Cleffa

The Star Shape Pokémon
#173 - Cleffa
Evolve	Clefairy
Debut	Pokémon: Gold Version Pokémon: Silver Version
Species Info
Type	+
Height	0.3 m (1'00")
Weight	3.0 kg (6.6 lbs.)
Color	Pink
Gender Ratio	1♂ : 3♀
Ability	Cute Charm / Magic Guard
Hidden Ability	Friend Guard
Egg Group	Unbreedable
Icon		Sprite
		File:173sprite.png
Footprint
30px
Base Statistics
Hit Points	50	Speed	15
Attack	25	Sp. Attack	45
Defense	28	Sp. Defense	55
Training Info
Catch Rate	150	Hatch Steps	2,560
Base Exp.	037	Effort Points	SpD
Happiness	70
To Lv.100	Fast

Kanto #	Johto #	Hoenn #	Sinnoh #
< 173 >	< 040 >		< 099 >
Unova #	Johto (IV) #
	< 040 >

Cleffa is a star-shaped baby Pokémon that was introduced in the second generation games as the pre-evolved form of Clefairy from the first generation games. This retroactively makes it the first form in a three-stage evolutionary line, with its evolved forms being Clefairy and Clefable.

Information

Like its evolved forms, Cleffa has been often connected with extraterrestrial origins. This is partly due to its star-shaped form, as well as the fact that Cleffa appear in larger numbers during meteor showers, and they also have been seen near meteor impacts. Cleffa have been said to have actually ridden to earth aboard a meteor or shooting star.

On nights of shooting stars, Cleffa have been known to spend the night dancing in a ring (similar to ceremonies performed by its evolved forms). At daybreak, they stop to quench their thirst with the morning dew and usually disappear shortly after sunrise. Cleffa evolves into Clefairy when it levels up with a high amount of happiness.

Appearances

Mainstream Games

In most games from the second generation onwards, Cleffa could only be obtained by hatching one coming from an egg with a Clefairy or Clefable parent. In Pokémon: Crystal Version, the owner of the Pokémon Daycare on Route 34 will give the player a Pokémon Egg that could hatch into a Cleffa or any of the second generation's other baby Pokémon. Cleffa could be caught at the Amity Meadow course of the Pokéwalker, from which it could be transferred to HeartGold and SoulSilver.

In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Cleffa could be found at Mt. Coronet and was among the Pokémon that could be randomly placed within the Trophy Garden by Mr. Backlot on any given day. At Mt. Coronet, Cleffa was uncommon during the morning but rare in the daytime and night, while in Platinum it only appeared uncommonly in the morning and at night.

Other Games

In Pokémon Stadium 2, Cleffa was featured in the Streaming Stampede minigame where the player controlled either Cleffa or Igglybuff in competing to most accurately count a group of stampeding Pokémon. Among the Pokémon e-Reader line, Cleffa was featured in the "Ride the Tuft" minigame where the player controlled one in crossing cliffs by jumping from tuft to tuft. Cleffa also appeared in Pokémon Puzzle Challenge, where it had to be hatched from an egg. In Pokémon Channel, Cleffa appeared at Mt. Snowfall on cloudy mornings, days and evenings.

In Pokémon Trozei!, Cleffa was found at Endless Level 1, Forever Level 50, Pair Trozei and Mr. Who's Den. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Teams, Cleffa could be recruited at the first four floors of Wish Cave, while in Explorers of Time and Darkness it could be found at the first nineteen basement floors of Marine Resort. It also appeared in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs at Canal Ruins. In Pokémon Rumble Blast, Cleffa could be found at the Autumnwood area of Firebreathing Mountain.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, Cleffa was first shown in a Pichu Bros. short as part of the Pichu's group. Cleffa was featured in an episode of the Johto series where one had fallen from a spaceship of Clefairy. Ash and his friends protected it and returned it to its kind while protecting it from both Team Rocket and members of the Pokémon Fan Club. Cleffa was also featured in a Battle Frontier episode with its evolved forms when a Cleffa acted as a guide for Misty and Max when they were separated for Ash near Mt. Moon. It helped to beat Team Rocket with Clefairy and Clefable, and they trusted Ash's group enough to let them watch their moon dance ceremony.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Cleffa appeared during the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc. It made a brief appearance first in one chapter where it was among the Pokémon escaping from the Pokémon Daycare. A Cleffa was also later shown as one of Whitney's Pokémon, which she used in a battle with what appeared to be Suicune.

Trivia

• Its name is simply a truncation of Clefairy's name, which itself was a combination of the musical note "Clef" with "fairy".
• A trophy of Cleffa appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Staryu's trophy description in the same game also speculates a connection between the two Pokémon due only to the fact that they are both star-shaped.