Kabu
| Kabu カブKabu | |
| "The ever-burning man of fire!" | |
 Art fromSword and Shield bytake[1] | |
| Age | Middle-Aged[2] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Salt and pepper |
| Hometown | Motostoke(original hometown unknown) |
| Region | Galar(originallyHoenn) |
| Trainer class | Gym Leader |
| Generation | VIII,IX |
| Counterpart(s) | Kabu (Masters) |
| Games | Sword, Shield Masters EX |
| English voice actor | Unknown(Masters EX) |
| Japanese voice actor | Kazuhiko Inoue(Masters EX) |
| Member of | Galar League |
| Rank | Gym Leader |
| Leader of | Motostoke Stadium |
| Badge | Fire Badge |
| Specializes in | Fire types |
| Animated series | Pokémon Horizons: The Series Pokémon: Twilight Wings |
| Debut | The Bittersweet Truth(Horizons) Assistant(Twilight Wings) |
| English voice actor | Clyde Kusatsu(Horizons) |
| Japanese voice actor | Hiroki Tōchi(Horizons) N/A(Twilight Wings) |
| Manga series | Pokémon Adventures |
| Debut | Chomp!! Defeat Drednaw |
Kabu (Japanese:カブKabu) is theGym Leader ofMotostoke'sGym, known officially asMotostoke Stadium. Hespecializes inFire-typePokémon. He gives theFire Badge to Trainers who defeat him.
In the core series games
Kabu is designated the thirdGym LeaderGalarTrainers face in theirGym 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 fromHoenn who was invited to theGalar League. He is the current Leader of theMotostoke Gym. He lost the Gym position at one point but regained back several years later in glorious fashion.[3] He made several attempts to becomingChampion 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 againstLeon, 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 hisFire-type Pokémon.
Kabu is first seen at Motostoke Stadium for the Gym Challenge's opening ceremony. Theplayer andHop first meet him inGalar Mine No. 2, defeating a pair ofTeam Yell Grunts who were disturbing the localwild Pokémon. He explains to the two young Trainers that he sometimes visits the mine to train against theWater-type Pokémon that live there, before returning to his Gym. After being defeated, Kabu is joined byMilo andNessa atMotostoke's front gate as he recites a cheer for the player and Hop to wish them good luck for the rest of their Gym Challenge. Kabu later participates in the Champion Cup atWyndon, but is defeated byPiers in the first round. He also participates in the post-gameChampion tournaments and theGalarian Star Tournament.
After Kabu's initial defeat, the player is awarded with theFire Badge,TM38 (Will-O-Wisp), and theFire Uniform.
League Cards
This is a transcript of the back of Kabu'sLeague Cards inPokémon Sword and Shield.
- Normal League Card
- "Kabu is aPokémon Trainer who was invited from theHoenn region. There were a few times where he was very close to becomingChampion, but victory always seemed to elude him at the last moment. Because of this, he adopted a no-holds-barred approach tobattling 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 withLeon, 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 incorporatingWill-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 inUltra Balls.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Gym battle
Max Raid Battle partner
Kabu teams up with the player,Hop, andPiers to face aDynamaxTorkoal in aMax Raid Battle.
Champion tournament
Galarian Star Tournament
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article:Kabu (Masters)
Kabu forms async pair withCentiskorch,Torkoal,Ninetales, andCamerupt inPokémon Masters EX. His Centiskorch is capable ofGigantamaxing. Kabu became a playable sync pair on June 16, 2024.
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #206 |  | Kabu | #0851 |  | Centiskorch♂  Gigantamax | Fire | Rock |  |  | ★★★★★☆EX | Poké Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #206 | | Kabu | #0324 |  | Torkoal♂ | Fire | Ground | | ★★★★☆☆EX | Trainer Lodge Friendship Level 100 | |
| #206 | | Kabu | #0038 |  | Ninetales♀ | Fire | Water | |  | ★★★★★☆EX | Gym Scout |
| #206 |  | Academy Kabu | #0323 |  | Camerupt♂ | Ground | Water | | | ★★★★★☆EX | Costume Sync Pair Scout |
Gallery
Artwork
 |
| Concept art fromSword and Shield |
Sprites
 |
| Icon from the Galarian Star Tournament menu |
League Cards
 |  |
| Kabu'sLeague Card in Sword and Shield | Kabu's rareLeague Card in Sword and Shield |
Quotes
- Main article:Kabu/Quotes
In animation
Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Kabu made his debut at the end ofThe Bittersweet Truth, where he was seen eating at the MotostokeBattle Café. In thenext episode, he made his way toMotostoke Stadium whereLiko andRoy joined him to ask about theBlackRayquaza. Wanting to assist the two young Trainers, he, Kabu had them undergo atraining session that helped them find new methods of using their Pokémon's most basicattacks by using them to either light up or extinguish the flames of a group ofLitwick.
After Roy had won the challenge, Kabu challenged the two to aTag Battle, with hisGym Trainer apprenticeWakaba as his partner. Kabu'sCentiskorch easily overwhelmed bothSprigatito andFuecoco, even when the latter learnedFlamethrower 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.
