A Pokey is a track hazard. It is similar to a cactus, and while it occasionally trembles, most of the time it "walks" from side to side, tripping karts. On Mario Kart DS, racers flips over as if being hit by a Star. On Mario Kart Wii, they spin out. They appear only in desert courses, such as Dry Dry Desert, Desert Hills, and Dry Dry Ruins.
Also in Mario Kart DS, they appear in the mission option, in Mission 2 - 6. The player's task is to destroy five Pokeys with Bob-ombs. This mission uses Wario in the Standard WR, on the Desert Hills track. The time limit is 55 seconds. This mission is difficult because the Pokeys "walk" around, making them hard to hit, and the Bob-ombs and Pokeys are hazards.