Competitive Information for Kabuto [X/Y]
Rock / Water
Abilities:
This Pokemon cannot be struck by a critical hit.
If Rain Dance is active, this Pokemon's Speed is doubled.
If a physical attack hits this Pokemon, Defense is lowered by 1, Speed is raised by 1.

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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Kabuto? These builds are optimized for X/Y Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the X/Y metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Kabuto is here! This astounding Pokémon is Rock and Water-typed and ready to shine! Kabuto is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. It often dominates battles in the LC tier (Little Cup). It is weak to Electric, Fighting, Grass, and Ground-typed attacks. Ready to elevate your game with Kabuto's movesets? They're right below!
Item: Rindo Berry / Shell Bell
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 176 Hp / 252 Atk / 76 SpD / 4 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Waterfall / Aqua Jet
- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
- Knock Off / Thief
Kabuto proves to be a magnificent Physical Sweeper for single battles. It is primarily designed to take down the opponent's team with intense physical attacks. The Shell Bell item option is to help Kabuto recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Swift Swim, Kabuto's speed is doubled during rainy weather. With a Rindo Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective grass-type attack then the Rindo Berry gets consumed.
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Aqua Jet is a physical STAB-boosted priority-increased 40-base power Water-type move (usually goes first).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical STAB-boosted 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Rock Tomb is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Rock-type move (100% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
◆ Thief is a physical 60-base power Dark-type move (if your Kabuto has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/iaa8c
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Kabuto? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive X/Y Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the X/Y metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Rindo Berry / Shell Bell
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 176 Hp / 252 Atk / 76 SpD / 4 Spe
Moveset:
- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
- Double-Edge / Return
- Waterfall / Aqua Jet
- Knock Off / Thief
In double battles, Kabuto is known as a terrific Physical Sweeper. It was designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical moves. The Shell Bell item option is to help Kabuto recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Swift Swim, Kabuto's speed is doubled during rainy weather. With a Rindo Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective grass-type attack then the Rindo Berry gets consumed.
◆ Rock Tomb is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Rock-type move (100% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Waterfall is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Water-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Aqua Jet is a physical STAB-boosted priority-increased 40-base power Water-type move (usually goes first).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
◆ Thief is a physical 60-base power Dark-type move (if your Kabuto has no item, it steals the target's).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/jaa8c
Movepool
Want to know what moves Kabuto can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon X/Y generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Kabuto.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Kabuto can perform in X/Y. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive XY Move and Ability Combos for Kabuto
- Moves: Swagger + Screech
- Moves: Endure + Flail
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Ability: Weak armor + Item: White herb
- Ability: Weak armor + Item: Weakness policy
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Aqua Jet
- Moves that inflict status: Scald, Toxic
Moves that boost Kabuto's stats
- Ancient Power
- Harden
- Hone Claws
- Iron Defense
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Polish
Most notable and possible best moves for Kabuto
- Ice Beam
- Knock Off
- Protect
- Rapid Spin
- Rest
- Scald
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Kabuto in X and Y
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Jolly Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Bold Nature ( 252/0/252/0/0/4 )
- Calm Nature ( 252/0/0/0/252/4 )
- Relaxed Nature ( 252/0/88/0/168/0 )
- Sassy Nature ( 252/0/4/0/252/0 )
- Optimize Kabuto's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon X and Y
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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Here are the best movesets for Kabuto. Top rated Kabuto X/Y movesets. You can find Kabuto builds X/Y. Kabuto movesets X/Y are listed here. VGC Kabuto Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Kabuto in X/Y along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for Kabutops evolution