InFiery Galarian Moltres, Kabu went to theGalar Mine to investigate the reports of a collapse that happened there. Upon arriving there, he found Liko, Roy, andFriede, who revealed that the chaos had been caused by aGalarianMoltres. When they left, Kabu realized that Friede was trying to hidesomething, but simply smiled and let them go.
Kabu appeared in a flashback to Liko and Roy's journey inFrom So Far Away.
Kabu reappeared in a flashback inThe Pokémon Paradise of Laqua!.
Character
Kabu was shown to be a very wise and mature person, highly respected in his hometown. He also gave Liko several pieces of advice on how to train herSprigatito.
Pokémon
This listing is of Kabu's knownPokémon inPokémon Horizons: The Series:
Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. He used it in aTag Battle againstLiko andRoy, teaming up withWakaba'sRolycoly. Centiskorch ended up defeatingRoy's Fuecoco before withdrawing from the battle.
Centiskorch's known moves areFlame Wheel,Bug Bite, andFlamethrower, and itsAbility isFlash Fire.
Artwork
 |  |  |  |  |
| Official poster from Pokémon Horizons: The Series | Key artwork of Kabu and Centiskorch | Concept art fromPokémon Horizons: The Series | September Calendar | Eyecatch |
Voice actors
| Language | Voice actor | |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 東地 宏樹Hiroki Tōchi | |
| English | Clyde Kusatsu | |
| Arabic | فؤاد شمصFouad Shamas | |
| Finnish | Rauno Ahonen | |
| European French | Jean-Michel Vovk | |
| Hebrew | דן שצברגDan Shatzberg | |
| Italian | Federico Danti | |
| Polish | Michał Konarski | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Ricardo Schnetzer | |
| Spanish | Latin America | Dafnis Fernández |
| Spain | Jorge García Insúa | |
Pokémon: Twilight Wings
InAssistant, Kabu was jogging atWyndon Stadium.
InSky, he gave his thoughts aboutLeon in an interview while working out in a gym.
InThe Gathering of Stars, he was seen jogging with his Centiskorch atMotostoke after receiving an invitation letter for theGalarian Star Tournament. He was later seen atWyndon Stadium, walking out onto the field for the tournament's opening ceremony.
Pokémon
Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. It was seen jogging with its Trainer.
None of Centiskorch's moves are known.
GOTCHA!
Kabu briefly appeared inGOTCHA!.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Kabu debuted inChomp!! Defeat Drednaw. He, along with various other Gym Leaders, was first seen reacting to the news thatLeon had endorsed twoTrainers for theGym Challenge.
InBlazing!! Bede's Feelings, Kabu was revealed to have facedMarnie in a Gym battle, but lost. He later facedBede,Henry,Casey, andHop in Gym battles, which he also lost. After Hop's victory, Kabu,Milo, andNessa personally congratulated him and Casey for completing the first three Galar Gyms.
InRumble!! The Horrific Darkest Day, the Galar Gym Leaders gathered atRose Tower to find out ifRose intended on bringing harm to the region. WhileOleana 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 theDarkest Day and ensure the safety of Galar's future. Power Spot lights began appearing all over the region, causing Pokémon to startDynamaxing at random. While some traveled to confront Rose at theHammerlockeEnergy Plant, Kabu went back to Motostoke to help deal with the rampaging Dynamax Pokémon.
InGRRR!! The Irrepairable Gears,Macro Cosmos employees were dispatched to deal with the Dynamax Pokémon, allowing Kabu's group to provide backup for the others againstEternatus. 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.
ByRumble!! The Darkest Day Returns, the others had fully recovered from Eternatus's poison and were discharged from the hospital. Kabu and the others then set off to help stop the Darkest Day, which had begun once again.
Pokémon
Centiskorch is Kabu's only known Pokémon. It was first seen being defeated byMarnie'sMorpeko in a Gym battle. It was later seen facingCasey'sKilo in itsGigantamaxed form, but was defeated as well. It later foughtOleana'sMilotic atRose Tower.
None of Centiskorch's moves are known.
Kabu has at least two other Pokémon, as he participated in a three-on-three Gym battle againstHenry.
In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Kabu or his Pokémon in thePokémon Trading Card Game.
| Kabu's Pokémon Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded 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
- Kabu was designed bytake.[4]
- Kabu's uniform number is "187", which can be read in Japanese asgoroawase 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 onlyGym Leader inGalar to:
- Originally be fromanother region.
- Have their English name be the same as their Japanese name.
- Kabu was the first Gym Leader introduced beforeGeneration IX to appear inPokémon 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, Indonesian, Brazilian Portuguese | Kabu | From his Japanese name |
| European Spanish, Latin American Spanish | Naboru | Fromnabo (turnip) |
| Korean | 순무Sunmu | From 순무sunmu (turnip) |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 卡蕪Kǎwú /Kāmòuh | From the transcription of his Japanese name and 蕪菁 / 芜菁wújīng / mòuhjīng (turnip) |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 卡芜Kǎwú | |
| Thai | คาบุKhabu | Transcription of his Japanese name |
References
Related articles
 | This game character article is part ofProject CharacterDex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in thePokémon games. |
