Professor Kukui: Difference between revisions

{{Character Infobox

|caption=Artwork from {{g|Sun and Moon}} by [[Ken Sugimori]]<ref>[[a:File:ProfessorKukuiSunMoon128.jpg|Professor Kukui (Sun & Moon 128)]]</ref>

 

 

Professor Kukui is a passionate man who lives in the {{player}}'s new [[hometown]], [[Hau'oli City]]'s Outskirts on {{rt|1|alola}}. His area of expertise is {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} [[move]]s, and is known to take direct hits from them if he thinks he can learn something about them. In his youth, Kukui participated in the [[island challenge]] with his childhood friend, [[Molayne]]. Afterwards, he traveled to [[Kanto]], where he challenged the [[Indigo League]], defeating the [[Gym Leader]]s and making his way to {{pkmn|Champion}} [[Lance]]. It is unclear what the end result of his battle against Lance was. He is married to [[Professor Burnet]]. Professor Kukui was also friends with the player's [[Mom (Alola)|mother]] from back in Kanto. Throughout the player, Hau and Lillie's journey, he travels with them through their [[island challenge]], acting as a chaperone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The player makes their way to the [[Battle Royal Dome]] at [[Royal Avenue]]. There, they are approached by a masked wrestler who calls himself the Masked Royal. The player is confused by this, mistaking them for Professor Kukui. The Royal invites them to join him in a [[Battle Royal]], and proceeds to explain the basics. Hau, who is also visiting the Battle Royal Dome gets excited and asks if he can join the two in the four-way match, in which the royal accepts his offer. Looking for a forth member, The Royal looks around the lobby, he picks out [[Gladion]], a character that the player has met before and returns to the dome often to get stronger. The Masked Royal brings in a [[Ash's Lycanroc#In the core games|Rockruff]] in the four-way tutorial on Battle Royals. After the fight, regardless of winner, he says he enjoyed the battle with them. He asks Hau and the player on how their island challenge is doing, unaware of the position he's in, Hau comments saying that it is likely because of their trial amulets that all trial goers own. The Masked Royal takes his leave and is never seen again after this.

Once the player has finished Mallow's trial at [[Lush Jungle]], he smells the scene of Mallow's cooking from the trial and congratulates the player for defeating Totem {{p|Lurantis}}, rewarding them with [[TM67]], {{m|Smart Strike}}. He informs the player to make it back to Heahea City and visit the Dimension Research Lab. Seeing how the player has completed all three of their Akala Island Challenges, he also tells them they can take on Olivia's grand trial. At the Dimensional Research Lab, he gathers Lillie and the player, telling them about his wife, Professor Burnet, who runs the facility. He tells his wife how good the three of the kids are, and Hau meets up with them. Professor Burnet and Kukui explain to the group about the research that goes on, telling them about alternate [[dimension]]s, [[Ultra Wormhole]]s, and [[Ultra Beast]]s, life forms who come from [[Ultra Space]]. Hau and the player get asked by [[Faba]] of the [[Aether Foundation]] for a tour of [[Aether Paradise]], Lillie declines, but professor Kukui sees the two trainers off at the [[Hano Grand Resort]] after they finished their grand trial with Olivia. He tells the duo that after they learn about all the technology at Aether Paradise that they should meet up back on [[Ula'ula Island]] in [[Malie City]]. Kukui, along with Lillie, boats to the next island off screen.

====On Ula'Ula Island====

On the arrival to Ula'ula Island, Lillie meets with the player, telling them that the professor at [[Malie Garden]]. Hau and the player inform Professor Kukui about their encounter with an [[Nihilego (Pokémon)|unidentified Ultra Beast]] coming through and Ultra Wormhole, and their meeting with the [[Lusamine|Aether President]]. Kukui tells them that their next trial will take place inside [[Hokulani Observatory]] and travels with the player on {{rt|10|Alola}}. Intending to take the Exeggutor Express, the bus stop is taken over by some [[Team Skull]] thugs, wishing they would challenge the Pokémon League instead causing trouble. A quick fight with the [[Team Skull Grunt|grunt]]s after, the player and Kukui take the bus up the mountain. He directs the player to a specific spot on top of [[Mount Hokulani]], the professor directs their attention to the other mountain on Ula'ula, [[Mount Lanakila]]. It is here that Kukui plans to build Alola's own {{al|Pokémon League}}. Kukui believes that the time has come for Alola to make a name for itself in the world, and that establishing a [[Pokémon League]] will help achieve that. He then introduces the player to [[Molayne]], an old friend of his who he has traveled with, and how he was once a trial captain who runs the PC Storage System in Alola. Professor Kukui leaves the mountain, to check up on Hau.

