Kiyo

If you were looking for the Warrior in Pokémon Conquest, see Kiyo (Conquest). For the character in Pokémon the Series whose Japanese name is Kiyo, see Nicholai.

Kiyo ノブヒコ Nobuhiko
Kiyo in Pokémon the Series
Gender	Male
Hometown	Unknown, possibly Saffron City
Region	Johto
Trainer class	Black Belt
Generation	II, IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Masters EX
Leader of	Fighting Dojo
Badge	Unknown
Specializes in	Fighting types
Animated debut	A Tyrogue Full of Trouble!
English voice actor	Dan Green
Japanese voice actor	Takeharu Onishi

Kiyo (Japanese: ノブヒコ Nobuhiko) is a Black Belt and the leader of the Fighting Dojo in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver.

He is known as the Karate King (Japanese: カラテだいおう Great Karate King).

In the core series games

Kiyo is found training at Mt. Mortar. To reach him, the player must travel through a lengthy maze section within the mountain. Upon defeating him, Kiyo will give the player a Tyrogue if there is an empty slot in the party. His Karate Gym in Saffron has been disbanded, but one of Kiyo's students can still be found there.

In Pokémon X and Y, the Dojo sensei (either Kiyo or Koichi) can be found in Lumiose City, trying to start a new Fighting Dojo at a small apartment he has rented in Centrico Plaza. His business doesn't seem to be running smoothly, however, as a Battle Girl at the apartment tells that he's only getting new students signing up by telling them he is running a dance studio.

Pokémon

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

Blackbelt Kiyo Mt. Mortar Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $816
Type: Fighting Unknown Held item: None Hitmonlee♂ Lv.34 Jump Kick Fighting   --       Hi Jump Kick Fighting   --       Focus Energy Normal   --       Mind Reader Normal   --       Type: Fighting Unknown Held item: None Hitmonchan♂ Lv.34 Mach Punch Fighting   --       ThunderPunch Electric   --       Ice Punch Ice   --       Fire Punch Fire   --

Given away

After being defeated, Kiyo gives the player this Pokémon:

	Type: Fighting Unknown Held item: None
Tyrogue♂ Lv.10
Tackle Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --       Struggle Normal   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Black Belt Kiyo Mt. Mortar HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $816

Type: Fighting Unknown Ability: Reckless Held item: None Hitmonlee♂ Lv.34 Focus Energy Normal Status   --       Mind Reader Normal Status   --       Hi Jump Kick Fighting Physical   --       Feint Normal Physical   --       Type: Fighting Unknown Ability: Iron Fist Held item: None Hitmonchan♂ Lv.34 Vacuum Wave Fighting Special   --       ThunderPunch Electric Physical   --       Ice Punch Ice Physical   --       Fire Punch Fire Physical   --

Given away

After being defeated, Kiyo gives the player this Pokémon:

	Type: Fighting Unknown Ability: Guts or Steadfast Held item: None
Tyrogue♂ Lv.10
Tackle Normal Physical   --       Helping Hand Normal Status   --       Fake Out Normal Physical   --       Foresight Normal Status   --

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Kiyo is featured in the Raise Tyrogue! event. The player encounters him training in a cave with two disciples, and he starts to challenge the player to battle, only to stop when Sabrina appears. Depending on the player's dialogue option, she either identifies him as the leader of the Fighting Dojo or says they're like rivals, not friends. Kiyo challenges Sabrina to a battle, but she crushes him. Sabrina suggests that the player train with Kiyo, and he offers to give the player a Tyrogue Egg if they do. He introduces the player to Tyrogue's evolutions, then the training begins. The player can then battle Kiyo and his disciples, with a chance of receiving a Tyrogue Egg after every battle.

He is never explicitly called Kiyo during the event, with all his dialogue simply labeled Black Belt. However, several of his lines of dialogue are identical to lines he says in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, including identifying himself as the Karate King. Sabrina also calls him the Karate King. The player's opponent in the event battles is named Black Belt Kyle (Japanese: からておうの　ゴウタ Karate King Gouta), but it is unclear if Kyle is meant to be the name of the Karate King himself or one of his disciples.

