Faba

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Faba (Japanese: ザオボー Sauboh) is a character introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon. He works at the Aether Foundation. He is the in the to have the Aether Branch Chief (Japanese: エーテルしぶちょう Aether Director). He specializes in the type.
==In the core series games==
===Character profile===
Faba is a character first introduced in . He is identified by his signature sunglasses, and is very proud of his position in the Foundation. He sometimes refers to himself as the Aether Foundation's last line of defense. As Aether's branch chief, he takes on the role of helping direct projects and programs within the foundation, specifically those on Aether Paradise. Faba is a character who comes off as extremely prideful and arrogant, often bloating about his position and success, making it clear that he is above or below other people. He openly states he hates dealing and talking with children, often berating, belittling or even insulting children in front of him, including the . Faba also admits to lying (or as he calls it, massaging the truth) in order to protect his position as a person. He has a habit of curling his beard.
Like Wicke, he is a branch chief within the Aether Foundation, with their superior being Aether's president, Lusamine. Despite the fact that Lusamine is his superior, he has a tendency to either mislead or withhold valuable information from her. Prior to the events of the games, he succeeded an unknown predecessor as Branch Chief. In , he is a member of Team Rainbow Rocket, being one of their lower members to take over the Aether Foundation. After Episode RR is completed, he is demoted to the position of intern at the Aether Foundation.
Under the alias "F" (Japanese: S), Faba maintains a blog that he uses to post comments about his job and his beliefs on various subjects.
===Appearance===
Faba is a tall and lanky adult man. Faba's short hair curls upward towards the top of his head. He has a receeding hairline with rounded sideburns passing just below his ears. Faba's beard just covers his chin and is long enough to be curled and played with. Faba has long thick eyebrows that rest above his smaller droopy eyes with black rings towards the outer sides. his irises are blue and circular. Faba wears a pair of large bean-shaped sunglasses that are only compromised of green-tinted lenses. These thick glasses cover not only his eyes but also his eye brows and cruve around his face, reaching his sideburns. The glasses are only supported by his long triangular nose.
Faba's outfit matches the rest of the Aether Foundation's, being more unique giving a sign of importance and status. Like Wicke and Lusamine, Faba has a specific color as a highlight among the white and gold, having a lime-green color motif complimenting the other two's pink and yellow. Faba's large white jacket covers a majority of his body, wrapping around the front arms, and hands. the collar is also large and folds outwards towards his chest and back of the neck. He has a singular gold button on the front that he can use to take off his jacket. An all gold Aether pin is on the front of his back collar. A golden diamond is on each of his shoulders and green cuffs from his wrists reach up to his elbows. He has two golden U-shaped pockets going up to down on both sides of his jacket. Underneath, he wears a green shirt that wraps around his neck. Faba's boots are worn like pants, reaching past his jacket. Golden soles with short heels reach upwards his leg in another diamond shape. The boost are long and bend his toes upward. Two straps on each foot are button together by golden buttons on each side of the rounded straps.
===Pokémon Sun and Moon===
====Background and pre-game====
Website blurb: The Aether Foundation branch chief sports green sunglasses. They’re his signature accessory! He seems very proud of his position as branch chief.
In the Generation VII titles, the player can read Faba's blog posts which cna be viewed on a computer found in Aether Paradise's Secret Lab A, where the Type: Full specimens were created. One reveals that he developed the Beast Balls after taking the project over from his predecessor. Another reveals that he designed the control mask technology that would later be used on following the failure of the initialization tests, as a precaution in case such an event took place. This project of creating the helmet was made public. After his superior's family had stolen one of the test subjects, he became prepared to give any information to protect his position, even if it meant lying.
====Main game====
The first meets Faba on Akala Island at Memorial Hill on their way to the Ruins of Life. Trying to get a to stop harassing a , Faba asks for the player's assistance. After defeating the Grunt, Faba, thankful for the player's help invites them and Hau to visit the Hano Grand Resort after they finish their grand trial with Olivia. Hau reminds the player about visit with the Aether Foundation, worrying Lillie, who avoids going with the two. Upon arriving, Faba invites the player and Hau, to man-made island of Aether Paradise for a tour and brings them by boat, leaving the two with Wicke.
