Ribombee is a tiny, insectoid Pokémon with a large head, slightly smaller body, and thin arms and legs. It is covered in fluffy, yellow hair with a white face, lower body, and a tuft of hair on its back. It has big eyes with a one white and one brown square speck in the center. Over its eyes are white hairs similar to eyelashes, and it has two black antennae. Around its neck is a brown scarf with a needle-like projection on the front. Two wings nearly as large as its body sprout from its back. The wings are white with three brown loop designs near the base. Its four thin limbs have bulbous hands or feet.
Ribombee uses its fluffy hair to hold pollen it collects from flowers. Rain turns its hair dirty and its pollen damp, so it only visits fields if the weather will remain clear. When storms are in the horizon, Ribombee hide in tree hollows and wait stock-still. The pollen and nectar its collects is used to form balls called "Pollen Puffs". These balls can be used as food or relieve tiredness with a soothing effect. The Alolan people sell Pollen Puffs as valuable nutritious supplements.[1] Pollen Puffs can also be used to attack with paralysis or dizziness, such as during Ribombee's signature move, also called Pollen Puff.
Major appearances
A Ribombee appeared in The Shape of Love to Come!, under the ownership of Mina. It is her partner Pokémon, and as a result, Mina can understand the emotions Ribombee senses. Rimbombee reappeared in SM129 and SM131.
Minor appearances
Multiple Ribombee debuted in Partner Promises!, where they were among the Pokémon that Ash and Pikachu saw on Treasure Island. They reappeared in Alola, Alola!, when Ash revisited the island alongside his classmates and Misty.
A Ribombee appeared in A Dream Encounter! in a video advertising Aether Paradise. It reappeared in Deceiving Appearances!. Three additional Ribombee appeared in a video in Mission: Total Recall!. Three of these Rimbombee appeared again in Don't Ignore the Small Stufful!.
Multiple Ribombee appeared in Tasting the Bitter with the Sweet!, with one appearing in the present day. In the past, they gave Lana and Mallow pollen puff each. In the present day, Jessie, after hearing that story, found a Ribombee and demanded one, only to receive a defensive purple puff.
A Trainer's Ribombee appeared in I Choose Paradise!, where it was among the Pokémon seen at the Pokémon Paradise Resort.
Multiple Ribombee appeared in Battling the Beast Within! as residents of the post-apocalyptic Ultra Ruin. One appeared during the present day and the rest appeared in a flashback.
A Ribombee appeared in the Poké Problem segment of SM114, where it was used as a test subject for Faba to test out his own invention.
A Ribombee appeared in A Recipe for Success! as one of the customers at Oranguru's Café.
Two Ribombee appeared in A Timeless Encounter!.
Pokédex entries
Origin
Ribombee appears to be based on a bee fly. It may also be based on fairies and sprites. Its "pollen puffs" may draw inspiration from fairy dust, a magical dust thought to be used by fairies.
Name origin
Ribombee may be a combination of ribbon, Bombyliidae, and bee. It may also involve rimbombante, the Spanish word for flamboyant.
Aburibbon may be a combination of 吊虻 tsuriabu (bee fly) and ribbon.