Gallery

Sprites and models

Sprite from Generation II	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Overworld sprite from Generation II	Overworld sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	Overworld model from Generation VI

Quotes

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

• Before battle

"Hey! I am the Karate King! I train alone here in the dark! You! Battle with me! Hwaaarggh!

• Being defeated

"Waaaarggh! I'm beaten!"

• After being defeated

"I... I'm crushed... My training is still not enough... But a loss is a loss. I admit it. As proof that you defeated me, I'll give you a rare fighting Pokémon."

"Tyrogue is a fighting-type. It evolves into a tougher Pokémon. Keep up the hard work. I'll keep training too. Farewell!"

• If the player's party is full

"You have no room in your party!"

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

• Before battle

"Hey! I am the Karate King! I train alone here in the cave! You! Battle with me! Hwaaarggh!

• Being defeated

"Waaaarggh! I'm beaten!"

• After being defeated

"I... I'm crushed... My training is still not enough... But a loss is a loss. I admit it. As proof that you defeated me, I'll give you a rare Fighting-type Pokémon."

• If the player's party is full

"You have no room in your party!"

• If the player's party is not full

"TYROGUE is a Fighting type. It evolves into a tougher Pokémon. Keep up the hard work. I'll keep training too. Farewell!"

Pokémon X and Y

"Oh, no one is a no go! This is the Fighting Dojo! How good of you to come! Please, have a look around!"

Pokémon Masters EX

Raise Tyrogue!

• The Karate King
• As Black Belt

"Hey! I am the Karate King! And these are my disciples!"

"You! Battle with m—"

"You! The Master of Psychic Pokémon! I've waited forever for this. Battle me!"

"We'll show you the results of our training! Hwaaarggh!"

• Off-screen

"Waaaarggh!"

"I'm beaten!"

• On-screen

"I... I'm crushed... My training is still not enough..."

"But a loss is a loss. I admit it."

"That's a great idea! Please, train with me!"

"If you do, I'll give you a Tyrogue Egg!"

"If you raise Tyrogue, it can evolve into one of three different Fighting-type Pokémon."

• Off-screen

"Will it be the hard-kicking Hitmonlee?"

"Or the piston-punching Hitmonchan?"

"Or maybe the perfectly balanced Hitmontop?"

• On-screen

"No matter which one you get, it'll be a super-strong partner!"

"All right, enough talking! It's training time!"

In animation

History

Kiyo's only appearance in animation was in the Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver episode A Tyrogue Full of Trouble!. He is a former student of Chuck's and was in training to compete in the P1 Grand Prix. Despite many protests from the nearby townspeople and concerns Ash and his friends had about it, he desired to earn the trust of an abandoned Tyrogue. Kiyo saved Tyrogue from a rockslide and later defeated him in hand-to-hand battle, earning his respect. Tyrogue and his wild Pokémon friends then joined Kiyo's team.

Despite the appearance of the Saffron City Fighting Dojo in Pasta La Vista and Solitary and Menacing!, Kiyo did not appear in these episodes, and the leader was different characters in each episode (Master Hamm and Koichi, respectively).

Pokémon

の	This article is missing information on this character's Japanese voice actor. You can help by adding this information.

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Hitmonlee ♂

Debut	A Tyrogue Full of Trouble
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Michael Haigney

Hitmonlee was called out to defend Ash and his friends from a boulder attack. After that, he battled against a Tyrogue that was causing mischief and was easily defeated by the Scuffle Pokémon.

Hitmonlee's only known move is Rolling Kick.

Hitmonchan ♂

Debut	A Tyrogue Full of Trouble
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Michael Haigney

Hitmonchan was also called out to defend Ash and his friends from a boulder attack. He then battled Tyrogue and ended up losing.

Hitmonchan's known moves are Comet Punch and Mega Punch.

