Pokemon Sword and Shield - Kabu Gym Challenge (Motostoke) Guide

Guide for Motostoke Gym Challenge

The Motostoke Gym is the third Galar gym to be visited by the player in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield when it comes to acquiring a gym badge. Its gym leader is Kabu and he specializes in fire-type pokemon.

Recommended Pokemon

• Water: Sobble/Drizzile, Gyarados, Wingull/Pelipper, Chewtle/Drednaw, Shellos, Shelder/Cloyster
• Ground: Diggersby, Drednaw, Diglett/Dugtrio
• Rock: Roggenrola/Boldore, Rolycoly/Carkol

Gym Mission

Here, you’re tasked with capturing or knocking out wild Pokemon to collect points. You can opt to use a strong water, rock, or ground type attack to defeat each of these for a point:

• Wild Vulpix (Lv. 24)
• Wild Litwick (Lv. 25)
• Wild Sizzlipede (Lv. 25)

Meanwhile, if you want to catch the Pokemon, you might want to do a few steps beforehand. On the first turn, unleash a strong super effective move on the gym trainer’s Pokemon to kick them out of the challenge. When you’re left against the wild Pokemon alone, use a water, rock, or ground type move with a low base power to try and weaken the Pokemon. Select a Pokeball and snag the Pokemon to earn two points.

Gym Leader Kabu

• Ninetales (Lv. 25), Arcanine (Lv. 25), and Centiskorch (Lv. 27)

After surpassing the gym trainers, you’ll have to take on Gym Leader Kabu. He uses fire type Pokemon, so douse his team with water type attacks or put them out with rock or ground type attacks.

The first Pokemon he sends out is a Lv. 25 Ninetales. Save your Dynamax for later and pump out a powerful water type, rock type, or ground type move to knock it out. Out of the three, your best bet is to use water types that excel in special attack because he can deter physical attacks with a burn. If you chose Sobble at the start, now is the water starter’s time to shine.

After Ninetales is knocked out, Kabu will send out a Lv. 25 Arcanine. If your Pokemon relies on physical type attacks, you might want to switch it out first to bypass the attack debuff. Have your Pokemon use another powerful water, rock, or ground type attack to knock out his Arcanine.

His final Pokemon is a Lv. 27 Centiskorch. He will use dynamax, so activate yours to keep up with him, preferably on a water type Pokemon like Drizzile. Have your Pokemon unleash a high powered water move such as Max Geyser. If it doesn’t knock it out, it should at least bring it down to a sliver of health. Use it again and the battle should be over.

Other Pokemon Battles

Pokemon Sword and Shield Recommended Article List