James's Cacnea (Japanese: コジロウのサボネア Kojiro's Sabonea) was the first Pokémon caught by James of Team Rocket during his travels through Hoenn, immediately after releasing his Weezing. Its voice actor in Japanese is Katsuyuki Konishi, and its English voice actors are Lindsey Warner (Seasons 6-8) and Michelle Knotz (Season 9+).

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 Missle to drive the Beedrill away. In gratitude, James gave it a bag of cookies. However, the bag was closed. Later, after being defeated by 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 James's fighting Pokémon in Hoenn. 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 because it is a 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.

In Sinnoh, it has been replaced as James's main battler by Carnivine. However, he still has it and it has been used alongside Seviper, Dustox, and Carnivine in several all out battles against Ash and co. and to guard the Flying-type Pokémon that Team Rocket stole. It has only been seen battling without Carnivine a few times in Sinnoh so far. It and Cranivine hurt James a lot in Sinnoh because they both tend to be affectionate at the same time.

Attacks used

• Pin Missile
• Needle Arm
• Sandstorm

Trivia

• 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

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	Hoppip	Second Victreebel
	Mawile
Befriended:	Blissey
Status unknown:	Starmie			Pidgey	Numel
For a list of other Pokémon Team Rocket has commanded, see here and here