Tyrogue ♂

Debut	A Tyrogue Full of Trouble
Voice actors
Japanese	Akira Ishida
English	Dan Green

Tyrogue was abandoned by his original Trainer in the mountains. This caused him to become bitter and begin lashing out at any human who approached him. He wore a blue neckerchief as a reminder of his abandonment. At some point, he befriended a wild Mankey and Primeape, and together, the trio committed a number of mischievous acts in nearby villages.

One day, Tyrogue leaped in to save Misty's Togepi from some rampaging Tauros. Later, he gave a trio of wild Pokémon some fruit to eat after noticing they were hungry. After Jessie stole fruit from a Sandshrew, Tyrogue attacked Team Rocket and sent them blasting off.

Later, Kiyo battled Tyrogue with his Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, but both of his Pokémon were defeated. Kiyo then battled Tyrogue himself and won, earning Tyrogue's respect in the process. He gave Tyrogue a new red neckerchief, made from his own armband, to commemorate the new friendship.

Tyrogue's known moves are Swift, Tackle, Headbutt, Double Team, and Jump Kick*.

Mankey and Primeape

Debut	A Tyrogue Full of Trouble
Voice actors
Japanese
English	Michael Haigney

Mankey and Primeape were originally wild Pokémon that were Tyrogue's friends, and they would often cause mischief together. After Tyrogue fought Kiyo and decided to go with him, they became sad that they had lost their friend, but Kiyo offered to take them along as well.

None of Mankey and Primeape's moves are known.

Voice actors

Language Voice actor Japanese 大西健晴 Takeharu Onishi English Dan Green European French Arnaud Léonard Polish Ireneusz Machnicki Brazilian Portuguese Guilherme Lopes Spanish Latin America Andrés Gutiérrez Coto Spain Lorenzo Beteta

In the manga

Kiyo in Ash & Pikachu

Ash & Pikachu

Kiyo appears in The Tyrogue's Thoughts.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Kiyo in Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Kiyo appeared in The Mysterious Underground Amusement Park. When the roller-coaster Red and the gang rode on was separated, Red ended up in an underground area containing an abandoned amusement park. As Red was about to leave, Kiyo revealed himself along with his Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. He told them to stay and to try out his underground amusement park instead of the one above ground. Kiyo controlled the rides, but they all malfunctioned. Later, he appeared as a hallucination of a mermaid. Kiyo's amusement park motivated Clefairy into making one of his own by stealing the one that was above ground.

Pokémon

Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan ♂

Debut	The Mysterious Underground Amusement Park

When Red was about to leave the underground area, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan reveal themselves along with Kiyo. Later, they appear as hallucinations of mermaids.

None of Hitmonlee's or Hitmonchan's moves are known.

Trivia

• In Pokémon Black, there is a Backpacker similarly named Kiyo (Japanese: ノブヒコ Nobuhiko) in Black City. In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, he is located in Reversal Mountain.
• In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, there is a Black Belt in the Viridian Gym named Kiyo in the English version; in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, there is a Black Belt on Route 132 named Kiyo in the English version. However, in both cases, the Black Belt's Japanese name is タクマ Takuma.
• Kiyo is one of the few characters to directly battle Pokémon hand-to-hand.
• In Pokémon Masters EX, Kiyo's descriptions of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are identical to the descriptions that Koichi uses when offering them to the player.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	ノブヒコ Nobuhiko	From Nobuhiko Takada, a Japanese mixed martial artist
English, Spanish, Italian	Kiyo	Possibly from the Japanese name Kiyoshi
German	Leif
French	Fei*	Possibly from Wong Fei-hung, a Chinese martial artist
	Kiyo*	From his English name
Korean	노현 Nohyeon	Similar to his Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin)	信彥 Xìnyàn	From the Japanese name 信彦 Nobuhiko
Chinese (Cantonese)	信彥 Seunyihn

Karate King

Language Title French Roi du Karaté German Karate-MeisterCHGSS Karate ChampGS Italian Maestro di karate Korean 태권도 대왕 Taegwondo DaewangHGSS 태권대왕 Taegwon DaewangGS Spanish Rey del Karate

Related articles

• Koichi
• Master Hamm

Non-player characters in the core series games

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