During the invasion on Aether Paradise, Faba reappears to stop the player, Hau, and Gladion as they storm the foundation's headquarters for the kidnapped Lillie. Gladion demands that Faba tell him what the foundation is planning, but Faba refuses, taunting Gladion about his past, before battling the player. Faba is defeated and concedes, granting the player's group clearance to the second basement floor, where he claims they will find . This, however, turns out to be a lie spun by Faba to give himself time to call in reinforcements and strengthen his Pokémon team. By the time the player's group attempts to head towards Lusamine's quarters, Faba has returned with three s by his side. He reveals he has the key to the way forward in his hands, a plan which Hau calls into question, frustrating the chief. After defeating two of the employees alongside Gladion, the player has a Multi Battle with Faba and the remaining employee, with Hau as their partner. Defeated, Faba is forced to relent, and gives the keys to Hau, who unlocks the way forward.
====Post-game====
After becoming , it is revealed that Faba was demoted. Humbled by recent events, Faba is determined to become a new man by integrating himself with the rank and file. Faba requests another battle with the player, and upon defeat, gives the player a Dubious Disc. After that, he will linger in the lobby of Lusamine's mansion on Aether Paradise.
Faba is one of the possible s who will challenge the player for the title of Champion at the . He always appears on the first day of each month.
===Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon===
In , Faba's role is virtually the same as in Sun and Moon, with only minor changes happening throughout the main story, including an encounter at Ula'ula Meadow. A major expansion to his role happens during the post-game in Episode RR, where he teams up with Team Rainbow Rocket during their takeover of Aether Paradise, intending to use their success as a stepping stone to further his own career. He later attempts to stop the player and Lillie from entering Team Rocket's Castle, only to be defeated. He leaves afterwards, but not before warning the two about the people Giovanni brought with him from other worlds. He is not seen again until after Giovanni's defeat, where he attempts to cover his involvement in the incident, but ends up giving away his true intentions in the process. As a result, Faba is demoted to intern, much to his humiliation. He also no longer appears in Title Defense battles, with Lusamine appearing in his place.
===Pokémon===
Faba's Pokémon are kept in Ultra Balls.
====Pokémon Sun and Moon====
=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
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=====Rematches=====
Faba uses this team both in the one-time battle at Aether Paradise and in the Title Defense battles at the .
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====Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon====
=====First battle=====
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=====Second battle=====
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=====Third battle=====
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=====Fourth battle=====
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==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon Masters EX===
Faba appears as an NPC during the Villain Arc in Pokémon Masters EX.
==Quotes==
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
Faba is a recurring character in . He works at the Aether Foundation. At first, Faba acted antagonistically towards and , in particular , but went on to become an ally as the group dealt with the .
===GOTCHA!===
Faba briefly appeared as a silhouette among several other antagonists in GOTCHA!.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
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Faba debuted in Shipwreck and "Oh, What Sharp Teeth You Have, Bruxish!". After an reported a group of people were rescued at sea, Faba and Wicke went down to meet the victims. There, they met , Professor Kukui, and Professor Burnet. Faba revealed the three were taken to Aether Paradise and offered to give a tour of the place. After learning the Akala Island Trial Captains were heading to Po Town to deal with Team Skull, Faba rushed to inform Lusamine of the situation, fearing Team Skull's downfall would ruin their plans.
In The Truth and Island Kahuna Hapu, Faba led a group of Employees to Vast Poni Canyon. After arriving, Faba sent some Employees to capture Hapu, the newly appointed kahuna of Poni Island, while he and the others headed to the Poni Altar. Faba was approached by Plumeria, who demanded that he tell her where Guzma was taken to after being kidnapped by . When Faba feigning ignorance, Plumeria revealed she had a that evolved from the Guzma received from the Aether Foundation. Faba tried to take Cosmoem by attacking Plumeria, but his was defeated by her . Immediately after, Faba was attacked by Moon and Anabel, a member of the International Police. Worried his plans could be jeopardized, Faba had the Employees with him battle Moon, Anabel, and Plumeria so he could sneak off while the others were distracted.
In Play the Melody That Echoes in the Altar, Faba saw the Cosmoem fly out of Plumeria's hands and meet with Nebby, another Cosmoem. Faba pursued the Protostar Pokémon and concluded they were related to and , which he wanted to use to take over the Aether Foundation. Noticing that Moon, Anabel, and Plumeria had been following him, Faba and the Employees battled them. Faba promised to help Plumeria find Guzma if she helped him take over the Aether Foundation.
