#0332 · Hoenn · Generation 3

Cacturne

Scarecrow Pokémon · Grass/Dark-type

Cacturne is a Grass/Dark-type Pokémon, the Scarecrow Pokémon, number 332 (#0332) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 3 and comes from the Hoenn region. It is 1.3 m tall and weighs 77.4 kg.

Cacturne is the Scarecrow Pokémon, a nocturnal cactus scarecrow. The Pokédex says groups of them follow weary desert travellers through the night, waiting until the travellers are too tired to go on.

How to pronounce Cacturne

Cacturne is pronounced KAK-turn. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Cacturne said out loud:

In Japanese it is ノクタス (Noctus).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Cacturne is 1.3 m tall and weighs 77.4 kg. It looks like a green scarecrow made of cacti, with a spiky hat-like crest, eye holes showing yellow eyes, six small holes forming a grinning mouth and spikes along its arms, legs and neck. The Emerald Pokédex says that after thousands of years in the desert its blood turned into the same substances as sand.

Behaviour

By day Cacturne stays motionless so it does not lose moisture to the harsh sun. It wakes up after dark as the desert cools, and the Pokédex says it then hunts for prey that is exhausted by the day's desert heat.

Habitat

The Pokédex places it in deserts, and in Hoenn it is found by evolving Cacnea. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in Paldea's Asado Desert, and it is unobtainable in Legends: Z-A.

Powers

Like Cacnea it has Sand Veil, with Water Absorb hidden. It strikes with Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Seed Bomb, Poison Jab and Leaf Storm, uses Swords Dance, and can drag a foe down with it using Destiny Bond. With base Attack and Special Attack both 115 it is a strong mixed attacker.

Name origin

Cacturne may combine 'cactus' and 'nocturne', the French word for nocturnal. The Japanese name is Noctus (ノクタス), which may follow the same idea.

Design inspiration

Cacturne seems to be modelled on a cactus, perhaps a saguaro, mixed with a scarecrow. Its grinning face resembles a Halloween jack-o'-lantern, a nod to scarecrows that sometimes have pumpkin heads. Its night habits may reflect that cacti are 'night plants' that take in carbon dioxide after dark. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Cacturne evolves from Cacnea at level 32 and has no further evolution.

In the games

Cacturne is found by evolving Cacnea in Ruby and Sapphire, its first games. Outside the core series it turns up in Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky dungeons such as Northern Desert and Happy Outlook.

In the anime

Cacturne first appeared in the anime in 'A Cacturne for the Worse' as the signature Pokémon of Harley, a Coordinator. A Trainer's Cacturne also appears in the film Destiny Deoxys.

Fun facts

• Female Cacturne have a large rhombus above a smaller one on the body, while males have three small ones.
• Cacnea cannot learn Spiky Shield in Scarlet and Violet, but Cacturne learns it the moment it evolves.
• In Pokémon Adventures, Wally's Cacturne first shows up rowing a boat through a flood that Kyogre caused.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Cacturne (Pokémon) · Serebii: Cacturne (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex) · Bulbapedia: Harley

Base stats

• HP: 70
• Attack: 115
• Defense: 60
• Sp. Atk: 115
• Sp. Def: 60
• Speed: 55

Cacturne’s base stat total is 475. Its highest stat is Attack and Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Cacturne weak to?

Cacturne takes extra damage from Bug (4×), Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Fighting (2×), Poison (2×), Flying (2×), Fairy (2×) moves.

It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Ground (½×), Ghost (½×), Dark (½×).

It is immune to Psychic moves.

Evolution

What does Cacturne evolve from?

Cacturne evolves from Cacnea at level 32.

Cacturne is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Cacnea, Cacturne.

Abilities

• Sand Veil: Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
• Water Absorb (hidden ability): Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.

Moves

Moves Cacturne learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Cacturne learns the move the moment it evolves: Spiky Shield.

TM moves (59)

Cacturne can learn 59 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Scary Face, Protect, Low Kick, Thief, Trailblaze, Facade, Bulldoze, Swift, Magical Leaf, Fling, Venoshock, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Dig, Bullet Seed, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Foul Play, Body Slam, Thunder Punch, Sleep Talk, Seed Bomb, Drain Punch, Grass Knot, Poison Jab, Stomping Tantrum, Rest, Taunt, Swords Dance, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Dark Pulse, Substitute, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Encore, Helping Hand, Grassy Terrain, Nasty Plot, Giga Impact, Focus Blast, Leaf Storm, Hyper Beam, Solar Beam, Tera Blast, Spite, Knock Off, Lunge, Focus Punch, Grassy Glide, Lash Out, Endeavor, Skitter Smack, Throat Chop, Curse.

Egg moves (8), which Cacnea can hatch knowing:Acid, Belch, Block, Counter, Disable, Fell Stinger, Switcheroo, Teeter Dance.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Grass, Human-Like.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 35.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Attack and 1 Sp. Atk effort values.
• Base experience yield: 166.

Pokédex entries

If a traveler is going through a desert in the thick of night, Cacturne will follow in a ragtag group. The Pokémon are biding their time, waiting for the traveler to tire and become incapable of moving. (Sapphire, Alpha Sapphire)

During the daytime, Cacturne remains unmoving so that it does not lose any moisture to the harsh desert sun. This Pokémon becomes active at night when the temperature drops. (Ruby, Omega Ruby)

Packs of them follow travelers through the desert until the travelers can no longer move. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, Y)

It becomes active at night, seeking prey that is exhausted from the day's desert heat. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X)

It lives in deserts. It becomes active at night when it hunts for prey exhausted from the desert's heat. (FireRed, LeafGreen)

After spending thousands of years in harsh deserts, its blood transformed into the same substances as sand. It is nocturnal, so it hunts at night. (Emerald)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Sp. Atk among Grass types in Gen 3: 115.
• Highest Sp. Atk among Dark types in Gen 3: 115.
• Taller than 64% of all Pokémon (1.3 m).
• Heavier than 76% of all Pokémon (77.4 kg).
• Base stat total 475, ranked #431 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Atk, ranked #89 of 1,025.
• One of 7 Pokémon that are both Grass and Dark.
• One of 130 green Pokémon.
• Number 81 of 135 Pokémon introduced in Generation 3 (Hoenn).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 81 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 6 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Cacturne (Pokémon), Serebii: Cacturne (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex), Bulbapedia: Harley.
• Pronunciation (KAK-turn): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Grass-type Pokémon · Dark-type Pokémon · Grass/Dark weaknesses and matchups · Hoenn region guide · Sand Veil ability · Water Absorb ability · Compare Cacturne · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 3 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 3 Dark-type Pokémon · Gen 3 Pokémon list · Green Pokémon list · Grass egg group · Human-Like egg group · Pokémon that start with C

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