Later, after their trial with [[Sophocles]], the player is asked by Molayne to return the [[Professor's Mask]] to Kukui, who is at [[Malie Garden]]. There, Kukui is confronted by the boss of Team Skull, [[Guzma]]. He calls both the professor and himself "fellow rejects who never could become [[Trial Captain|captains]]." The boss then criticizes Kukui's idea of building a Pokémon League. Kukui then reveals he chose not to become a captain because he had other goals to pursue. Those goals are what lead him to build the League. The professor then asks the player to battle Guzma. The player wins, and Guzma leaves. Kukui thanks the player by giving them the [[Z-Crystal]] for the final evolution of the [[first partner Pokémon]] they chose; [[Decidium Z]], [[Incinium Z]], [[Primarium Z]] for {{p|Decidueye}}, {{p|Incineroar}}, and {{p|Primarina}}, respectively. He also takes back the mask, saying that he'll make sure the mask will return to The Royal safely. The professor stays on Ula'ula for the rest of the game until the player has finished all their trials.

Much later, the Professor greets the player at the gates to the now completed Pokémon League resting on top of Mount Lanakila. He will congratulate the player for completing all trials and grand trials. He remembers the time when the player chose their first Pokémon, to which the player asks if he is cold (but his soul keeps him heated). Kukui welcomes the player to the league, explaining how the tip of Mount Lanakila was always a place of respect and where every island challenge is finished, the closest place to the sun and Moon. And if {{p|Solgaleo}}{{sup/7|S}}/{{p|Lunala}}{{sup/7|M}} is in their [[party]], Kukui will share a few words with the [[Legendary Pokémon]], as well. Once the player enters the League gates, Kukui explains how the Elite Four challenge works, and wishes the player luck.

Upon defeating all four members of the Elite Four, the player makes their way to the Champion's chamber and sits on the throne. However, Kukui approaches the player, saying they have one more challenge to complete before they can rightfully take their place as Champion. Professor Kukui challenges them to a battle for the Champion's throne, acting as the final battle of the player's Pokémon League challenge. He uses the final evolution of the [[first partner Pokémon]] the player's choice is weak to. After being defeated, Kukui congratulates the player, and names them the first ever Champion of the Alola Pokémon League. His dream of having an established Pokémon League and champion in the Alola has been accomplished and wishes to have a festival back in Iki Town, for the player's accomplishment. Professor Kukui joins the party at Iki Town, celebrating the trainer's victory at becoming Alola's strongest Pokémon Trainer asks them to show off their team to the others. The following day, Lillie has decided to leave to [[Kanto]] with [[Lusamine]], with the professor already seeing her before Hau and the player could catch up with them. He tells Lillie that Professor Burnet would have been there, but she was too sad too come. Kukui, and the rest of Lillie's friends see her off, and tells the now confident young lady that if Lillie were to come back, the area in the loft is for her to use like her own home. They say their goodbyes, and Kukui brings Hau and the player back home. Giving Hau a word of advice, Kukui tells him that it's always nice to give someone you love one last smile before they leave.

Professor Kukui is seen in the credits in a photograph with Professor Burnet and his Rockruff. The Masked Royal's mask is seen in the background. In the post-game, Kukui can be spoken to in the Pokémon Research lab, and tells the player about the potential relationship with Z-Power and Ultra Wormholes. He also gives the player multiple rewards, such as the TM for {{m|Substitute}}.

Kukui can be battled again as a challenger in a [[Pokémon League (Alola)/Title Defense|Title Defense]] battle, despite not wishing to be the Champion of a League that he created. The Masked Royal is a potential opponent in the Battle Royal Dome in Battle Royals

 

 

 

 

Like in the original games, Kukui can be battled during a Title Defense battle and he uses the final evolution of the first partner Pokémon the player's choice is weak to. He can also appear as an opponent at the [[Battle Tree]].

In {{g|Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon}} only, upon meeting the player on {{rt|1|Alola}} after the Alola First partner Pokémon drive off a wild {{p|Yungoos}} before it could attack the player, Professor Kukui allows the player to pick one as their [[first partner Pokémon]].

====Intro====

=====Sun and Moon=====

 

 

| {{ActivePoké|Kukui|Poliwhirl|061Poliwhirl.png|Water|size=100px|link=no}}

| {{ActivePoké|Kukui|Murkrow|198Murkrow.png|Dark|Flying|size=100px|link=no}}

| {{ActivePoké|Kukui|Rockruff|744Rockruff.png|Rock|size=100px|link=Professor Kukui's Lycanroc}}

==In the spin-off games==

Kukui forms a [[sync pair]] with {{form|Lycanroc|Midday Form}} {{TP|Professor Kukui|Lycanroc}} in [[Pokémon Masters EX]]. As the Masked Royal, Kukui forms a sync pair with {{TP|Professor Kukui|Incineroar}}. Kukui became a playable sync pair on January 30, 2020, with him appearing as the Masked Royal on June 17, 2021.

 

 

 

Professor Kukui first appeared in ''[[HOR01|Journey to a New Horizon]]'', where he introduced the [[Alola]] region to {{hor|Akira}}. Later, he taught him the concept of a {{pkmn|Trainer}} and helped him and [[Mana]] to defeat a {{pkmn2|wild}} {{p|Drampa}}.

{{cardlist/entry|cardname={{TCG ID|Chilling Reign|Rockruff|86}}|type=Fighting|expanded=yes|enset=Silver Tempest|enrarity=TGH|ennum=TG07/TG30|jpset=VMAX Climax|jprarity=CHR|jpnum=202/184}}

====Sprites and models====

=====Kukui=====

=====The Masked Royal=====

==See also==