Cherubi
Cherubi is a Grass-type Pokémon, the Cherry Pokémon, number 420 (#0420) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 3.3 kg.
Cherubi is the Cherry Pokémon, and the 'cherry' on its stem is a second, smaller head that Starly are always trying to peck off.
How to pronounce Cherubi
Cherubi is pronounced chuh-ROO-bee. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Cherubi said out loud:
In Japanese it is チェリンボ (Cherinbo).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Cherubi is 0.4 m tall and weighs 3.3 kg, a round, deep-pink Pokémon with two stubby feet and a short stem carrying two big green leaves. A smaller ball, a second head, grows from the stem and stores sweet, tasty nutrients. Sunlight turns Cherubi redder, and the Pokédex says a deeper red means a bigger store of nutrients.
Behaviour
The Sword entry says Cherubi darts about nimbly to dodge bird Pokémon that want to snatch its nutrient-rich ball. Bulbapedia adds that Cherubi is attracted to honey.
Habitat
The Pokédex gives no habitat. In Sinnoh it comes to Honey Trees, and in Legends: Arceus it appears from shaking trees. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet or Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Its only Ability is Chlorophyll, which doubles its Speed in strong sunlight. It learns Leafage, Magical Leaf, Leech Seed, Petal Blizzard and Solar Beam, and Morning Sun restores its health. With such modest stats, it is mostly a stepping stone to Cherrim.
Name origin
Cherubi may combine 'cherry', 'cherubic' (childlike) and 'ruby', the red gem. The Japanese name is Cherinbo (チェリンボ), which may combine 'cherry' and sakuranbo (桜桃, 'cherry').
Design inspiration
Cherubi looks like a cherry. Bulbapedia points out that cherries grow with several fruits on one stalk, which may explain why Cherubi has a second, fruit-like head.
Evolution notes
Cherubi evolves into Cherrim at level 25. The Legends: Arceus entry says it uses the nutrients in its ball to evolve, after which the ball detaches and becomes food for other creatures.
In the games
Cherubi is the first Pokémon that Eterna City Gym Leader Gardenia sends out in Diamond and Pearl, at level 19, and those games are where it was introduced. It returns in Legends: Arceus and Sword and Shield.
In the anime
Gardenia's Cherubi debuted in 'The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!', in an unofficial battle against Ash's Turtwig that taught Gardenia a lot about it. In the Gym battle in 'The Grass Menagerie!', its speed forced Ash to swap Turtwig for Staravia, which beat it.
Fun facts
- Its base stat total of 275 is the lowest of any Grass type in Generation IV.
- In Pokémon Horizons, the artist Brassius has made a mug modelled on a Cherubi.
- In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Gardenia's Cherubi uses Grass Knot, which hit harder once Platinum's Piplup evolved into the heavier Prinplup.
Base stats
- HP: 45
- Attack: 35
- Defense: 45
- Sp. Atk: 62
- Sp. Def: 53
- Speed: 35
Cherubi’s base stat total is 275. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Cherubi weak to?
Cherubi takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Poison (2×), Flying (2×), Bug (2×) moves.
It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Ground (½×).
Evolution
How does Cherubi evolve?
Cherubi evolves into Cherrim at level 25.
The whole family: Cherubi, Cherrim.
Abilities
- Chlorophyll: Doubles Speed during strong sunlight.
Moves
Moves Cherubi learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morning Sun | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 5 | Leafage | Grass | Physical | 40 |
| 10 | Growth | Normal | Status | — |
| 15 | Helping Hand | Normal | Status | — |
| 20 | Magical Leaf | Grass | Special | 60 |
| 26 | Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — |
| 30 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 |
| 35 | Petal Blizzard | Grass | Physical | 90 |
| 40 | Worry Seed | Grass | Status | — |
| 45 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 120 |
TM moves (25)
Cherubi can learn 25 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Magical Leaf, Solar Beam, Safeguard, Rest, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Attract, Sunny Day, Facade, Helping Hand, Weather Ball, Bullet Seed, Round, Draining Kiss, Grassy Terrain, Swords Dance, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Dazzling Gleam, Pollen Puff.
Egg moves (10):Aromatherapy, Defense Curl, Flower Shield, Heal Pulse, Healing Wish, Nature Power, Razor Leaf, Rollout, Sweet Scent, Tickle.
Move tutor moves (1): Grassy Glide.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Fairy, Grass.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 190 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 Sp. Atk effort value.
- Base experience yield: 55.
Pokédex entries
Once the fruit growing alongside the main body is large and plump, Cherubi will use the nutrients within to evolve. The fruit then detaches, becoming nourishment for other creatures. (Legends: Arceus)
The deeper a Cherubi's red, the more nutrients it has stockpiled in its body. And the sweeter and tastier its small ball! (Shield)
It nimbly dashes about to avoid getting pecked by bird Pokémon that would love to make off with its small, nutrient-rich storage ball. (Sword)
It evolves by sucking the energy out of the small ball where it had been storing nutrients. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
Sunlight colors it red. When the small ball is drained of nutrients, it shrivels to herald evolution. (Pearl, X, Omega Ruby)
The small ball is not only filled with nutrients, it is also tasty. Starly try to peck it off. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | チェリンボ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Cherinbo |
| French | Ceribou |
| German | Kikugi |
| Spanish | Cherubi |
| Italian | Cherubi |
| Korean | 체리버 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 樱花宝 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 櫻花寶 |
Trivia
- Lowest base stat total among Grass types in Gen 4: 275.
- Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
- Heavier than 11% of all Pokémon (3.3 kg).
- Base stat total 275, ranked #926 of 1,025.
- One of 127 Grass-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 60 pink Pokémon.
- Number 34 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 44 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 7 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: Cherubi (Pokémon), Bulbapedia: Gardenia.
- Pronunciation (chuh-ROO-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
Grass-type Pokémon · Sinnoh region guide · Chlorophyll ability · Compare Cherubi · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
Browse similar Pokémon
Gen 4 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Pink Pokémon list · Fairy egg group · Grass egg group · Pokémon that start with C