Kabu
| Kabu カブ Kabu | |
| "The ever-burning man of fire!" | |
 Art from Pokémon Sword and Shield | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Salt and pepper |
| Hometown | Motostoke |
| Region | Galar (originally Hoenn) |
| Trainer class | Gym Leader |
| Generation | VIII |
| Games | Sword and Shield |
| Leader of | Motostoke Stadium |
| Badge | Fire Badge |
| Specializes in | Fire types |
| Game animation debut | Assistant |
| English voice actor | N/A |
| Japanese voice actor | N/A |
Kabu (Japanese: カブ Kabu) is the Gym Leader of Motostoke's Gym, known officially as Motostoke Stadium. He specializes in Fire-type Pokémon. He gives the Fire Badge to Trainers who defeat him.
In the games
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Kabu's biography |
Kabu is designated the third Gym Leader Galar Trainers face in their Gym Challenge. However, Kabu is also known to be the first real challenge in the Gym Challenge. Often, Trainers give up due to being unable to defeat him. Kabu was originally a Trainer from Hoenn who was invited to the Galar League. He is the current Leader of the Motostoke Gym. He lost the Gym position at one point but regained back several years later in glorious fashion.[1] He made several attempts to becoming Champion but could never reach it. He attempted a no-holds-barred approach to winning his fights but was not satisfied with the results. He even dropped to the minor division of Galar League. However, after facing off against Leon, he regained faith in his potential. He also develops a more unrelentingly positive outlook on life as a result, battling to win with every intention with his Fire-type Pokémon.
League Cards
This is a transcript of the back of Kabu's League Cards in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
- Normal League Card
- "Kabu is a Pokémon Trainer who was invited from the Hoenn region. There were a few times where he was very close to becoming Champion, but victory always seemed to elude him at the last moment. Because of this, he adopted a no-holds-barred approach to battling for a time, but even that did not bring the results he wanted. He even dropped to the minor division at one point, but after a fantastic battle with Leon, he regained faith in his own potential. His motto is to keep learning and training as long as he is alive."
- Rare League Card
- "Interview with Challenger Kabu
Q: How do you see your own battle style?
Kabu: "Just, straightforward, direct. I'm still young, so I try to keep things simple. Just burn as hot as I can, you know? Still, I've hit a bit of a losing streak, so I've tried incorporating Will-O-Wisp into my Pokémon's move set. That's one thing I want to tell everyone—experiment with every possibility of your Pokémon. Moves, Abilities, items... Try everything, and there's sure to be a path forward!"
Pokémon
Kabu keeps his Pokémon in Ultra Balls.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Gym battle
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Max Raid Battle partner
Kabu teams up with the player, Hop, and Piers to face a Dynamax Torkoal in a Max Raid Battle.
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Champion tournament
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Galarian Star Tournament
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Quotes
- Galar Mine No. 2
- "Thank you for helping out with my training, Team Yell! But I must say... it's unforgivable for you to get in the way of a Carkol hard at work!"
- "Cheering is one thing, but one shouldn't get in the way of honest work! "
- "Ah, you are the Trainers endorsed by Leon! Hop and <player>, am I right? I'm just training right up until the last moment so that I can guarantee the perfect match when I face you Gym Challengers! I specialize in Fire-type Pokémon, and the Water-type Pokémon in Galar Mine No. 2 are the perfect opponents to train against!"
- "Regardless, it's getting late. Just go straight once you get out of this mine, and you'll reach Motostoke. Get a good rest at the hotel, and make sure you're both in your top condition! Come on, Carkol. Time for you to head on home, too. I'll make sure you get there safely"
- "We're going to be on fire tomorrow!"
- Motostoke Stadium
- "Welcome! I am Kabu, the Fire-type Gym Leader. The fact that you are here means you've bested both Milo's Grass-type Pokémon and Nessa's Water-types, too. That's quite an accomplishment! Every Trainer and Pokémon trains hard in pursuit of victory. But that means your opponent is also working hard to win. In the end, the match is decided by which side is able to unleash their true potential."
- Upon sending out last Pokémon
- "Light that fire and get your mind moving, Kabu! There still must be a path to victory!"
- Upon using Gigantamax
- "Burn bright, Centiskorch. Let Gigantamax change your size and your form!"
- Upon using G-Max Centiferno
- "Flame always burn upwards, and so we'll always aim to go higher. You understand, don't you?"
- Upon being defeated
- "Great Pokémon and a great Trainer! It's no surprise that you won!"
