Professor Kukui (anime): Difference between revisions

Professor Kukui ククイ博士 Dr. Kukui
Art from the Sun & Moon series
Gender	Male
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Black
Hometown	Hau'oli Outskirts
Region	Alola
Relatives	Professor Burnet (wife)
Trainer class	Pokémon Professor
Game counterpart	Professor Kukui
Anime debut	Alola to New Adventure!
English voice actor	Abe Goldfarb
Japanese voice actor	Keiichi Nakagawa

Professor Kukui (Japanese: ククイ博士 Dr. Kukui) is a Pokémon Professor in the Alola region, a teacher at the Pokémon School on Melemele Island and a major supporting character of the Pokémon anime in the Sun & Moon series.

History

As Masked Royal

Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet about to get married

Professor Kukui is a regular character in the Sun & Moon series who debuted in Alola to New Adventure!. He works as a teacher at the Pokémon School of Melemele Island. Ash lives with him while attending school. In this continuity, he is initially not married to Professor Burnet until The Professors' New Adventure!.

In The Guardian's Challenge!, he gave Ash the Rotom Pokédex.

In Rocking Clawmark Hill!, Kukui and Ash found Rockruff injured. Upon further investigation, they found that it had been training on Clawmark Hill. After watching Ash train Rockruff, he noticed they had developed a bond and allowed Ash to catch Rockruff.

In Partner Promises!, he informed Ash about the guardian deities, since Ash had recently encountered Tapu Lele.

In Alola, Kanto!, he accompanied the class and Samson Oak to Kanto. The following episode, he revealed part of why he wanted to arrange the trip was to announce he wanted to establish an official Pokémon League in Alola.

In Family Determination!, Kukui accompanied his students to Poni Island to catch up with Lillie, who had ran away from home with her brother, Gladion, in search of a way to save her mother, Lusamine.

In Revealing the Stuff of Legend!, while watching the deities bless Nebby, he received a call for help from Professor Burnet on his cell phone and decided to go alone. Thanks to his Braviary, Kukui was able to drive away the Jangmo-o and Hakamo-o that had surrounded Burnet and her Munchlax, but by the time the two professors returned to the Altar of the Sunne, Ash and the others had already ridden off on Nebby into an Ultra Wormhole.

In The Professors' New Adventure!, he and Professor Burnet revealed that they were getting married. A few days later, the wedding ceremony was held on the beach outside his house.

Kukui's alter-ego, the Masked Royal, debuted in Pushing the Fiery Envelope!. When Ash and his classmates visited the Battle Royal Dome, Ash's Litten got agitated upon seeing Royal's Incineroar. This prompted him to invite Ash, along with Kiawe and Sophocles, to take part in a Battle Royal, which the Masked Royal easily won. Days later, after seeing Litten training to master Flame Charge, Kukui, dressed up again as the Masked Royal, showed up to have a one-on-one battle with Ash. During the battle, Litten evolved into a Torracat and was able to perfect Flame Charge. Despite this, however, the battle ended in the Masked Royal's victory. Afterwards, the Masked Royal declared that he and Incineroar were now Torracat's rivals.

The Masked Royal reappeared in SM081. He went up against Mad Boober, but interfering dirty tactics used by the Revengers caused him to nearly lose. Realizing this, Ash and Torracat teamed up with him, and they battled Mr. Elec and Mad Boober. Despite continued interference, they were able to defeat their opponents.

After the Ultra Guardians left for Ultra Space with a fully recovered Lunala in SM089, Professor Kukui and Faba volunteered to aid them. On Ten Carat Hill, he and Faba confronted the Matori Matrix by using their Pokémon to damage the team's airship and prevent them from entering the Ultra Wormhole. Afterwards, Kukui and Faba faced Gozu and his Mega Aggron in battle, but their Pokémon were swiftly beaten. Following that, he sent out his Incineroar and performed its Z-Move to defeat Mega Aggron. However, that blew his cover to Faba, who admitted he was a fan of the Masked Royal. Later, alongside Incineroar and Faba, Kukui joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its normal form.

