Caterpie (Pokémon)
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Type
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Abilities
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Gender ratio
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Catch rate
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Breeding
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Height
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Weight
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Base experience yield
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Leveling rate
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EV yield
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Shape
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Footprint
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Pokédex color
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Base friendship
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Caterpie (Japanese: キャタピー Caterpie) is a Bug-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I.
It evolves into Metapod starting at level 7, which evolves into Butterfree starting at level 10.
Biology
Caterpie is a Pokémon that resembles a green caterpillar with a yellow underside and teardrop-shaped tail. There are yellow ring-shaped markings down the sides of its segmented body, which resemble its eyes and are meant to scare off predators. Its most notable characteristic is the bright red antenna (osmeterium) on its head, which releases a stench to repel predators. Despite these features and its camouflage in green foliage, Caterpie is often preyed upon by Flying-type Pokémon. Its four tiny feet are tipped with suction cups, permitting this Pokémon to scale most surfaces with minimal effort.
Caterpie is easy to capture and grows quickly, making it ideal for new Trainers.
As Caterpie grow and develop over time, it will shed its skin many times before finally cocooning itself in thick silk. It can also spit this silk in order to entangle foes as seen in the anime. It has a voracious appetite, which drives it to eat a hundred leaves a day. It will even eat leaves bigger than itself. According to Pokémon Adventures, its favorite food is the Vermilion flower. Caterpie lives in temperate forests and jungles.
In the anime
Main series
Major appearances
Ash's Caterpie
Caterpie debuted in Pokémon Emergency!, where Ash encountered it in Viridian Forest. He caught it in Ash Catches a Pokémon, making Caterpie the first Pokémon he caught in the wild. It evolved into Metapod in the same episode after a battle with Team Rocket, and then into Butterfree during the following episode.
Caterpie also appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. It evolved into Metapod during a battle against a Pinsir and later into Butterfree after a battle against a group of Primeape.
Other
A Caterpie appeared in The Dunsparce Deception, under the ownership of Bucky. He used it to compete in a race with Dunsparce, but it ultimately lost due to its slow speed.
A Caterpie appeared in Caterpie's Big Dilemma, under the ownership of Zander. It ate some of Dr. Gordon's enhanced Rare Candies and turned giant as a result. It eventually evolved into a Mothra-sized Butterfree.
A Caterpie appeared in Butterfree and Me! as a resident of Wayfarer Island. Ash befriended it after realizing it had yet to evolve, which reminded Ash of his own Caterpie. As a result, he helped Caterpie evolve into Metapod and then into Butterfree.
In Working My Way Back to Mew!, Goh caught a Caterpie. It has since made further appearances in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
Minor appearances
In Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village, Melanie cared for a Caterpie. It reappeared in a flashback in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Electric Shock Showdown.
In Battle Aboard the St. Anne, a Caterpie was aboard the St. Anne.
In Pokémon Fashion Flash, a Caterpie was on Scissor Street.
A Caterpie appeared in a fantasy in Dig Those Diglett!.
In The Ultimate Test, an image of Caterpie was used in the exams.
A Caterpie appeared in The Breeding Center Secret.
A Caterpie appeared in Clefairy Tales.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, a Trainer's Caterpie was defeated by Mewtwo while it was serving Giovanni.
In In the Pink, pink Caterpie was a resident of Pinkan Island.
In Tracey Gets Bugged, multiple Caterpie were residents of Murcott Island.
Two Caterpie appeared in a flashback in Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?, one each under the ownership of Ralph and Emily.
A wild Caterpie appeared in Pikachu's Rescue Adventure.
In Illusion Confusion!, a Caterpie was one of the illusions created by a group of Haunter and Gengar.
In For Crying Out Loud, multiple Caterpie were accidentally splashed by Wilhomena's Marill.
In Gettin' The Bugs Out, multiple Caterpie resided in the Azalea Gym. One Caterpie scared Misty by coming down the trees. Later on, they assisted in apprehending Team Rocket with silk.
In The Bug Stops Here, a Caterpie was chased away by Misty after she found it talking with Togepi.
In Carrying On!, a Caterpie was in Way Away Island's Pokémon Center.
A Caterpie appeared in Jessie's fantasy in Wings 'N' Things.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in Celebi: The Voice of the Forest.
In Got Miltank?, a Caterpie was a resident in a Pokémon-exclusive oasis.
In For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!, multiple Caterpie were protecting the Tin Tower after Team Rocket stole the Crystal Bells on the top floor.
In Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution, a Caterpie fell sick due to Team Rocket's experiments.
A Caterpie appeared in Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias.
A Caterpie appeared in Camp Pikachu.
In Gonna Rule The School!, the Pokémon Trainers' School lent a Caterpie to the school's underage students for use in lessons.
