Needle Arm (move)
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| Needle Arm ニードルアーム Needle Arm | ||||||||||||
Battles
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Availability
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Contests
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Super Contests
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Needle Arm (Japanese: ニードルアーム Needle Arm) is a damage-dealing Grass-type move introduced in Generation III. Prior to Generation V, it was the signature move of Cacnea and Cacturne.
Contents |
Effect
Needle Arm inflicts damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch.
Learnset
By leveling up
| # | Pokémon | Type | Level | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| III | IV | V | ||||||||
| 331 | |
Cacnea | Grass | 37 | 45 | 45 | ||||
| 332 | |
Cacturne | Grass | Dark | 41 | 53 | 53 | |||
| 556 | |
Maractus | Grass | no | no | 22 | ||||
| Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. | ||||||||||
In the anime
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| Cacturne | Cacnea | ||
| The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. | |||
| Pokémon | Method | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| User | First Used In | Notes | |
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One of Cacnea's arms glows white. It then swings its arm and hits the opponent with it. | ||
| James's Cacnea | A Mudkip Mission | Debut | |
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The dark green patches on Cacturne's arms and legs glow white and grow into huge needles. | ||
| Harley's Cacturne | A Hurdle for Squirtle | None | |
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The ball on top of Mime Jr's head glows white, and both of its arms glow white as well. It then hits the opponent with one of its arm. | ||
| James's Mime Jr. | Dawn's Early Night! | Used via Mimic | |
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
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| Cacturne | |||
| The user releases long needles from its arm at the opponent. | |||
| Pokémon | Method | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| User | First Round/Chapter Used In | Notes | |
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Cacturne reaches out one of its arms and releases multiple long needles from its hand, stabbing the opponent with them. | ||
| Wally's Cacturne | VS. Treecko | Debut | |
In other generations
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| Generation III | Generation IV |
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Trivia
- If Secret Power is used in tall grass, it will have the animation of Needle Arm.
- All Pokémon that can learn this move are based on a cactus.
In other languages
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| Variations of the move Needle Arm | ||
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This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games. |



