Cubone
カラカラ Karakara
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Artwork from FR/LG
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| EV yield
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HP
0
| Atk
0
| Def
1
| Sp.Atk
0
| Sp.Def
0
| Speed
0
| Exp.
87
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Cubone (Japanese: カラカラ Karakara) is a Ground-type Pokémon.
It evolves into Marowak starting at level 28.
Biology
Physiology
Cubone appears to be a small brown dinosaur-like Pokémon, that constantly wears a skull (supposedly the skull of its mother) like a helmet, which masks its true face from view, a puzzlement for many trainers and researchers. It carries another bone, which it uses to attack with moves like Bone Club.
Cubone has a plump body, with strong limbs to carry its bone as a weapon around wherever it goes. A small tail is also present for balance, but it can be used for attacking.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
It has the ability to wield its bone as an effective weapon, or throw it in the same manner as a boomerang.
Cubone, and its evolved form, Marowak, are the only known Pokémon that learn Bone Club and Bonemerang, although they used to be the only Pokémon that could learn Bone Rush until it was discovered Lucario could learn the move.
Behavior
It is constantly lonely, for one reason or another, and moans plaintively. It dislikes keeping company or making new friends, and its social skills are almost non-existant.
During the night, it cries for its lost mother and it is unable to let go of the memory of her. Its cries echo within the skull and it comes out as a pained and sad melody that can travel for miles around its mountain homeland. Sometimes, it can emit mournful sounds during the day. On the night of a full moon, its cries are the loudest - for it seems to recognize its mother's face in the moon.
It is largely unknown where the mothers go after birth, but it is speculated that it dies almost immediately after childbirth. This death may set the basis of personality for all Cubone.
Habitat
Cubone live in rocky areas where they can easily find bones in old sediment that can be millions of years old. This is where they find the bones they often use as weapons. Sometimes, they prefer to live in dark caves where they can mourn alone.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
In the anime
Cubone first appeared in The School of Hard Knocks under the ownership of Giselle. She used Cubone against Ash's Pikachu.
Cubone also appeared in A Chansey Operation as an injured Pokémon.
A Cubone was among the four Pokémon that were causing trouble for Pikachu and co. during Pikachu's Vacation.
A Cubone was used by one of the students of the Pokémon Trainer's School in Gonna Rule The School!.
A Cubone was helping Meowth preparing his party in Pichu Bros. in Party Panic. This Cubone played drums in Meowth's band and got easily sad and gloomy when Meowth chewed it out, but it was also easily consolable.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Special manga
Cubone makes a cameo in Onix is On!, part of the Red, Green & Blue chapter, battling against Red's Bulbasaur as a Pewter Gym trainer's Pokémon.
Crystal owns a Cubone, who has a star-shaped crack in its skull. Cubone's main role in the team is to take out targets from afar using its bone-based attacks.
In the TCG
- Main article: Cubone (TCG)
Other appearances
- In the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage, a Cubone can be seen on the Ground Terrain standing atop the highest platform built into a rock. Dugtrio and Pokémon fossils can also be seen on the Ground Terrain.
Merchandise
Cubone was one of the first four Pokémon designs revealed when the Pokémon 151 brand was first announced. In the shirt design, Cubone's skull is in the center of the shirt, with two Thick Clubs in crossing below it.
Game data
Pokédex entries
| Gen
| Game
| Pokédex entry
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| I
| Red
| Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face.
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| Blue
| Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face.
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| Yellow
| Wears the skull of its deceased mother. Its cries echo inside the skull and come out as a sad melody.
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| Stadium
| Always wears the skull of its deceased mother on its head and never shows its face. It cries mournfully in the moonlight.
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| II
| Gold
| If it is sad or lonely, the skull it wears shakes, and emits a plaintive and mournful sound.
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| Silver
| It always wears the skull of its dead mother, so no one has any idea what its hidden face looks like.
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| Crystal
| It lost its mother after its birth. It wears its mother's skull, never revealing its true face.
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| Stadium 2
| If it is sad or lonely, the skull it wears shakes, and emits a plaintive and mournful sound.
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| III
| Ruby
| Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds.
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| Sapphire
| Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds.
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| Emerald
| It pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull it wears are from its tears.