A Caterpie appeared in Destiny Deoxys.
A Caterpie appeared in Hi Ho Silver Wind!, under the ownership of a Coordinator.
A Caterpie appeared in The Green Guardian.
A Coordinator‘s Caterpie appeared in What I Did for Love!.
In Some Enchanted Sweetening!, two Caterpie were lured in by the Honey that Cheryl had slathered onto a tree. Additional Caterpie also appeared in a boss fantasy in the same episode, but said boss fantasy was cut from the dub due to it containing suggestive material.
A Caterpie appeared in The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!.
Two Caterpie appeared in An Angry Combeenation!.
A Caterpie appeared in Jessie's fantasy in One Big Happiny Family!.
A Caterpie appeared in One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in Coming Full-Festival Circle!.
A Caterpie appeared in Genesect and the Legend Awakened as a resident of Pokémon Hills.
A Caterpie appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!.
In Lumiose City Pursuit!, Mega-Mega Meowth Madness!, Day Three Blockbusters!, and Battling With a Clean Slate!, a Caterpie was a resident of Professor Sycamore's lab.
A Caterpie appeared in a flashback in Seeing the Forest for the Trees!.
In Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge!, two Caterpie were playing in Lillie's garden. One of them reappeared in The Ol' Raise and Switch!.
A Caterpie appeared in a fantasy in Lulled to La-La Land!.
Multiple wild Caterpie appeared in Alola, Kanto!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Now You See Them, Now You Don't!.
A Caterpie appeared in Tasting the Bitter with the Sweet!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in The Power of Us.
Four Caterpie appeared in Securing the Future!, with three under the ownership of different Trainers and the fourth being wild. They joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its true form.
In The Battlefield of Truth and Love!, a Caterpie watched Bewear and Stufful put on a performance in their hot springs.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Exhibition Unmasked!.
In From Z to Shining Z!, a Trainer's Caterpie watched the battle between Ash's Pikachu and Tapu Koko.
Two Caterpie appeared in a flashback in Enter Pikachu!, with one of them being caught by a female Trainer.
Three Caterpie appeared in a video hologram in Legend? Go! Friends? Go!.
In A Snow Day for Searching!, Goh's Butterfree encountered a Caterpie while it was out looking for Cubone's bone.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Caring for a Mystery!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in A Festival Reunion!.
A Caterpie appeared in Trade, Borrow, and Steal!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in That New Old Gang of Mine!.
A Caterpie appeared in Secrets of the Jungle.
In Not Too Close for Comfort!, a Caterpie was seen in a video, evolving all the way into Butterfree.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Take My Thief! Please!.
Pokédex entries
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Pokémon Origins
In File 1: Red, a Caterpie was seen in Professor Oak's introduction, while Red caught another, which was registered in his Pokédex. It evolved into Metapod before his Gym battle with Brock.
In File 3: Giovanni, two Caterpie were seen caged in the Rocket Hideout and Silph Co., respectively.
Pokémon Generations
In The Adventure, Pikachu encountered and battled a Caterpie in Viridian Forest.
Pokémon Evolutions
In The Show, a Caterpie briefly appeared under the ownership of a Trainer in Ecruteak City.
In The Discovery, a Caterpie appeared in a fantasy of a forest of the Kanto region.
In the manga
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
- Main article: Ash's Caterpie
Ash's Caterpie is the second wild Pokémon that Ash catches, being caught in Pikachu, I See You!. It evolves twice in Play Misty For Me—first into Metapod while Ash is showing it off to Misty, and then into Butterfree during his Gym battle against Misty.
Ash is not shown releasing his Butterfree in the manga, although it is not seen after Haunting My Dreams.
Magical Pokémon Journey
A Caterpie appeared in Tangela's Secret.
Pokémon Adventures
- Main article: Kitty
Caterpie debuted in a cameo in Bulbasaur, Come Home! as one of the Pokémon that escapes from Professor Oak's Laboratory. It also makes a cameo in The Secret of Kangaskhan.
A Caterpie appeared as a silhouette when Green talks about Mew in The Jynx Jinx.
A Caterpie appeared in As Gastly as Before. With the help of her fishing rod and Red's Pika, Yellow saved a Caterpie from its tree, which was targeted by a Fire attack. Caterpie then followed Yellow to Route 9, where she and Blue were training. It took Yellow a whole day to properly catch this Caterpie with a Poké Ball, but once she prevailed, Yellow welcomed Caterpie to her team and called it "Kitty". It then became one of Yellow's most useful Pokémon, whose string was commonly used to make floaters. However, in the battle against Lance, Yellow did not have a Pokédex, which she needed to stop her Pokémon from evolving. As a result, Kitty evolved into Metapod and then into Butterfree right afterwards.
