Is Cacnea Good in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Playthrough?
Cacnea appears in the Route 111 desert. Grass with 85 Attack and AbilitySand Veil for evasion in sandstorm. Evolves to Cacturne at 32 for Grass/Dark coverage against Tate and Liza and Phoebe. Competes with Breloom for the Grass slot.
Cacnea resists most of Roxanne's coverage and hits back hard.
Cacnea has the type edge here and should clean up Brawly's team.
Cacnea has the type edge here and should clean up Wattson's team.
Cacnea trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.
Cacnea trades roughly evenly with Norman's team.
Cacturne trades roughly evenly with Winona's team.
Cacturne resists most of Tate & Liza's coverage and hits back hard.
Cacturne resists most of Wallace's coverage and hits back hard.
Cacturne has the type edge here and should clean up Sidney's team.
Cacturne resists most of Phoebe's coverage and hits back hard.
Cacturne has the type edge here and should clean up Glacia's team.
Cacturne trades roughly evenly with Drake's team.
Cacturne trades roughly evenly with Steven's team.
Catch Cacnea on Route 111 (walking, Lv 21-23, common).
Your Cacnea should hit Level 32 before you reach Winona, at typical leveling pace.
How to Get Cacnea in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Cacnea starts showing up in mid-game routes at decent spawn rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Where To Catch Cacnea in ORAS
Step 1Cacnea ✓Route 111 - DesertLv.21-23GrassRate 20%
Step 2Evolve into Cacturne
Cacnea Weakness
Cacnea's Grass typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground |
What is Cacnea Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Cacnea
 Glaceon Ice | C | |
 Dustox BugPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Dustox builds →Sludge Bomb 2x98-117%KO Gust 2x33-39% | ||
 Sewaddle BugGrass | D | |
 Paras BugGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Paras builds →Sludge Bomb 2x61-74% Leech Life 2x33-39% | ||
 Chatot Normal | C | |
 Ninjask Bug | B | |
 Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodRustboro City Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Aerodactyl builds →Wing Attack 2x109-129%KO Fire Fang 2x78-92% Ice Fang 2x78-92% | ||
 Archen Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodRustboro City Gift | ||
 Beautifly Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Beautifly builds →Air Cutter 2x105-125%KO Struggle Bug 2x89-106%KO | ||
 Oddish GrassPoison | D | |
 Combusken FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Torchic (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Combusken builds →Overheat 2x197-233%KO Aerial Ace 2x62-74% | ||
 Roselia GrassPoison | C | |
 Monferno FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Monferno builds →Overheat 2x184-217%KO U-turn 2x68-82% Aerial Ace 2x58-68% | ||
 Skarmory Steel | B | |
 Gloom GrassPoison | C | |
Combusken FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Torchic (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Combusken builds →Overheat 2x201-237%KO Aerial Ace 2x63-74% | ||
Roselia GrassPoison | C | |
Monferno FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Monferno builds →Overheat 2x185-219%KO U-turn 2x69-81% Aerial Ace 2x58-69% | ||
Skarmory Steel | B | |
Gloom GrassPoison | C | |
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Heracross builds →Megahorn 2x265-313%KO Aerial Ace 2x90-106%KO Venoshock 2x42-50% | ||
 Blaziken FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Torchic (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Blaziken builds →Overheat 2x257-303%KO Aerial Ace 2x87-103%KO | ||
 Emboar FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tepig (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Emboar builds →Overheat 2x239-281%KO Smog 2x39-46% | ||
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Infernape FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Infernape builds →Overheat 2x245-289%KO U-turn 2x90-106%KO Aerial Ace 2x76-90% | ||
Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Heracross builds →Megahorn 2x254-300%KO Aerial Ace 2x86-102%KO Venoshock 2x41-48% | ||
Blaziken FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Torchic (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Blaziken builds →Overheat 2x248-292%KO Aerial Ace 2x83-98% | ||
Emboar FireFighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tepig (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Emboar builds →Overheat 2x230-272%KO Smog 2x36-43% | ||
Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Vileplume builds →Sludge Bomb 2x173-204%KO Infestation 2x28-33% | ||
Infernape FireFighting | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Infernape builds →Overheat 2x234-277%KO U-turn 2x86-102%KO Aerial Ace 2x73-86% | ||
 Rayquaza Dragon | S | |
Obtain MethodSky Pillar Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Rayquaza builds →Fly 2x235-277%KO Overheat 2x225-265%KO Ice Beam 2x157-185%KO | ||
 Volcarona BugFire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Volcarona builds →Overheat 2x307-362%KO Bug Buzz 2x214-252%KO Hurricane 2x174-205%KO Poison Jab 2x65-77% | ||
 Darmanitan Fire | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Darmanitan builds →Flare Blitz 2x293-345%KO U-turn 2x114-135%KO | ||
 Heatran FireSteel | A | |
Obtain MethodScorched Slab Interact Encounter | ||
 Braviary Normal | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Braviary builds →Brave Bird 2x263-309%KO U-turn 2x102-121%KO | ||
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Arcanine can KO Cacnea with Flare Blitz (295-347%). Staraptor threatens a KO with Double-Edge (172-202%). Volcarona's Flamethrower also KOs at 257-302%.
 Arcanine Fire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Arcanine builds →Extreme Speed66-77% Flare Blitz 2x295-347%KO | ||
 Staraptor Normal | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityReckless ItemChoice Scarf NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Staraptor builds →Close Combat115-135%KO Double Edge172-202%KO U Turn 2x134-158%KO | ||
Volcarona BugFire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemLum Berry NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Volcarona builds →Giga Drain35-42% Flamethrower 2x257-302%KO | ||
 Nidoking PoisonGround | C | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacnea View Nidoking builds →Ice Beam 2x149-175%KO Flamethrower 2x149-175%KO | ||
Cacnea Evolutions
One evolution ahead. Cacnea grows into Cacturne through a straightforward two-stage chain. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolved forms gain up to 140 total stats over Cacnea. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Cacnea easily with 59 breeding partners from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups. Pass egg moves like Acid, Belch, Block and 14 more to offspring.
ORAS Cacnea Best Moveset
Grass at 85 Attack and 85 Sp. Atk. AbilitySand Veil boosts evasion in sand. AbilityWater Absorb as a hidden ability absorbs Water. The moveset fires at pre-evolution power. Cacturne one evolution away adds 115/115 mixed offenses.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Brick Break
- Body Slam
- Bullet Seed
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
You'll want to breed for Acid and Belch on Cacnea. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Solar Beam and Energy Ball, they expand what Cacnea can actually threaten in practice.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Cacnea lives in arid locations such as deserts. It releases a strong aroma from its flower to attract prey. When prey comes near, this Pokémon shoots sharp thorns from its body to bring the victim down.
The more arid and harsh the environment, the more pretty and fragrant a flower Cacnea grows. This Pokémon battles by wildly swinging its thorny arms.
Cacnea Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Guide
For Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, you can run Cacnea through the first few routes without issues. 335 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Cacturne as fast as you can.
Game Availability
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Cacnea spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through catching or hatching as a base form in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves