Bulbapedia

Kabu

Kabu
カブ Kabu
"The ever-burning man of fire!"
Sword Shield Kabu.png
Artwork from Sword and Shield by take[1]
Age Unknown
Gender Male
Eye color Black
Hair color Salt and pepper
Hometown Motostoke (original hometown unknown)
Region Galar (originally Hoenn)
Trainer class Gym Leader
Generation VIII
Games Sword and Shield
Member of Galar League
Rank Gym Leader
Leader of Motostoke Stadium
Badge Fire Badge
Specializes in Fire-types
Anime series Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Pokémon: Twilight Wings
Debut The Bittersweet Truth (Horizons)
Assistant (Twilight Wings)
English voice actor N/A
Japanese voice actor Hiroki Tōchi (Horizons)
N/A (Twilight Wings)
Manga series Pokémon Adventures
Debut Chomp!! Defeat Drednaw

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 core series games

  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.[2] 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 developed a more unrelentingly positive outlook on life as a result, battling to win with every intention with his Fire-type Pokémon.

After Kabu's initial defeat, the player is awarded with the Fire Badge, TM38 (Will-O-Wisp), and the Fire Uniform.

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



Max Raid Battle partner

Kabu teams up with the player, Hop, and Piers to face a Dynamax Torkoal in a Max Raid Battle.



Champion tournament



Galarian Star Tournament



Gallery

Artwork

 
Concept art from Sword and Shield

Sprites

 
Icon from the
Galarian Star Tournament menu

League Cards

   
Kabu's League Card in
Sword and Shield 		Kabu's rare League Card in
Sword and Shield

Quotes

Main article: Kabu/Quotes

In the anime

Main series

 
Kabu in the anime

Kabu made his anime debut at the end of The Bittersweet Truth, where he was seen eating at the Motostoke Battle Café. In the next episode, he made his way to Motostoke Stadium where Liko and Roy joined him to ask about the Black Rayquaza. Wanting to assist the two young Trainers, he, Kabu had them undergo a training session that helped them find new methods of using their Pokémon's most basic attacks by using them to either light up or extinguish the flames of a group of Litwick.

After Roy had won the challenge, Kabu challenged the two to a Tag Battle, with his Gym Trainer apprentice Wakaba as his partner. Kabu's Centiskorch easily overwhelmed both Sprigatito and Fuecoco, even when the latter learned Flamethrower mid-battle. Once Fuecoco had been defeated, Kabu left the battle against Liko to Wakaba. After Liko's unexpected surrender, Kabu told her that while being kind and compassionate is a good thing, being compassionate to this degree during a battle can be disrespectful toward both the opponent and the participating Pokémon, as both Wakaba and Sprigatito were disappointed in her not finishing the battle in earnest. When Liko and Roy later left, Kabu encouraged Liko to find her own path in life.

In Fiery Galarian Moltres, Kabu went to the Galar Mine to investigate the reports of a collapse that happened there. Upon arriving there, he found Liko, Roy, and Friede, who revealed that the chaos had been caused by a Galarian Moltres. When they left, Kabu realized that Friede was trying to hide something, but simply smiled and let them go.

Kabu appeared in a flashback to Liko and Roy's journey in HZ045.

Pokémon

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

 
Centiskorch
Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. He used it in a Tag Battle against Liko and Roy, teaming up with Wakaba's Rolycoly. Centiskorch ended up defeating Roy's Fuecoco before withdrawing from the battle.

Centiskorch's known moves are Flame Wheel, Bug Bite, and Flamethrower, and its Ability is Flash Fire.

Debut Kabu's Battle Training!

Artwork

         
Official poster from
Pokémon Horizons: The Series 		Key artwork of
Kabu and Centiskorch 		Concept art from Pokémon Horizons: The Series September Calendar Eyecatch

Voice actors

Language Voice actor
Japanese 東地 宏樹 Hiroki Tōchi


Pokémon: Twilight Wings

 
Kabu 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 Gathering of Stars, he was seen jogging with his Centiskorch at Motostoke after receiving an invitation letter for the Galarian Star Tournament. He was later seen at Wyndon Stadium, walking out onto the field for the tournament's opening ceremony.

Pokémon

 
Centiskorch
Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. It was seen jogging with its Trainer.

None of Centiskorch's moves are known.

Debut The Gathering of Stars

GOTCHA!

Kabu briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.

In the manga

 
Kabu in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Kabu debuted in Chomp!! Defeat Drednaw. He, along with various other Gym Leaders, was first seen reacting to the news that Leon had endorsed two Trainers for the Gym Challenge.

In Blazing!! Bede's Feelings, Kabu was revealed to have faced Marnie in a Gym battle, but lost. He later faced Bede, Henry, Casey, and Hop in Gym battles, which he also lost. After Hop's victory, Kabu, Milo, and Nessa personally congratulated him and Casey for completing the first three Galar Gyms.

In Rumble!! The Horrific Darkest Day, the Galar Gym Leaders gathered at Rose Tower to find out if Rose intended on bringing harm to the region. While Oleana kept the Gym Leaders busy, Henry, Casey, Bede, Hop, and Marnie went up to meet Rose, only find he was elsewhere. On a video screen, Rose announced his intention to restart the Darkest Day and ensure the safety of Galar's future. Power Spot lights began appearing all over the region, causing Pokémon to start Dynamaxing at random. While some traveled to confront Rose at the Hammerlocke Energy Plant, Kabu went back to Motostoke to help deal with the rampaging Dynamax Pokémon.

In PASS29, Macro Cosmos employees were dispatched to deal with the Dynamax Pokémon, allowing Kabu's group to provide backup for the others against Eternatus. By the time they arrived, Kabu's group found Eternatus had fled, leaving those who battled it unconscious and covered in poison. The injured were taken to a hospital to recover.

Pokémon

 

 
Centiskorch ↔ Gigantamax Centiskorch
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 Casey's Kilo in its Gigantamaxed form, but was defeated as well. It later fought Oleana's Milotic at Rose Tower.

None of Centiskorch's moves are known.

Debut Blazing!! Bede's Feelings

Kabu has at least two other Pokémon, as he participated in a three-on-three Gym battle against Henry.

In the TCG

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Kabu or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Kabu's Pokémon
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion 		Rarity # Japanese
Expansion 		Rarity #
Centiskorch    Lost Origin   TG14/TG30 VMAX Climax   218/184
Centiskorch    Lost Origin   TG15/TG30 VMAX Climax   219/184
Other related cards
Card Type English
Expansion 		Rarity # Japanese
Expansion 		Rarity #
Kabu Su Darkness Ablaze   163/189 Explosive Walker   067/070
Darkness Ablaze   186/189 Explosive Walker   077/070
Champion's Path   055/073      
Champion's Path   077/073 Explosive Walker   082/070
Lost Origin   TG26/TG30 VMAX Climax   257/184
 


Trivia

 
Icon of Huo Guo Hot Pot, Kabu's sponsor
  • Kabu was designed by take.[3]
  • Kabu's uniform number is "187", which can be read in Japanese as goroawase for 火花 hibana, meaning "sparks".
  • Kabu's sponsor is Huo Guo Hot Pot, whose logo can be seen on his shorts.
  • Kabu is the only Gym Leader in Galar to:
    • Originally be from another region.
    • Have their English name be the same as their Japanese name.
  • Kabu was the first Gym Leader introduced before Generation IX to appear in Pokémon Horizons: The Series.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese カブ Kabu From 蕪 kabu (turnip), 兜 kabuto (a type of Japanese helmet, whose design is incorporated into Kabu's Gym logo), 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

Related articles

References

  1. ↑ Kabu (Darkness Ablaze 163)
  2. ↑ https://swordshield.pokemon.com/en-us/people-galar-region/fire-gym-leader-kabu/
  3. ↑ Tweet about designing all of the Gym Leaders for Pokémon Sword & Shield


Gym Leaders of the Galar region
Turffield Stadium  
 
Milo
Hulbury Stadium  
 
Nessa
Motostoke Stadium  
 
Kabu
Stow-on-Side Stadium  
   
 
Bea Allister
Ballonlea Stadium  
   
Opal Bede
Circhester Stadium  
   
 
Gordie Melony
Spikemuth Gym  
   
Piers Marnie
Hammerlocke Stadium  
 
Raihan


  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.
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