Maractus
Maractus is a Grass-type Pokémon, the Cactus Pokémon, number 556 (#0556) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1 m tall and weighs 28 kg.
Maractus is the Cactus Pokémon, a flowering desert Grass type that shakes like a pair of maracas to scare away the birds that want its seeds. Its up-tempo song and dance is its main defence.
How to pronounce Maractus
Maractus is pronounced muh-RAK-tus. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Maractus said out loud:
In Japanese it is マラカッチ (Maracacchi).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Maractus is 1 m tall and 28 kg, a cactus-like plant with ear-like arms that carry yellow spikes and pink six-petalled flowers. A yellow spike sits on its forehead, its eyes are yellow, and dark green spikes ring its neck, wrists and base. Once a year it scatters its seeds, which the Pokédex says are packed with nutrients and feed other desert dwellers.
Behaviour
Its rhythmic movements sound like maracas. Black says its upbeat song and dance chases off the bird Pokémon that raid its flower seeds, and Sword says the racket startles birds into flying away in a hurry.
Habitat
The White entry says arid regions are its habitat. In Black and White it lives in the Desert Resort, and in Sword and Shield it is found in Galar's Stony Wilderness and Hammerlocke Hills among other places. It is not available in Scarlet, Violet or Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Its Abilities are Water Absorb or Chlorophyll, with Storm Drain hidden, so Water moves feed it instead of hurting it. It knows Spiky Shield from the start and learns Pin Missile, Leech Seed, Giga Drain, Petal Blizzard and Petal Dance. With 106 base Special Attack it is a special attacker with plenty of ways to drain or defend.
Name origin
Maractus may combine 'maraca' and 'cactus'. The Japanese name is Maracacchi (マラカッチ), possibly from 'maraca', 'cactus' and 'mariachi'.
Design inspiration
Maractus looks like a flowering cactus, probably a prickly pear, crossed with a maraca. Bulbapedia says it also resembles a rabbit and may pun on the bunny-ears cactus, and its dance and mariachi-style name may point to Mexican dress and to Spanish or Mexican dances. These are fan readings.
In the games
Maractus turns up in Friend Safari in X and Y, on Mirage Island in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and in the Max Lair of the Sword and Shield expansion passes, after debuting in Black and White.
In the anime
Three Maractus owned by Toby, named Marra, Racca and Tussy, debuted in 'A Maractus Musical!', performing in the Pokémon Performance Competition before facing Ash's Pikachu, Tepig and Snivy in a Triple Battle.
Fun facts
- Two of its Abilities, Water Absorb and Storm Drain, echo how a real cactus stores water so efficiently, according to Bulbapedia.
- A Maractus features in the legend of the Swords of Justice told in the film Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice.
- In Pokémon GO, Maractus is region-exclusive, found generally from Mexico and the Caribbean to South America and the southern United States.
Base stats
- HP: 75
- Attack: 86
- Defense: 67
- Sp. Atk: 106
- Sp. Def: 67
- Speed: 60
Maractus’s base stat total is 461. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Maractus weak to?
Maractus takes extra damage from Fire (2×), Ice (2×), Poison (2×), Flying (2×), Bug (2×) moves.
It resists Water (½×), Electric (½×), Grass (½×), Ground (½×).
Evolution
Maractus does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Abilities
- Water Absorb: Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
- Chlorophyll: Doubles Speed during strong sunlight.
- Storm Drain (hidden ability): Redirects single-target Water moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Water moves, raising Special Attack one stage.
Moves
Moves Maractus learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spiky Shield | Grass | Status | — |
| 1 | Peck | Flying | Physical | 35 |
| 1 | Absorb | Grass | Special | 20 |
| 1 | After You | Normal | Status | — |
| 1 | Ingrain | Grass | Status | — |
| 4 | Growth | Normal | Status | — |
| 8 | Mega Drain | Grass | Special | 40 |
| 12 | Leech Seed | Grass | Status | — |
| 16 | Sucker Punch | Dark | Physical | 70 |
| 20 | Pin Missile | Bug | Physical | 25 |
| 24 | Giga Drain | Grass | Special | 75 |
| 28 | Sweet Scent | Normal | Status | — |
| 32 | Synthesis | Grass | Status | — |
| 36 | Petal Blizzard | Grass | Physical | 90 |
| 40 | Cotton Spore | Grass | Status | — |
| 44 | Sunny Day | Fire | Status | — |
| 48 | Solar Beam | Grass | Special | 120 |
| 52 | Acupressure | Normal | Status | — |
| 56 | Petal Dance | Grass | Special | 120 |
| 60 | Cotton Guard | Grass | Status | — |
TM moves (32)
Maractus can learn 32 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Pin Missile, Solar Beam, Screech, Safeguard, Rest, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Attract, Rain Dance, Sunny Day, Facade, Helping Hand, Weather Ball, Bullet Seed, Bounce, Assurance, Drain Punch, Round, Grassy Terrain, Substitute, Spikes, Endure, Sleep Talk, Uproar, Hyper Voice, Poison Jab, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Leaf Storm, Grass Knot, Throat Chop.
Egg moves (2):Wood Hammer, Worry Seed.
Move tutor moves (1): Grassy Glide.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Grass.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
- Base experience yield: 161.
Pokédex entries
Once each year, this Pokémon scatters its seeds. They're jam-packed with nutrients, making them a precious food source out in the desert. (Shield)
With noises that could be mistaken for the rattles of maracas, it creates an upbeat rhythm, startling bird Pokémon and making them fly off in a hurry. (Sword)
Arid regions are their habitat. They move rhythmically, making a sound similar to maracas. (White, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
It uses an up-tempo song and dance to drive away the bird Pokémon that prey on its flower seeds. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)
When it moves rhythmically, it makes a sound similar to maracas, making the surprised Pokémon flee. (Black 2, White 2)
Names around the world
| Japanese | マラカッチ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Maracacchi |
| French | Maracachi |
| German | Maracamba |
| Spanish | Maractus |
| Italian | Maractus |
| Korean | 마라카치 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 沙铃仙人掌 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 沙鈴仙人掌 |
Trivia
- Taller than 47% of all Pokémon (1 m).
- Heavier than 49% of all Pokémon (28 kg).
- Base stat total 461, ranked #476 of 1,025.
- One of 127 Grass-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 130 green Pokémon.
- Number 63 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Can learn 51 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 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: Maractus (Pokémon), Serebii: Maractus (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (muh-RAK-tus): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Grass-type Pokémon · Unova region guide · Water Absorb ability · Chlorophyll ability · Storm Drain ability · Compare Maractus · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 5 Grass-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Green Pokémon list · Grass egg group · Pokémon that start with M
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