Chansey
Pokémon character
National Pokédex
Rhydon - Chansey (#0113) - Tangela
First gamePokémon Red and Blue (1996)
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
GenderFemale-only
TypeNormal

Chansey, known in Japan as Lucky (ラッキー) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Chansey first appeared in the initial installments of the series, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, and went on to in numerous subsequent installments and various media associated with the series. In the series, it is the evolved form of Happiny and has an evolution in the form of Blissey. Chansey are elusive Pokémon that are rare in the wild and difficult to catch.

Design and characteristics

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the Pokémon Red and Blue video games for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon,[1][2] and some can transform into stronger species, or evolve, once they gain enough experience.[3] The ultimate goal of the games is to complete the entries in the Pokémon index (Pokédex), a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain creatures from all Pokémon species.[1]

Chansey was one of the original 151 designs created for the first games in the series. It is a round, pink Pokémon that carries an egg in a pouch on its front. The eggs it carries are said to bring happiness to those who eat them. It is a compassionate Pokemon, and it shares these eggs with injured people and Pokémon. It is a fast runner, which enables it to escape from dangerous situations.[4] Chansey are often seen aiding Nurse Joy characters in the Pokémon anime due to their kind dispositions. When developing Pokémon Black and White, Ken Sugimori stated that the Pokémon Audino was conceived of as a replacement to Chansey in this role.[5]

Appearances

In video games

Chansey first appear in Pokémon Red and Blue, where they appear very rarely in Kanto's Safari Zone. Following this appearance, Chansey returned in numerous following installments, including Pokémon Gold and Silver (which debuted Chansey's evolved form, Blissey), Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (which debuted Chansey's pre-evolved form, Happiny), Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pokémon Sword and Shield, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Chansey appear as assistants to the nurses that appear in Pokémon Centers in Pokémon Yellow and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.

Chansey make many appearances outside of the main series, including Pokémon Snap, the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, the Pokémon Rumble series, Pokémon Café ReMix, and Pokémon Go. Chansey frequently appear under the ownership of Nurse Joy in the Pokémon anime, though they became less frequent following Pokémon the Series: Black & White. The character Brock owns a Chansey after his Happiny evolved during one episode of the anime, the character Toren was shown to own one in Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, and the character Mollie owns one in Pokémon Horizons: The Series. In the manga Pokémon Adventures, a Chansey was shown under the ownership of Daisy Oak, which formerly belonged to her grandfather, Professor Oak.

Chansey has appeared in several installments of the Super Smash Bros. series, appearing as both a stage hazard and a summonable character to aid the playable characters.

Promotion and reception

Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, The Pokémon Company and the Fukushima Prefectural Government signed a partnership agreement in 2019, with the purpose of disaster reconstruction and tourism. As part of this agreement, Chansey was named the official "Fukushima Support Pokémon", and a park themed around Chansey, named "Lucky Park" was constructed in Namie. Pokémon Company corporate officer Taku Kawamoto said in a statement that "[Chansey] is a Pokemon character that brings happiness. I want people to play a lot at this park and bring a lot of happiness to the town of Namie."[6] Further parks were constructed in Koriyama, Yanaizu, and Shōwa.[7] Pokéfuta manhole covers featuring Chansey were placed around the prefecture as well.[8]

Chansey has been described as a "charming, lovable, and always endearing" Pokémon.[9] Writing for GamesRadar+, Heather Wald described Chansey as being among her favorite Pokemon, and that the prospect of finding one in the wild in Pokémon Legends: Arceus was one of the reasons she was "so excited to jump into Game Freak's latest adventure."[10] In another article for the site, Carolyn Gudmundson noted that while the character's place in "the Pokémon universe is cemented by her vocation as a nurse", she felt its design was one of the most overused in the original games, describing it as a "beady-eyed" variety of "huggable pink blob."[11] When describing the weakest Pokémon in the series, Jason Brown of Retro Dodo described Chansey as the weakest of them all, stating that "Chansey is one of the original 151 Pokémon from generation one’s Pokemon Red and Blue – and undoubtedly the weakest Pokémon not only from that original selection, but in the entire Pokédex", citing its relatively low stats.[12]

Artist Jochum Van der Woude received attention for making Renaissance-styled portraits of Pokémon, including Chansey.[13] Writing about the usage of communicative repertoire in the classroom, Betsy Rhymes of the University of Pennsylvania cited an example of students using Chansey as an example of an image in mass media that provides common ground amongst students learning the English language.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Game Freak (September 30, 1998). Pokémon Red and Blue, Instruction manual. Nintendo. pp. 6–7.
  2. ↑ Game Freak (September 30, 1998). Pokémon Red and Blue, Instruction manual. Nintendo. p. 11.
  3. ↑ Game Freak (September 30, 1998). Pokémon Red and Blue, Instruction manual. Nintendo. pp. 31, 35.
  4. ↑ "Chansey | Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  5. ↑ Edmundson, Carlyle (2023-02-08). "Pokémon's Audino Was Created to Replace Chansey in the Anime". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Japan's 1st Pokemon-themed park opens in disaster-hit Fukushima Pref. town". Mainichi Daily News. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  7. ↑ "Lucky Kids In Japan Are Getting A Pokémon Playground". Kotaku. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  8. ↑ Coulson, Josh (2022-11-28). "Japan Reveals New Line Of Pokemon Themed Manhole Covers". TheGamer. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  9. ↑ Oxman, Demaris (2021-02-02). "Pokemon: 10 Normal-Types That Deserve A Second Typing". Game Rant. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  10. ↑ Wald, Heather (2022-02-09). "Alpha Pokemon make for the most memorable and rewarding encounters in Pokemon Legends Arceus". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  11. ↑ Gudmundson, Carolyn (2010-07-23). "The most overused Pokemon designs". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  12. ↑ Brown, Jason (2023-01-10). "15 Weakest Pokemon of All Time". Retro Dodo. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  13. ↑ Sienra, Regina (2023-10-31). "Artist Reimagines Original 151 Pokémon as Renaissance Paintings". My Modern Met. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  14. ↑ Rymes, Betsy (2010). Sociolinguistics and Language Education. Multilingual Matters 2010. pp. 528–546.
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