James's Cacnea

James's Cacnea コジロウのサボネア Kojirō's Sabonea

James's Cacnea

Debuts in A Poached Ego Caught at Petalburg Woods Gender Unknown* Ability Unknown Current location With Gardenia

This Pokémon has not evolved.

Voice actor Japanese English As Cacnea Katsuyuki Konishi Lindsey Warner (4Kids) Michele Knotz (TPCi)

James's Cacnea (Japanese: コジロウのサボネア Kojirō's Sabonea), was the first Pokémon James caught during his travels through Hoenn, immediately after releasing his Weezing.

History

Cacnea was caught by James in the episode A Poached Ego. In the episode, Team Rocket found a group of Ekans and Koffing being hunted by a Pokémon poacher; Jessie and James permanently released their Arbok and Weezing to protect the Ekans and Koffing. Before releasing Arbok and Weezing, Team Rocket had been chased by some Beedrill because they had landed in the Beedrill's nesting place. Cacnea had been walking by. When it saw that they were in need of help, it used Pin Missile to drive the Beedrill away. In gratitude, James gave it a bag of cookies. However, the bag was closed. Later, after defeating the poacher, Team Rocket encountered Cacnea on a road. It gave James the bag, and James opened the bag and gave Cacnea a cookie. James then asked Cacnea if it would like to join him, and it agreed, jumping into his arms and hurting him with its spikes. Cacnea was then James's fighting Pokémon throughout all of Hoenn.

Cacnea using Drain Punch, under the command of Gardenia

In Sinnoh, it was replaced as James's main battler by Carnivine. However, it was used alongside Seviper, Dustox, and Carnivine in several all out battles against Ash and co. and to guard the Template:Type2 Pokémon that Team Rocket stole in A Staravia is Born. It was only seen battling without Carnivine a few times in Sinnoh. It and Carnivine hurt James a lot in Sinnoh because they both tended to be affectionate at the same time. Cacnea was used often in Sinnoh similarly to Jessie's Seviper as Team Rocket's escapist rogue via the use of Sandstorm. In Once There Were Greenfields, Gardenia and James battled against Ash and Dawn. Gardenia told James to tell Cacnea to use Drain Punch, but James said the Pokémon didn't know that move. Through her explanation on how to do it, he did it anyway, and Cacnea pulled off the move. However, it was unable to duplicate the success. Through Meowth, Cacnea explained that the first Drain Punch was only a fluke. Gardenia suggested that James give Cacnea to her to train. He originally declined, but in the end he realized that his lack of skill would only hold Cacnea back from its full potential. Therefore, he left Cacnea with the Gym Leader to become stronger.

Cacnea appeared again in a flashback in Barry's Busting Out All Over! where it was shown battling Barry's Empoleon. It was also revealed to have mastered Drain Punch, making James very pleased.

Personality and characteristics

To James's frustration, each time it is called out to battle, Cacnea turns around and affectionately hugs James, causing him to remind it that it is supposed to be fighting. According to Maxxed Out!, it cannot swim. However, this should be no surprise, as Cacnea are normally native to the desert. When it does battle, it is fairly formidable, but as Team Rocket is the major antagonistic force of the series, it usually loses to Ash or one of his friends.

Like most of James's Pokémon, Cacnea has a great relationship with him and strives to please him.

Moves used

File:Cacnea Sandstorm.png Using Sandstorm	Move First Used In Pin Missile A Poached Ego! Needle Arm A Mudkip Mission Sandstorm ZigZag Zangoose! Drain Punch † Once There Were Greenfields
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Trivia

Cacnea showing affection

• For DP025, Professor Oak's lecture is about James's Cacnea. He writes this Pokémon senryū about it: サボネアは　ふれるとチクチク　トゲトゲよ Cacnea, prickly spikes, when it touches.
• Cacnea was the first Pokémon James was seen capturing ever. His Weezing and Victreebel were both caught prior to his appearance on the series or captured off-screen.
• Similar to when James traded away Victreebel, James' was incredible depressed as seen in Throwing the Track Switch, the episode after he gave up Cacnea.

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Cacnea.

Team Rocket's Pokémon
Travel with:	Meowth	Rotom Phone
	Jessie			James
On hand:	Wobbuffet	Seviper	Yanmega	Mime Jr.	Carnivine	Yamask
	Woobat	Frillish	Gourgeist	Amoonguss	Inkay	Morpeko
In training:				Cacnea
At home:				Growlie	Chimecho
Released:	Arbok	Dustox	Mimikyu	Weezing	Gyarados	Mareanie
Traded away:	Lickitung			Victreebel
Lived with (all three):	Bewear	Stufful
Worked with (all three):	Delibird	Pelipper
Temporarily owned:	Porygon Zero	Shellder	Magikarp	Second Victreebel	Hoppip
	Mawile
Befriended:	Blissey
Status unknown:	Starmie			Pidgey	Numel
For a list of other Pokémon Team Rocket has commanded, see here and here

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.