It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms.
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~ Arceus Pokédex • Pokémon Diamond
Background
Arceus (Japanese: アルセウス, Hepburn: Aruseusu) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. First featuring in the 2009 film Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Arceus is a mythical Pokémon which can first be obtained in the 2006 games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Within the lore of the Pokémon series, Arceus is the creator deity which created the games' universe. Following its release, Arceus was received relatively favorably, being voted the most favorite Pokémon in a poll of Japanese fans by The Pokémon Company.
Durability: At least Complex Universe level (Didn't even get phased by The Creation Trio attacks) | High Multiverse level (By being the embodiment of reality)
Same as its avatars, including Higher-Dimensional Existence, Avatar Creation, Large Size (Type 9), ConceptualCreation (Created the very concepts of Time, Space, Matter, Antimatter, Emotion, Knowledge and Willpower that shape the Pokémon World directly from its being), Omnipresence, Abstract Existence (Type 1: Embodies the Reality that shapes all the Pokémon World), Sealing (Sealed True Form Giratina in the Distortion World), Nonexistent Physiology (Type 3; Predates existence and is made of chaos, which is made of nothing)
Standard Tactics: Always starts by using his signature move Judgement
Weaknesses: Depending on the plate he's with he can become vulnerable to certain attacks | None notable
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
Multitype: Arceus is able to switch types based on the plates it holds, gaining new powers and resistances.
Omnipotent: A series of abilities that appeared in Pokémon Conquest, it grants Arceus the ability to heal minor wounds between trades, strike incorporeal targets, see the immediate future, and ignore defensive bonuses and resistances.
Spatial/Temporal Warp: As the creator of Palkia and Dialga, Arceus is capable of wiping things from space-time.
Judgement: Arceus can fire powerful beams of energy and light at the sky that fall down and hit its opponents. This attack changes type depending on what type Arceus currently is and is powerful enough to cause the likes of Dialga and Palkia to stagger with a single direct hit.
Flamethrower: Arceus can shoot a stream of pure flames from its face.
Blizzard: Arceus can shoot ice storms of very low temperatures at its targets.
Twister: Arceus can blow one or two powerful Dragon-type twisters from its face at opponents.
Time Stop: Arceus can stop time itself.
Extreme Speed: Arceus immediately strikes the foes with great force, which is virtually impossible to properly react to.
Gravity: Arceus pins its foe down by rapidly increasing gravity around its target.
Refresh: Arceus cleanses itself, removing any inhibitory status effects such as paralysis, burns, and poison.
Perish Song: Arceus lets out a melody that instantly incapacitates all who hear it (including Arceus itself) after a set amount of time.
Earth Power: Arceus shifts the earth under its target to release a massive upheaval of energy.
Recover: Arceus concentrates its internal energies, quickly healing most wounds.
Future Sight: Arceus prepares a powerful psychic attack which strikes the opponent later on. It ignores moves like Protect and Detect, meaning barriers and precog don't help against it. Future Sight has a second ability that allows the user to see into the future.
Cosmic Power: Arceus absorbs a cosmic power to boost its defense and special defense.
Punishment: Arceus physically strikes the opponent with a dark attack that increases in power the more the opponent boosts their stats.
Hyper Voice: Arceus lets off an extremely loud roar that damages the opponent. It also bypasses moves like Substitute.
Natural Gift: Arceus attacks by drawing power from its held berry. The Type and power are dependent on the berry in question. This also consumes the berry.
Seismic Toss: The target is thrown using the power of gravity. It inflicts damage equal to the user's level.
Hyper Beam: Arceus fires off a destructive beam of energy. Unlike most Pokémon it doesn't appear to need to recharge afterwards.
Outrage: Arceus rampages and attacks for a while. If there are multiple opponents each series of attacks will be directed at a random one. This leaves Arceus confused afterwards.
Shadow Claw: Arceus slashes at its opponent with a sharp claw made from shadows.
Key: Avatar | True Form
Note: A frequently brought up topic is the fact that Arceus was incapacitated by a simple meteor in the movie, Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life. Given his status in the series, the power of the Creation Trio, and his own feats, this scene has been dismissed as a case of PIS and should not be brought up on any thread in an attempt to downplay Arceus or downgrade its statistics