Kadabra is the Psi Pokémon that was introduced in Generation I and is a Psychic-type Pokémon known for its speed and power. It gained notoriety as Sabrina’s signature Pokémon in the early episodes of the anime. Due to its immense psychic strength, it defeated Ash’s team multiple times until Ash temporarily partnered with a playful Haunter from a nearby haunted tower. Kadabra is the middle evolution of a three stage evolution line that starts with Abra and ends with Alakazam.
About Kadabra
| First appearance in anime | Pokémon the Series: Indigo League |
| First appearance in game | Pokémon Green, Red, Blue, and Yellow |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Abra → Kadabra → Alakazam |
| 1st Evo Level | Abra evolves into Kadabra at level 16 |
| 2nd Evo Level | Kadabra evolves into Alakazam when traded |
| Pokedex Entry | Using its psychic power, Kadabra levitates as it sleeps. It uses its springy tail as a pillow. |
Base stats
| HP | 40 |
| ATTACK | 35 |
| DEFENCE | 30 |
| SP. ATTACK | 120 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 70 |
| SPEED | 105 |
| TOTAL | 400 |
Appearance
Kadabra stands 1.3 meters tall and looks like an alien fox. It has a yellow lower body and a brown torso while its forehead bears a red star. Kadabra also has a feline face with pointed ears and long whiskers with three red lines on its pelvis and a thick yellow tail with brown stripes. It has three-clawed hands and feet, and it usually carries a spoon in its right hand.
Behavior
Kadabra’s psychic power results from its well-developed brain and tremendous willpower. It is known to emit strong alpha waves that can cause discomfort in nearby humans and Pokémon as well as forcing machines to malfunction. Kadabra gives off stronger alpha waves when it is stressed, and it focuses its strength by closing its eyes. It is a solitary Pokémon that is most commonly found in urban areas.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Kadabra’s Psychic typing makes it a good defender against Fighting and Psychic-type moves but it is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves.
Shiny Kadabra
Shiny Kadabra trades its yellow body and brown accents for a pale yellow body and reddish-brown accents. It means that the star on its forehead and the three stripes on its mid-riff are also changed to a reddish-brown colour. Furthermore, its whiskers lose the white tip and are now completely pale-yellow. This subtle palette swap makes it easy to overlook Shiny Kadabra in Pokémon collections and battles. But like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Kadabra gains a starry animation upon entering battle which makes things easier.
Best moveset (Kadabra)
Kadabra Nature: Timid
Kadabra Ability: Magic Guard
Kadabra Held Item: Life Orb
| Psychic | Dazzling Gleam |
| Shadow Ball | Encore |
Although Alakazam is notably stronger, Kadabra can still hold its own in certain tiers. While it’s tempting to boost Kadabra’s meager defenses with Eviolite, it’s not worth it, because even with Eviolite, Kadabra still goes down very easily. It’s better to maximize its sweeping potential with a Life Orb or Choice Specs. Encore serves to disrupt the momentum of Kadabra’s biggest threats, Psychic deals awesome STAB damage, and Dazzling Gleam and Shadow Ball offer it coverage against multiple types. Magic Guard aids Kadabra’s durability by preventing status and entry damage. A TImid nature maximizes Kadabra’s sweeping potential by boosting its Speed while lowering its Attack.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.
How to catch Kadabra in Pokemon Go?
Kadabra is a rare spawn in the wild in Pokémon Go, and it was previously a Raid Boss although it has not yet been available through Field Research. It does, however, occasionally appears in Shadow Form and Shiny Form. The easiest way to acquire Kadabra is by evolving Abra, which evolves after 25 candies. It does evolve further, into Alakazam, via 100 candies or by trading it. Alakazam can mega evolve with 200 candies and its buddy walking distance is 3km.
Explainer Video
Trivia
- According to certain rumors, Kadabra is the transformation of a human child that loses control of its psychic power.
- Kadabra’s design is inspired by psychics, magicians, and foxes. The symbols on its body reference common magical imagery.
- Kadabra’s name originates from the phrase Abracadabra, which is often used in performative magic tricks.
FAQs
Why is Kadabra banned?
Kadabra was removed from print in the Pokémon TCG for 17 years due to a legal conflict with Uri Geller. Geller claimed Kadabra was an unauthorized parody of him but he publicly apologized in 2020, and Nintendo started printing Kadabra Pokémon Cards again.
Is Kadabra better than Alakazam?
Alakazam is much stronger than Kadabra. Even when holding Eviolite, Kadabra’s defenses are still too low to give it longevity during a battle. That is where Alakazam’s high Speed and Special Attack come into play to make it a safer option.
What animal is Kadabra?
Kadabra is inspired by foxes, goats and mythical Kitsune, which are fox spirits that can take the form of humans.
Conclusion
Kadabra is one of the oldest Pokémon in the Pokédex. It’s known for tremendous Speed and Special Attack, even in its pre-evolved form, so it’s a common pick in many restricted tiers of competitive play. Add this powerful Psychic-type to your Pokédex today!
Let’s Go, Kadabra!
