Bunnelby
Bunnelby is a Normal-type Pokémon, the Digging Pokémon, number 659 (#0659) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 6 and comes from the Kalos region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 5 kg.
Bunnelby is the Digging Pokémon, a small rabbit whose ears work like shovels with fingers on the ends. The Pokédex says digging makes them so strong that they can slice through thick tree roots.
How to pronounce Bunnelby
Bunnelby is pronounced BUN-ul-bee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Bunnelby said out loud:
In Japanese it is ホルビー (Horubee).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Bunnelby is a small grey rabbit, 0.4 m tall and 5 kg. Its big ears end in dark brown, three-fingered tips like hands, and it has round cheeks, large front teeth and a ruff of stiff brown fur around its neck. A fluffy grey tail sits at the back.
Behaviour
Bunnelby is a dedicated digger and a nervous one. The Pokédex says it can dig a nest 10 m (33 ft) deep in a single night, and the X entry says it digs the whole night through. It is very sensitive to danger: the Shield entry says the flapping of a Corviknight, which Bulbapedia calls a natural predator, sends it burrowing underground in moments.
Habitat
The Pokédex gives no habitat beyond the burrows it digs. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet. In Legends: Z-A it lives across Lumiose's districts and in Wild Zones 1 and 5, with more in the Mega Dimension DLC.
Powers
Bunnelby digs with Dig, Mud-Slap and Mud Shot, and fights with Double Kick, Bounce and Super Fang. Its Abilities are Pickup and Cheek Pouch, which restores HP when it eats a Berry, with Huge Power hidden, which doubles its Attack. As a first stage it is mostly a stepping stone to Diggersby.
Name origin
Bunnelby may combine 'bunny' and 'tunnel', and possibly 'wallaby' or 'baby'. The Japanese name is Horubee (ホルビー), possibly from horu ('to dig') or 'hole', combined with 'rabbit' and maybe 'wallaby' or 'baby'.
Design inspiration
Bunnelby is based on a rabbit, and its ears seem modelled on trowels or shovels for digging through earth and roots. Bulbapedia suggests its Shiny form, with red eyes and white ear tips, may recall albinism. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Bunnelby evolves into Diggersby at level 20.
In the games
Bunnelby handles underground exploration for the Expedition Society in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon. It first appeared in X and Y, where it lives on Routes 2, 3, 5 and 22.
In the anime
Clemont's Bunnelby debuted in 'Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!' and was later revealed in 'A Trip Down Memory Train!' to have been caught after Clemont saved it from a wild Diggersby. Goh caught a Bunnelby in 'Sword and Shield, Slumbering Weald!' after it swiped a scone from him in Galar.
Fun facts
- Of the Normal types introduced in Generation VI it has the lowest base stat total, 237, and the lowest base Speed, 57.
- In Legends: Z-A, one Alpha Bunnelby appears in the Rouge District during a side mission.
- In the episode 'Crowning the Chow Crusher!', a Trainer's Bunnelby competes in the Pokémon Grand Eating Contest.
Base stats
- HP: 38
- Attack: 36
- Defense: 38
- Sp. Atk: 32
- Sp. Def: 36
- Speed: 57
Bunnelby’s base stat total is 237. Its highest stat is Speed.
Type matchups
What is Bunnelby weak to?
Bunnelby takes extra damage from Fighting (2×) moves.
It is immune to Ghost moves.
Evolution
How does Bunnelby evolve?
Bunnelby evolves into Diggersby at level 20.
The whole family: Bunnelby, Diggersby.
Abilities
- Pickup: Picks up other Pokémon's used and Flung held items. May also pick up an item after battle.
- Cheek Pouch: Restores HP upon eating a Berry, in addition to the Berry's effect.
- Huge Power (hidden ability): Doubles Attack in battle.
Moves
Moves Bunnelby learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mud-Slap | Ground | Special | 20 |
| 1 | Leer | Normal | Status | — |
| 3 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 6 | Laser Focus | Normal | Status | — |
| 9 | Quick Attack | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 12 | Mud Shot | Ground | Special | 55 |
| 15 | Flail | Normal | Physical | — |
| 18 | Double Kick | Fighting | Physical | 30 |
| 21 | Bulldoze | Ground | Physical | 60 |
| 24 | Dig | Ground | Physical | 80 |
| 27 | Bounce | Flying | Physical | 85 |
| 30 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 |
| 33 | Swords Dance | Normal | Status | — |
| 36 | Earthquake | Ground | Physical | 100 |
| 39 | Super Fang | Normal | Physical | — |
TM moves (34)
Bunnelby can learn 34 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Dig, Rest, Rock Slide, Thief, Snore, Protect, Attract, Sandstorm, Facade, Brick Break, Rock Tomb, Bounce, Mud Shot, U-turn, Payback, Fling, Round, Bulldoze, Swords Dance, Surf, Earthquake, Agility, Substitute, Sludge Bomb, Spikes, Endure, Sleep Talk, Iron Tail, Bulk Up, Iron Head, Stone Edge, Grass Knot, Work Up, Wild Charge.
Egg moves (2):Defense Curl, Rollout.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
- Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
- Base experience yield: 47.
Pokédex entries
It's very sensitive to danger. The sound of Corviknight's flapping will have Bunnelby digging a hole to hide underground in moments. (Shield)
It excels at digging holes. Using its ears, it can dig a nest 33 feet deep in one night. (Sword)
It has ears like shovels. Digging holes strengthens its ears so much that they can sever thick roots effortlessly. (Y, Alpha Sapphire)
They use their large ears to dig burrows. They will dig the whole night through. (X, Omega Ruby)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ホルビー |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Horubee |
| French | Sapereau |
| German | Scoppel |
| Spanish | Bunnelby |
| Italian | Bunnelby |
| Korean | 파르빗 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 掘掘兔 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 掘掘兔 |
Trivia
- Slowest Normal type in Gen 6: 57 Speed.
- Lowest base stat total among Normal types in Gen 6: 237.
- Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
- Heavier than 15% of all Pokémon (5 kg).
- Base stat total 237, ranked #989 of 1,025.
- One of 131 Normal-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 147 brown Pokémon.
- Number 10 of 72 Pokémon introduced in Generation 6 (Kalos).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 45 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 4 distinct Pokédex entries.
Sources and fact-checking
- Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
- Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Bunnelby (Pokémon), Serebii: Bunnelby (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (BUN-ul-bee): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Normal-type Pokémon · Kalos region guide · Pickup ability · Cheek Pouch ability · Huge Power ability · Compare Bunnelby · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 6 Normal-type Pokémon · Gen 6 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with B · Rabbit Pokémon