Without Water Absorb, Cacturne wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It heals when hit by Water moves, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Grass/Dark is solid coverage on top of that. It relies on priority moves or Scarf to keep up.
Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Cacturne's Attack does the work, Speed pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Attack and Sp. Atk EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
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.
Cacturne Weakness
VulnerableCacturne is weak to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying-type moves. Watch out for Bug attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Psychic-type moves entirely. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Cacturne is what Cacnea becomes. Breed it for Cacnea eggs (average hatch time). A decent partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Cacnea pushed Cacturne to 475 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +30.
How to Evolve
Breed with Cacturne to get Cacnea eggs easily using 35 partners from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups. Notable egg moves include Acid, Counter, Dynamic Punch and 2 more.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Egg moves make a real difference. Cacturne gets Acid and Counter exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Poison and Bug coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Solar Beam and Giga Drain.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Can't catch Cacturne directly. Start with Cacnea at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 32. The 2-stage line from Cacnea to Cacturne is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Cacturne in Emerald
Step 1Catch CacneaCHALLENGINGRoute 111 - DesertGrassLv.20-22RareMidRoute- Step 2Cacturne ✓
Cacturne looks average on paper at 475 BST. But Water Absorb is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier cannon on our tier list.
Cacturne's biggest threats include Scyther (Bug), Blaziken (Fire), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Scyther is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Cacnea evolves into Cacturne at level 32. Cacturne is the fully evolved form. It sits at 475 BST in its evolved form.
Cacturne gets Water Absorb and Sand Veil. But Water Absorb is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Cacturne is a mixed attacker — base 115 Attack and 115 Sp. Atk. But the speed tells the real story — at base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the cannon role.
Cacturne appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Cacturne appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A