Step-by-Step Guide: How to Catch Celebi in Pokémon GO

So, you want to know how to catch Celebi in Pokémon GO? Get ready—this isn't your average Poké Ball toss in the park. Celebi is a mythical, time-traveling Pokémon with a flair for the dramatic. You won't just stumble across it while catching Pidgeys. Nope. To catch this elusive forest sprite, you'll need patience, determination, and a willingness to complete a questline that feels like it was designed by Professor Willow after one too many cups of coffee.

But don't worry—we've got your back. In this guide, we'll break down exactly what you need to do to meet Celebi, befriend it, and finally get it to stay in your Poké Ball. Let's get into it before Celebi disappears into another timeline.

Part 1. Why can't I catch Celebi in Pokémon GO?

If you're wondering why you can't catch Celebi in Pokémon GO, it's likely because you haven't completed the required Special Research quest. Celebi doesn't appear in the wild or the raids and can only be encountered by progressing through specific in-game tasks, usually under the "A Ripple in Time" storyline. If you've already caught Celebi once, you won't be able to catch it again unless Niantic releases a special event or a new questline.

Part 2: How to Catch Celebi in Pokémon GO?

Celebi is a mythical Psychic/Grass-type Pokémon that can't be found in the wild or hatched from eggs. Instead, you'll need to complete a set of Special Research tasks to earn your chance at an encounter.

Now let's follow these steps to catch Celebi in Pokémon GO.

Step 1: Unlock the "A Ripple in Time" Special Research

To begin your journey, you'll need to unlock the "A Ripple in Time" Special Research. This quest is available to all players, and it should appear in your "Special Research" tab automatically after completing the "A Mythical Discovery" quest (which unlocks Mew).

To check:

• Tap the binoculars icon on the bottom right of your screen.
• Swipe to the "Special" tab.
• Look for "A Ripple in Time."

If it's not there, make sure you've completed the earlier research tasks.

Step 2: Complete the 8-Stage Questline

"A Ripple in Time" consists of 8 stages, each with 3 tasks. Here's a quick overview:

🔹 Stage 1

• Power up Pokémon 5 times (1000 XP)
• Battle in a Gym 2 times (1000 XP)
• Battle in 2 Raids (1000 XP)

This first stage is pretty straightforward. Powering up any Pokémon counts, even low-CP ones. Gym and Raid battles can be done back-to-back if you have access to an active area. Once completed, you'll earn XP, Stardust, and encounter a few useful Pokémon to help you along the way.

🔹 Stage 2

• Make 3 new friends (1500 XP)
• Evolve an evolved Grass-type Pokémon (1500 XP)
• Catch a Pokémon 3 days in a row (1500 XP)

This is where patience begins to play a role. Making friends is easy if you share your Trainer Code online or with local players. For the Grass-type evolution, use something like Ivysaur → Venusaur or Bayleef → Meganium. But the real wait is catching one Pokémon per day for 3 consecutive days—you can't speed this part up, so check in daily!

🔹 Stage 3

• Use a Sun Stone to evolve Gloom or Sunkern (2000 XP)
• Reach level 25 (2000 XP)
• Hatch 9 Eggs (2000 XP)

By now, you're getting into more resource-heavy tasks. Sun Stones are evolution items usually found in 7-day PokéStop streaks or random rewards. Evolving Gloom into Bellossom or Sunkern into Sunflora will satisfy the requirement. Hatching 9 eggs might take a while unless you stock up on Incubators and walk regularly.

🔹 Stage 4

• Walk 10 km with Eevee as your buddy (2500 XP)
• Evolve Eevee into Espeon during the day (2500 XP)
• Send 20 gifts to friends (2500 XP)

This stage is all about friendship and movement. Make Eevee your buddy and walk 10 km to unlock the Espeon evolution. Just remember—you must evchoose-eevee-as-your-buddyolve it while it's still your buddy and during the daytime in-game. Sending gifts to friends is easy once you've built up a solid friends list from earlier steps.

🔹 Stage 5

• Walk 10 km with Eevee again (3000 XP)
• Evolve into Umbreon at night (3000 XP)
• Trade a Pokémon (3000 XP)

Another Eevee evolution! Similar to the last part, make sure Eevee is your buddy before walking the required distance. This time, evolve it at night to get Umbreon. The final task, trading a Pokémon, requires being physically near another player—so grab a friend or attend a local event or community day.

