Arceus, the Alpha Pokemon, was believed to have created the Pokemon world and all its inhabitants, even the people living the different regions of the world. Arceus created the three guardians of the lake (Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit) and the three dragons (Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina). And for those reasons, it was named the “God Pokemon”.

Arceus, as listed in the Pokedex, has a height of 3.2m and a weight of 320kg. Its appearance is similar to that of a centaur, its body a mixture of white and gray with a golden ring-like ornament in its lower body. It changes colors when it changes into different elemental forms (i.e. Red for Fire, Blue for Ice). Its hooves and tip of its nose also change in color when its element changes.

In the games, it is numbered 493, and the last listed Pokemon in the National Pokedex. It can only be caught by using a special item, the Azure Flute, at a certain time at a certain place. The player can only catch it once, but can have unlimited tries as long as he has the item needed to summon him, and Poke Balls to catch it with. It is the only Pokemon who can learn the move Judgment that deals elemental damage depending on the form he assumes.

In the anime, Arceus is acknowledged as the one who created the entire Pokemon world, co-existing with the humans during ancient times, and still exists in the present times, punishing those who try to destroy his creations. The movie, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, further explains to the viewers on how the Pokemon world came to be and Arceus’ part in it.

In the trading card game, Arceus has its own expansion, aptly named Platinum: Arceus, containing new cards showing the different elemental forms of Arceus. This expansion also introduces a new rule; players are now allowed to have several Arceus cards on their deck/s instead of limiting it to 4. However, this rule only applies for Arceus cards and is not implemented on other cards.