- After being defeated
- "I'm often regarded as the first real roadblock of the Gym Challenge, and yet you defeated me! Clearly, your talent surpassed my many years of experience. I still have much to learn!"
- "I know now that you and your Pokémon will become a fantastic team. I'm glad I could battle you today! Let me give you a Fire Badge as proof that you've defeated me!"
- "Thanks to the Dynamax phenomenon, our Pokémon battles have become part of the Galar region's culture. And it's the young Trainers who are responsible for keeping our culture alive. Of course, I hope that instead of just keeping it alive, you also help it become something better. We adults will be the pillars for you to build on."
- Motostoke
- "There are many Trainers who never manage to gather three Gym Badges, and they just give up on the Gym Challenge altogether... So I make a point to see of any Trainers who are able to defeat me."
- "So, allow me to send you off with a proper, sporty chant!"
- "Hustle, hustle, hustle, Hop! You can do it, you can do it, <player>!"
- "The Gym Leaders you will face ahead are all tough opponents. But I believe that you will prevail! Believe in your Pokémon and keep pushing on!"
- Wyndon Stadium (Champion Cup Locker Room)
- "I'll always press on and challenge myself so that I can go on as a Pokémon Trainer for as long as possible. As long as you continue to push yourself, your brilliance will never fade."
- Motostoke Stadium (Sordward and Shielbert)
- "Champion <player>! And Piers and Hop, too!"
- "Of course I do! You two were red-hot, after all! I'll never forget seeing you off after you'd completed your first leg of the Gym Challenge."
- "Right! Actually...the situation's getting pretty bad over at the stadium."
- "Ah, brilliant! The opponent's a bit much to take on single-handedly, so I was wondering what to do. But with you all at my side, my confidence in this battle is burning brighter by the minute! Let's begin!"
- "Looks like we were able to extinguish things this time. I'll let this Pokémon rest here at Motostoke Stadium until it gets its energy back. And, <player>, should you have need of my help, please do not hesitate to ask."
- "Don't worry--I know... You all have more work that needs to be done, yes? Go forward, youths! I wish you well!"
- Isle of Armor Random Encounters
Artwork
Sprites
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| Icon from the Galarian Star Tournament menu |
League Cards
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| Kabu's League Card in Sword and Shield |
Kabu's rare League Card in Sword and Shield |
In the anime
In Pokémon: Twilight Wings
In Assistant, Kabu was jogging at Wyndon Stadium.
In Sky, he gave his thoughts about Leon in an interview while working out in a gym.
In the GOTCHA! music video
Kabu briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.
In the manga
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Kabu debuted in PASS03. He, along with various other Gym Leaders, was first seen reacting to the news that Leon had endorsed two Trainers for the Gym Challenge.
Later, Kabu faced Marnie, Bede, Sōdo, Shirudomiria, and Hop in Gym battles, but was defeated by all of them. After Hop's victory, Kabu, Milo, and Nessa personally congratulated him and Shirudomiria for completing the first three Galar Gyms.
Pokémon
| Debut | Sword & Shield chapter |
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Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. It was first seen being defeated by Marnie's Morpeko in a Gym battle. It was later seen facing Shirudomiria's Kilo in its Gigantamaxed form, but was defeated as well.
None of Centiskorch's moves are known.
In the TCG
- Main article: Kabu (Darkness Ablaze 163)
Kabu was introduced as a Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Sword & Shield Series (the Japanese Sword & Shield Era). It was first released in the Japanese Explosive Walker subset and the English Darkness Ablaze expansion, with artwork by take. It also appeared as a Full Art card in the same Japanese and English sets, and a Secret card in the same Japanese set. It allows the player to shuffle their hand into their deck then draw four cards, or eight if they have only one Pokémon in play.
Trivia
- Kabu's uniform number is "187", which can be read in Japanese as goroawase for 火花 hibana, meaning "sparks".
- Kabu is the only Gym Leader in Galar to originally be from another region.
- Kabu is the only Gym Leader in Galar to have their English name the same as their Japanese name.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | カブ Kabu | From 蕪 kabu (turnip), 兜 kabuto (a type of helmet), and 火 ka (fire) |
| English, German, French, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese |
Kabu | From his Japanese name |
| Spanish | Naboru | From nabo (turnip) |
| Korean | 순무 Sunmu | From 순무 sunmu (turnip) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 卡蕪 / 卡芜 Kǎwú | From the transcription of his Japanese name and 蕪菁 / 芜菁 wújīng / mòuhjīng |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 卡蕪 Kāmòuh |
References
Related articles
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This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games. |
