Ribombee is a tiny, insectoid Pokémon with a large head, slightly smaller body, and thin arms and legs. It is covered in fluffy, yellow hair and has a white face and lower body, and a tuft of hair on its back. It has big eyes with one white and one brown square speck in the center. Over its eyes are white hairs similar to eyelashes, and it has two black antennae. Around its neck is a brown scarf with a needle-like projection on the front. Two wings nearly as large as its body sprout from its back. The wings are white with three brown loop designs near the base. Its four thin limbs have bulbous hands or feet. It is one of the shortest Pokémon in existence.
Ribombee uses its fluffy hair to hold pollen it collects from flowers. Rain turns its hair dirty and its pollen damp, so it only visits fields if the weather remains clear. When storms are on the horizon, Ribombee hide in tree hollows and wait stock-still. The pollen and nectar it collects are used to form balls called "Pollen Puffs". These balls can be used as food or relieve tiredness with a soothing effect. The Alolan people sell Pollen Puffs as valuable nutritious supplements.[1] When Ribombee senses a human or Pokémon feeling sad, it will cheer them up using handmade pollen puffs.
A special Ribombee in Alola acts as the Totem Pokémon for Mina's trial in Seafolk Village. This Ribombee possesses Z-Power, an energy that originates from Ultra Wormholes and takes the form of a golden, flaring aura. The reward for defeating Totem Ribombee and completing the trial is a Fairium Z.
Multiple Ribombee appeared in Tasting the Bitter with the Sweet!, with one appearing in the present day. In the past, they gave Lana and Mallowpollen puff each. In the present day, Jessie, after hearing that story, found a Ribombee and demanded one, only to receive a defensive purple puff.
Multiple Ribombee appeared in Battling the Beast Within! as residents of the post-apocalyptic Ultra Ruin. One appeared during the present day and the rest appeared in a flashback.
A Ribombee appeared in the Poké Problem segment of SM114, where it was used as a test subject for Faba to test out his own invention.
A Ribombee appeared in the Poké Problem segment of SM145, where it flew past Lillie causing Snowy to chase it after it and Magearna to trip when it tried to do the same.
Ribombee appears to be based on a bee fly. It may also be based on fairies and sprites. Its "pollen puffs" may draw inspiration from fairy dust, a magical dust thought to be used by fairies. Its brown fur appears to be a scarf.
Name origin
Ribombee may be a combination of ribbon, Bombyliidae (family of bee flies), and bee. It may also involve rimbombante (Spanish word for flamboyant) or bombinate (to buzz; hum).
Aburibbon may be a combination of 吊虻 tsuriabu (bee fly) and ribbon.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.