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| FireRed
| It wears the skull of its dead mother on its head. When it becomes lonesome, it is said to cry loudly.
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| LeafGreen
| Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face.
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| IV
| Diamond
| When it thinks of its dead mother, it cries. Its crying makes the skull it wears rattle hollowly.
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| Pearl
| When it thinks of its dead mother, it cries. Its crying makes the skull it wears rattle hollowly.
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| Platinum
| When it thinks of its dead mother, it cries. Its crying makes the skull it wears rattle hollowly.
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Game locations
In side games
Held items
Base stats
Type effectiveness
| Weak to
| Resistant to
| Immune to
| Normal effectiveness
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Learnset
Generation IV
Other generation learnsets: II - III
|
| Father
| Move
| Type
| Cat.
| Pwr.
| Acc.
| PP
| Contest
| Appeal
|
Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar
Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard
Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior
Totodile, Croconaw, Feraligatr
Lapras
Chikorita, Bayleef, Meganium
Mudkip, Marshtomp, Swampert
| AncientPower
| Rock
| Special
| 60
| 100%
| 5
| Tough
| 2 ♥♥
|
Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard
Slowpoke, Slowbro, Slowking
Lickitung, Lickilicky
Snorlax
| Belly Drum
| Normal
| Status
| —
| —%
| 10
| Cute
| 0 |
Nidoran♂, Nidorino, Nidoking
Treecko, Grovyle, Sceptile
| Double Kick
| Fighting
| Physical
| 30
| 100%
| 30
| Cool
| 2 ♥♥
|
Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar
Aron, Lairon, Aggron
Shieldon, Bastiodon
Gible, Gabite, Garchomp
| Iron Head
| Steel
| Physical
| 80
| 100%
| 15
| Tough
| 2 ♥♥
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| Lapras
| Perish Song
| Normal
| Status
| —
| —%
| 5
| Beauty
| 2 ♥♥
|
Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar
Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard
Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior
| Rock Slide
| Rock
| Physical
| 75
| 90%
| 10
| Tough
| 3 ♥♥♥
|
Lickitung, Lickilicky
Totodile, Croconaw, Feraligatr
Larvitar, Pupitar, Tyranitar
Treecko, Grovyle, Sceptile
Whismur, Loudred, Exploud
Cranidos, Rampardos
Mareep, Flaaffy, Ampharos
Aron, Lairon, Aggron
Shieldon, Bastiodon
| Screech
| Normal
| Status
| —
| 85%
| 40
| Smart
| 2 ♥♥
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Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Venusaur
Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise
| Skull Bash
| Normal
| Physical
| 100
| 100%
| 15
| Tough
| 1 ♥
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Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizard
Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior
| Swords Dance*
| Normal
| Status
| —
| —%
| 30
| Beauty
| 0 |
Bold indicates a move that gets STAB
Italic indicates a move that gets STAB from an evolution of this Pokémon
*Indicates a move only available by chain breeding
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Side game data
Evolution
Sprites
Trivia
- Cubone's name for English audiences was originally going to be "Orphon," a reference to how it's orphaned at birth.
- Despite wearing the skull of its dead mother, Cubone can be bred in the games with no ill effects on its mother. This is likely for fairness, every time the player wanted to breed a Cubone, it would cost them its mother.
- Cubone is one of the five Pokémon to appear in the Pokémon 151 clothing line.
- Cubone and its evolution used to be the Pokémon with the most signature moves. Now that Bone Rush is no longer its signature move, this "honor" is taken by Vespiquen.
- Its generation III back sprite is the exact same as its generation II back sprite, just upgraded.
Origin
It may be based on the aboriginal Australians who throw boomerangs to catch food.
Name origin
Cubone's name might be a combination of cute and bone, cub and bone, or cue ball (a reference to its pale white head) and bone. Karakara may be taken to mean からから, clattering. It is worth noting that karakara denotes lighter clattering than garagara.
In other languages
- German: Tragosso - A combination of tragen (to carry or wear) or tragisch (dramatically), and oss, a form of the Latin word for bone.
- French: Osselait - A combination of osselet (small bone) and lait (milk), referring to the young age and need for a mother.
- Korean: 탕구리 Tangguri
External links
Notes
Body size: 1
For other sprites and images, please see Cubone images on Bulbagarden Archives.