🔹 Stage 6

• Visit PokéStops 7 days in a row (3500 XP)
• Use 25 Pinap Berries while catching Pokémon (3500 XP)
• Use items to evolve Pokémon 2 times (3500 XP)

This stage is another time-gated one—you must spin a PokéStop once per day for a full week. Don't skip a day or the counter resets. The Pinap Berry task can be done quickly during a catching spree, and using evolution items (like King's Rock or Metal Coat) for evolving two Pokémon rounds out the task.

🔹 Stage 7

• Catch 40 Grass- or Psychic-type Pokémon (4000 XP)
• Make an Excellent Curveball throw (4000 XP)
• Earn a Gold Johto medal (4000 XP)

This stage can take some grinding. Focus on areas with frequent Grass- or Psychic-type spawns or wait for relevant events to make it easier. The Excellent Curveball throw may take a few tries—practice on Pokémon with large hit circles like Wailmer or Snorlax. The Gold Johto medal requires catching 70 unique Pokémon from the Johto region, so make sure your regional collection is up to date.

🔹 Stage 8

Claim rewards only

You made it! This final stage has no new tasks—just a victory lap. Claim your XP, items, and finally, your Celebi encounter. The catch is guaranteed, so take your time, snap a photo, and enjoy this moment—you've earned it!

Step 3: Catch Celebi!

Once you complete Stage 8, you'll be rewarded with a Celebi encounter. This is a guaranteed catch, just like with Mew. Use a Pinap Berry if you want extra Candy. Don't worry—Celebi can't run away.

Celebi will be registered to your Pokédex as a Mythical Pokémon and will come with decent stats and IVs by default.

Part 3: How to Catch Celebi and Finish Special Research Without Walking?

Catching Celebi in Pokémon GO is a rite of passage for many trainers—but completing the Special Research often requires walking long distances, evolving Eevee based on location-based mechanics, and traveling to PokéStops over multiple days. For some, walking 10 km with Eevee as your buddy (twice!) or visiting PokéStops 7 days in a row just isn't practical.

That's where TunesKit Location Changer comes in.

Whether you're short on time, have mobility concerns, or simply want to speed up the process, TunesKit allows you to virtually change location in Pokemon Go safely. This makes it possible to complete walking-based tasks and location-dependent evolutions—without stepping outside.

🎯 Step-by-Step Guide: Using TunesKit Location Changer to Catch Celebi Without Walking

Step 1Install and Launch TunesKit Location Changer

Download the app for Windows or Mac. Install it, then launch the program. Connect your smartphone (iOS or Android) to your computer via USB. Enable Developer Mode and USB debugging if necessary. Click the Start button on the main screen.

Step 2 Set a Fake GPS Location

Once you've access to the map interface, you can Jump Teleport movement, enter the location you want to teleport to—for example, a city with lots of PokéStops like San Francisco or Tokyo, and click "Start Moving" to instantly set your GPS location in Pokémon GO.

Step 3 Simulate Walking for Eevee Tasks

To complete the tasks that require walking 10 km with Eevee (for both Espeon and Umbreon), use the "Two-Spot Mode" or "Multi-Spot Mode":

• Choose a starting point and an ending point on the map.
• Set your movement speed (normal walking is about 3–5 km/h).
• Start the simulation, and let it run until you've walked the required distance.

✅ Pokémon GO will register this movement as actual walking, so your buddy distance will increase accordingly.

Step 4 Hatch Eggs Without Walking

Got 9 eggs to hatch? Use the same walking simulation mode:

• Select a route of about 2–5 km and simulate walking.
• Let it run in the background while the app tracks distance.
• Keep Pokémon GO open or active (on iOS, consider using Adventure Sync).

Step 5 Visit PokéStops for 7 Days

Even though you can't speed up the 7-day timeline, you can use TunesKit Location Changer to teleport to different PokéStops each day if you're stuck at home or don’t have nearby locations. Simply change your fake GPS location daily and spin a new stop.

Part 4. FAQs about Celebi in Pokémon GO

Part 5. Final Thoughts

In this article, we walk you through how to catch Celebi in Pokémon GO by completing the "A Ripple in Time" Special Research quest. While the original method requires a lot of walking and time-based tasks, we described how you can simplify the process using TunesKit Location Changer. With this tool, you can simulate walking, visit PokéStops, and complete GPS-dependent objectives—all without leaving your home. It's a convenient, safe, and user-friendly way to meet all the quest requirements and finally add the mythical Celebi to your Pokédex.