The boss of the 'Sabi-gumi' gang operating in Lumiose City. A specialist in Poison-types who speaks in a Kansai-style dialect (Kogane-ben). He participates in the ZA Royale as an individual and is one of the opponents you face in the rank-up matches. He wears round bridge glasses with a design resembling an inverted 'Y', a purple shirt with a white tie, and a long black suit jacket. His glass cords and jacket feature motifs reminiscent of poison droplets. His tie has a thorn-like pattern, which somewhat resembles the claws on the neck of his partner, Scolipede. A Key Stone is embedded in the Sabi-gumi pin on his chest. It shares the same design as the one worn by Gyps, the gang's number two, but Karasuba's is a darker, blackened color. His hair is styled in a two-block cut with rounded tips that look like either venom or feathers. He has a shaved line on his right temple. His gaze is sharp, characterized by amber eyes without highlights and vertical slit pupils. While he has refined features that suggest intelligence at first glance, his high-pressure Kansai tone and the way his brow furrows and veins pop when he's enraged clearly mark him as a member of the underworld. He stands at just under 159cm. He has a strong attachment to Lumiose City and calls himself a 'handyman.' He is surprisingly gentlemanly toward ordinary citizens who harbor no ill will or hostility. According to him, the Sabi-gumi's creed is 'sell favors, not fights.' Indeed, if a large-scale disaster occurs, he is the first to organize soup kitchens or procure supplies, showing a genuine spirit of working for Lumiose's sake. However, it's a different story if you end up owing them. Their methods are often a very dark shade of gray, and he truly 'chooses no means.' He has no hesitation in using fraudulent tactics to manipulate others for his convenience and deals with those who obstruct his activities ruthlessly and cold-bloodedly. There are many bad rumors about him. For instance, he might hide an exorbitant interest rate in a contract—turning a 100,000 yen debt into 1 million yen in just a few days—written in text so small you wouldn't notice without zooming in on a smartphone. Karasuba admits he is not a man of 'justice'; when praised for his kindness, he retorts, 'There's no such thing as kindness in this line of work!' The Sabi-gumi has managed to avoid major legal trouble so far (partly because their office is right next to a police station). In Pokémon battles, he is bellicose, preferring head-on clashes with strong opponents and enjoying defeating them even more. He possesses a heart of steel, using pressure to inspire himself and his Pokémon. His skill level is among the top tier of ZA Royale participants. He shares an incredibly strong bond with his long-time partner Scolipede, placing absolute trust in it and boasting that they can break through any situation with a smile. Even in defeat, he doesn't throw tantrums; he has the greatness of character to honestly praise his opponent's skill and honor their mutual effort. He is never harsh with his Pokémon. When throwing a Poké Ball, Karasuba has a unique form where he jumps and throws the ball from a high position without much momentum. Despite his restrictive suit, he moves well, indicating good athletic reflexes. Since his Pokémon are long while he is short, this throwing style was developed to make it easier for them to emerge. He throws with his left hand, but performs fist bumps, writing, and mouse operations with his right; he uses whichever hand is more convenient for the task. His Rotom Phone is yellow. He is notably short, pale, and his arms visible from his sleeves are very thin and sickly-looking, suggesting he may have suffered from malnutrition as a child. "Scolipede! With you, I can get through this situation with a smile!" Party Pokémon: Arbok Lv.92 ♂ Roserade Lv.94 ♂ Gyarados Lv.95 ♂ Barbaracle Lv.93 ♂ Garbodor Lv.95 ♂ Scolipede → Mega Scolipede Lv.97 ♂ As a child, he was a street child with no place to belong and no relatives. However, he received support from a kind-hearted philanthropist. Negotiating with that philanthropist, he started a business as a child with a small amount of capital. Gyps, who received the same support but could only survive by relying on it, thought Karasuba was an 'impudent brat' and tried to crush him with a gang of street urchins. However, Karasuba and his partner Venipede thoroughly outran them. Gyps eventually gave up without even having a Pokémon battle, became fascinated by Karasuba's talent, surrendered his position as leader, and swore loyalty as a follower. The philanthropist who saved Karasuba eventually committed atrocities to create what they considered a beautiful world. While the fact that his benefactor turned to evil was a significant shock to Karasuba, he continues to respect them. Lumiose City is merely the city where he 'grew up'; he was born elsewhere but has lived there since he was very young. Consequently, he feels a deep debt of gratitude to the city itself for 'taking in a kid like me who had nowhere to go.' His reason for participating in the ZA Royale is to gain power to repay the city. "That sofa... it's real comfy. So comfy you won't be able to get up until you say 'yes' to what I'm sayin'." "...Give me a break." "Now, now. We can't go scarin' honest citizens, can we?" "If you ignore my kindness like that, the whole Sabi-gumi's gonna drop by your hotel and have ourselves a Pokémon tournament!" "Somethin' that terrible... might just happen, y'know?" "You're interestin'. Workin' for your friends, calmin' down rampagin' Pokémon... you're really somethin'. More than anythin', I like how strong you are! That job's done! As promised, I'll wipe out the interest." "But I ain't givin' up on you. I'll be chasin' you all the way to Hotel Z." "We can't be all vague when it comes to money, right?" "Boss, huh... I didn't want the job, but Gyps went and forced the title on me." "Don't go makin' me do manual labor."