Character

The Masked Royal's identity is almost revealed

Professor Kukui is a fairly serious, but happy character. Despite this, he usually likes to add the names of moves into conversations every now and then, much like how Samson Oak uses Pokémon puns. He has been shown to be also break from his serious and calm attitude, as shown in Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!, when he was completely shocked at the notion that Kiawe had stolen Ash's missing Electrium Z. Like Rotom Pokédex, he enjoys watching the television show Alolan Detective Laki and try to figure out who the culprit is during the episode. Much like his use of move names when he talks, he was shown to find it funny that the viewers assumed that the Rockruff which he befriended was actually his. The fact that Professor Kukui befriended the stray Rockruff, when he came upon the Pokémon, who had recently been attacked with Teeter Dance and decided to nurture it, shows that he is also a friendly and hospitable person.

Professor Kukui is a skilled Pokémon Trainer, and as the Masked Royal, he is able to handle battling multiple Pokémon at once in Battle Royals. The Masked Royal is the Battle Royal Dome's star Trainer, having a known record win streak of at least 21 victories. Despite some comically close calls, no one has been able to discern the Masked Royal's true identity. The only exceptions were Faba, who realized the truth after Kukui inadvertently exposed himself; and Ash's Litten, who was able to recognize him from his scent.

Pokémon

This listing is of Kukui's known Pokémon in the anime:

On hand

		Braviary ♂
		Professor Kukui's Braviary first appeared in Revealing the Stuff of Legend!, where he used it to help Professor Burnet escape from a group of Jangmo-o and Hakamo-o at the Vast Poni Canyon. Braviary reappeared in The Professors' New Adventure!, attending the wedding of Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet as Kukui's partner Pokémon. Braviary reappeared in SM089, where it attacked Team Rocket's helicopter. It then battled Gozu alongside Faba's Alakazam and Hypno, only to be hit by his Mega Aggron's Heavy Slam. Braviary briefly reappeared in SM090, where it was recalled into his Poké Ball after being defeated. Braviary's knowns moves are Brave Bird and Rock Slide.
Debut	Revealing the Stuff of Legend!
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Ryan Nicolls

		Incineroar
		Main article: Professor Kukui's Incineroar Professor Kukui's alias, the Masked Royal, commonly uses an Incineroar in the Battle Royal. It was first seen in Pushing the Fiery Envelope!, where it took part in a Battle Royal against Ash's Litten, Kiawe's Marowak, and Sophocles's Charjabug, easily winning despite holding back. It was later used in another battle against Ash's Litten, during which Litten evolved into a Torracat. Despite this, Incineroar still won the battle.
Debut	Pushing the Fiery Envelope!
Voice actors
Japanese	Toru Sakurai

Befriended

		Rockruff
		Main article: Ash's Rockruff Rockruff is a wild Pokémon Professor Kukui took under his care. In Rocking Clawmark Hill!, he encouraged Ash to catch it after seeing the bond the two had developed.
Debut	The Guardian's Challenge!
Voice actors
Japanese	Megumi Hayashibara
English	Haven Paschall

At his house

		Luvdisc (×2)
		Professor Kukui has two Luvdisc which he keeps in a fish tank in his house, along with a Corsola, that first appeared in The Guardian's Challenge!. They appeared again in A Shocking Grocery Run!, That's Why the Litten is a Scamp!, A Dream Encounter!, and Night of a Thousand Poses!. None of Luvdisc's moves are known.
Debut	The Guardian's Challenge!

		Corsola
		Professor Kukui has a Corsola, which he keeps in a fish tank in his house, along with two Luvdisc, that first appeared in The Guardian's Challenge!. It appeared again in A Shocking Grocery Run!, That's Why the Litten is a Scamp!, A Dream Encounter!, and Night of a Thousand Poses!. None of Corsola's moves are known.
Debut	The Guardian's Challenge!

Ride Pokémon

		Wailmer
		Professor Kukui was first seen riding a Poké Ride Wailmer around Melemele Island. None of Wailmer's moves are known.
Debut	Yo, Ho, Ho! Go, Popplio!

Voice actors

Names

Trivia

• Professor Kukui is the only Professor not shown giving out any starter Pokémon in the anime.

Related articles

• Professor Kukui

Professor Kukui's Pokémon
On hand:	Braviary	Incineroar	Lucario	Venusaur	Empoleon	Unknown
At home:	Luvdisc	Corsola	Rowlet	Lycanroc	Incineroar	Melmetal
Temporary:	Naganadel	Tapu Koko
Ride Pokémon:	Wailmer
Befriended:	Rockruff	Trevenant
Professor Kukui's Pokémon in other media
Games only:	Rotom	Lycanroc	Incineroar	Pokémon at lab
Adventures only:	Litten	Rowlet	Popplio	Rotom	Snorlax	Lycanroc

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.