In Summon the Emissaries of the Moon and the Sun, after being cornered by Anabel, Gladion, Lillie, and Hapu, Faba was captured and taken to Poni Altar. While the others fought invading Ultra Beasts, confronted Faba, demanding that he return the island the Aether Foundation took from his deceased great-grandfather five years ago. Faba revealed the island had already been converted into Aether Paradise, so Sun wouldn't be able to buy back the island even if he collected the proper amount of money. Afterward, Sun was pulled into a wormhole by a that appeared from a wormhole.
In Adventure in the Dark Dimension, it was revealed that Faba managed to escape after being freed by an Employee. Six months later, he had successfully taken over the Aether Foundation, running it like a dictatorship. At some point, he met Ryuki, a self-proclaimed battling superstar that came to Alola in hopes of fighting the Ultra Beasts. Ryuki was hired by Faba, who agreed to help him in exchange for his services.
In Ray of Light!! Through the Crack in the Sky!, Faba was informed by an Employee that Lusamine had returned to Alola from Ultra Space. Concerned that she may have managed to capture Necrozma, Faba requested Plumeria's assistance in fighting Lusamine. He sent Ryuki to Mount Lanakila and take Moon back with him to Aether Paradise, where she was locked in a cell. Disguised as Moon, Plumeria went to Mount Lanakila in order to assassinate an injured Lusamine. As he gleefully watched Plumeria's attack, Faba was approached by Gladion and Moon, who told him that his plans were over. Faba tricked Ryuki into battling Gladion and Moon, claiming that they were in the way of his goal of facing the Ultra Beasts.
While Ryuki kept the others busy, Faba attempted to flee Aether Paradise and escape to another region. He was attacked by Sun's , Cent, who aimed to make Faba pay for his crimes. Desperately begging for his own safety, Faba pleaded with Cent, promising to return the island he took from Sun's great-grandfather. Faba's intense fear attracted several that emerged from a nearby wormhole. Cent was forced to watch as Faba was dragged into the wormhole, his fear turning into happiness as he was affected by the Nihilego's neurotoxins.
====Pokémon====
==In the TCG==
Faba was introduced as a in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Sun & Moon Series (the Japanese SM Era). It was first released in the Japanese expansion before debuting in English in the expansion, with the background artwork by take. It was also released as a in Super-Burst Impact and Lost Thunder, with an illustration by the same artist. It allows the player to choose a Pokémon Tool or Special Energy card attached to 1 of the opponent's Pokémon, or any Stadium card in play, and to put it in the Lost Zone.
==Gallery==
===Artwork===
====Concept art====
Concept art from by
====Game assets====
Ending screenshot with the from
===Sprites and models===
 	
High-poly model from,	VS sprite from,
 	
Overworld model from,	Overworld model from,
==Names==
The Japanese names of all important members of the Aether Foundation and the members of Lusamine's family are based on German words for plants.
Language 	Name 	Origin
Japanese 	ザオボー Sauboh 	From Saubohne (German for )
English 	Faba 	From faba bean
German 	Fabian 	From Vicia faba (scientific name of the faba bean)
Spanish 	Fabio 	From Vicia faba (scientific name of the faba bean)
French 	Saubohne 	From Saubohne (German for faba bean)
Italian 	Vicio 	From Vicia faba (scientific name of the faba bean)
Korean 	자우보 Jaubo 	Transcription of his Japanese name
Chinese () 	扎奧博 / 扎奥博 Zhā'àobó 	Transcription of his Japanese name
Chinese () 	扎奧博 Jaat'oubok 	Mandarin-based transcription of his Japanese name
Brazilian Portuguese	Fábio 	From Vicia faba (faba bean)
Russian 	Фаба Faba 	Transcription of his English name
Thai 	เซาโบ Sauboh 	Transcription of his Japanese name
Aether Branch Chief
==References==
==Related articles==
Category:Sun and Moon characters
Category:Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon characters
Category:Masters EX characters
Category:Members of Team Rainbow Rocket
Category:Psychic-type Trainers
Category:Trainers with unique classes
Category:Pokémon Adventures characters
de:Fabian
es:Fabio
fr:Saubohne
it:Vicio
ja:ザオボー
zh:扎奧博