him from rejoining Team Rocket, at the same time when the player's past self is stopping the organization at the Goldenrod Radio Tower.
If taken to Professor Elm, it is discovered that the Spiky-Eared Pichu has also been transported through time by Celebi. Because of its strange anomaly of traveling through time for so long, this Pichu is not allowed to be either transferred or trade to another game, including through the Poké Transfer.
Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond
In Pokémon Diamond and its remake, Brilliant Diamond, Team Galactic's leader, Cyrus, plans to recreate the world in his image, by using the power of Dialga to create a time period where he may be considered a deity.
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, one of Pokéstar Studios's Timegate Traveler Series film series is about time-traveling to the future with a time machine.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
During Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's Episode RR, the player is faced against the villainous Team Rainbow Rocket, a villainous organization formed by Giovanni of Team Rocket from a world in which he had succeeded in his own plans. Giovanni had brought all other villainous leaders from previous titles. These villainous leaders are also pulled from worlds in which they succeeded, many of them stating the events of their original title happening before being brought to Alola. Colress, a character from Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, physically sends Ghetsis back to his original world.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
At the beginning of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus sends the player back in time to the Hisui region, a location before Sinnoh had received its name. This process had also transformed their smartphone. The player is met with a gash in the sky above Mount Coronet known as the space-time rift, from which they are said to have arrived from. This rift has caused an abundance of problems to the nature surrounding Hisui, including a phenomenon known as space-time distortions, teleporting both people and Pokémon, as well as different objects, between different time periods. Cogita mentions that if Dialga's rage isn't fixed, having the Pokémon run wild, time may continue to bend and warp.
In Legends: Arceus' postgame story, the space-time distortions that appeared throughout the game appear to have been caused by Giratina, a third member of the Pokémon of myth.
Ingo, a character originally from Pokémon Black and White and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, reappears in Legends: Arceus, being put in a similar situation as the player and coming from "another world."
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
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In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it is revealed that Professor SadaS/Professor TuroV succeeded in creating a time machine that brings Pokémon from the distant pastS/futureV to the present-day Paldea, with one of those Pokémon being KoraidonS/MiraidonV. During the course of the games' final story arc, The Way Home, the player and their friends shut down the time machine at the behest of AI SadaS/TuroV before the Paradox Pokémon it has been automatically catching and bringing to the present can break out of Area Zero and overrun Paldea. After failure to shut down the time machine manually, the AI Professor sends them to the time period from which the paradox species came from.
After the events of The Indigo Disk, Terapagos is able to transport a version of the professor to the player at Kitakami's Crystal Pool, creating a literal paradox to the games' events by providing them with Briar's Book.
During The Indigo Disk DLC, it's implied that Paradox Pokémon actually originate from alternate timelines.
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In the spin-off games
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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series
The plot of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Sky heavily involve around time-traveling in the Pokémon world.
Pokémon Ranger series
The multiplayer missions of Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs take place in various temples in the past of Cocona Village.
Pokémon GO
Multiple story events involve Celebi traveling through time.
Certain events may involve space-time distortions, allowing Pokémon from Hisui to appear in the wild.
Dialga's Origin Forme allows it to put a pause on timer-related items.
Pokémon Masters EX
In Pokémon Masters EX, most characters who debuted in Pokémon Legends: Arceus have been transported to modern-day Pasio through a space-time distortion. Rei, who takes elements from the player character in Legends: Arceus, mentions having come through multiple worlds, including Hisui, before ending up on Pasio.
Many characters have appeared through use of Hoopa's rings, implying some sort of time travel has been involved to make sense of certain character interactions.
The Team Rocket Trio has appeared on Pasio through use of the Shiny Celebi in regards to the events of Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle.
In animation
Pokémon the Series
Pokémon movies
Sam was sent 40 years into the future after meeting Celebi in Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. There, he encountered Ash and his friends. It is unknown if the events in the future and Sam's eventual return to the past directly altered the original timeline, but it is hinted that they might not have and these events were already present in the original timeline.
Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Sheena traveled through time via Dialga in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. Events in the past affected the original timeline, though not immediately; the changes went into effect only when Arceus remembered that Ash had rescued it in the past.
Pokémon Chronicles
Ritchie and Sparky were sent into the past via Celebi in Celebi and Joy!. Events in the past directly altered the original timeline, with Ritchie assisting in the rescue of Nick and his father from certain death. Nick is now the mayor of Marion Town in the present day.
Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire
Calista traveled through time via an ancient magic circle activated by her Baltoy and an alternate self in Me, Myself and Time. It was a case of meeting one's younger self. It is unknown if the events in the past directly alter the original timeline.
May, her Squirtle, and Meowth traveled through time via Edna's locket in Time Warp Heals All Wounds. Events in the past directly altered the original timeline, including the continued service of the Fuchsia City train station and Jonathan now being alive.
Pokémon the Series: Black & White
Ferris traveled through time via a portal in A Restoration Confrontation! Part 1 and Part 2. It was a case of arriving in the distant past as opposed to the recent past. It is unknown if the events in the past directly altered the original timeline.
Pokémon the Series: XY
In Facing the Grand Design!, the three evil Malamar escaped to the future with the help of large energy crystals.
Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie traveled ten years into the past via Rotom and an elevator in Rotom's Wish!. Events in the past directly altered the original timeline. Weston had originally lost his battle and the ownership of the Lost Hotel to Mantle, but the group revised this and Weston was now in charge of the hotel, which no longer looked abandoned.
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
In A Timeless Encounter!, Ash and his Torracat were accidentally sent back in time by a Celebi to when Professor Kukui was five years old. Ash's talks about Pokémon Leagues and Gyms inspired Kukui and led to him creating the Alola League in the present day.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Gold, Silver & Crystal arc
The Masked Man desired Celebi's time-traveling ability to reunite himself with his two dead Pokémon. He wound up disappearing into the crack of time inside the Ilex Forest shrine, only being released from it years later.
Ruby & Sapphire arc
Ruby's Celebi altered the events of the final battle, reviving Norman, Steven, and Courtney, who had died during the conflict.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
Red and his Pokémon time traveled in The Ancient Pokémon Discovery!, Find the Legendary Pokémon!!, and PMDP27.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
Eusine used Bill's Time Capsule to send his Pikachu to the past, where it became friends with Gold. Later, when the appearance of the Black Tyranitar threatened to alter the future, Pikachu almost vanished.
Related articles
| Celebi: The Voice of the Forest | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Diana • Dundee • Iron-Masked Marauder • Sam • Towa • Mr. White • Pokémon poacher Celebi • Suicune |
| Locations | Arborville • Lake of Life |
| Other | Time travel • Dark Ball |
| Soundtrack and score | Soundtrack Please Let There Be Good Weather Tomorrow (single) Pikachu the Movie Song Best 1998-2008 |
| Adaptations | Manga • Novel • Ani-Manga • Sticker Storybook |
| TCG | Celebi • Timeless Celebi (J Promo 1, 10th Movie Promo) • Rocket's Celebi • Dark Celebi Rocket's Tyranitar • Rocket's Scizor • Rocket's Sneasel Kecleon • Suicune Tyranitar Half Deck • EX Hidden Legends Theme Decks |
| Merchandise | All Movies Perfect Guide Game Boy Advance special edition Pokémon House (Pokémon mate) |
| Tie-in media | Inuyama Inuko's Pokémon Hour • Pokémon.com games |
| Related animation | Pikachu's PikaBoo (Pikachu short) Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture • Pikachu the Movie Memorial |