A Caterpie was mentioned as one of the Pokémon Crystal had caught for Professor Oak in Three Cheers for Chikorita.
A Caterpie was one of the Pokémon Crystal fails to catch in Absolutely Azumarill.
A Caterpie appeared in The Last Battle XIII as one of the Pokémon sent to participate in the fight in Ilex Forest.
According to the Pokédex at the end of Volume 1, Red appears to have caught a Caterpie, which evolved into a Metapod and then a Butterfree.
Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All
Shu caught a Caterpie in Shu and Pikachu's Debut!. He uses it in various creative ways, mostly involving strange uses of its String Shot.
A Caterpie appeared in GDZ23.
A Caterpie appeared in GDZ48.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Goh caught a Caterpie in Battle Frontier Challenge: The Flute Cup!, just like he does in the anime.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team
- Main article: Caterpie (Red and Blue Rescue Team)
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, Ginji saved a Caterpie from an attacking Ariados.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
A Caterpie appeared in Catch That Pokémon Thief!!.
A Caterpie appeared in The Legendary Pokémon Appears!!.
A Caterpie appeared in Regain the Deserted Power Plant!.
A Caterpie appeared in Fierce Competition at the Pokémon Baseball Tournament!, where it was one of the Pokémon that took part in a baseball match. It was seen with Green during the game.
A Caterpie appeared in Pikachu's Birthday Party.
A Caterpie appeared in Demanding Tests at the Pokémon School!.
A Caterpie appeared in The Hardest Bug Pokémon Wins?!.
In the TCG
- Main article: Caterpie (TCG)
Game data
NPC appearances
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Caterpie is rescued in the first mission of the game. It is too young to be of any help to the rescue team but remains a strong fan throughout the game, even in its darkest hour.
Pokédex entries
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Alternate games
- Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Trading Card Game (Base Set, Base Set 2, Legendary Collection)
- Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls.
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Neo Discovery)
- For protection, it releases a horrible stench from the antennae on its head to drive away enemies.
Game locations
In side games
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Held items
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| Red* | Blue* | Berry (100%) | |
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Stats
Base stats
| Stat | Range | ||
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| At Lv. 50 | At Lv. 100 | ||
HP: 45
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105 - 152 | 200 - 294 | |
30
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31 - 90 | 58 - 174 | |
35
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36 - 95 | 67 - 185 | |
20
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22 - 79 | 40 - 152 | |
20
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22 - 79 | 40 - 152 | |
45
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45 - 106 | 85 - 207 | |
Total: 195
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Pokéathlon stats
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Type effectiveness
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Learnset
Caterpie is available in Sword and Shield and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
By leveling up
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By TM/TR
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By breeding
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By tutoring
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By transfer from another generation
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TCG-only moves
| Move | Card |
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| Headbutt | Caterpie (Expedition 96) |
Side game data
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Evolution
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 Level 7 → |
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Level 10 → |
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Sprites
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For other sprites and images, please see Caterpie images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Trivia
- Caterpie was both the first Pokémon to be caught and the first Pokémon to evolve in the anime.
- Caterpie shares its category with Wurmple and Snom. They are known as the Worm Pokémon.
- Until the release of Pokémon Platinum, when it became able to learn Bug Bite, Caterpie was unable to do anything to a Ghost type except struggling and lowering its Speed. It shares this trait with its evolution, Metapod. This is also true for Weedle, and its evolution, Kakuna, against Steel types before Pokémon Platinum was released.
- Due to this, it was impossible to complete a Generation I game using only Caterpie or Metapod, since Struggle couldn't hit Ghost types at the time.
- In the anime and in Pokémon Adventures, Caterpie holds the record as the Pokémon who takes the least time to evolve twice, taking only one episode in the anime and one chapter in Pokémon Adventures.
- Prior to Generation VI, Caterpie's shape was
. - In Ash Catches a Pokémon, when Caterpie evolves into Metapod, the process was similar to a real caterpillar going into pupation. Later episodes show Caterpie evolving like the rest of the Pokémon do.
- Caterpie is tied with Weedle, Magikarp, Igglybuff, Carvanha, Attack Forme Deoxys, and Stonjourner for having the lowest Special Defense stat of all Pokémon.
Origin
Caterpie seems to be based on a caterpillar, particularly the Asian swallowtail, eastern tiger swallowtail, or spicebush swallowtail due to its green body, yellow eyespots, and red osmeterium. The tip of its tail resembles the horn that many species of hawk moth larvae have on their rear ends.
Name origin
Caterpie may be a corruption, or shortening, of caterpillar.
In other languages
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Related articles
External links
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms. |
- Pokémon
- Generation I Pokémon
- Bug-type Pokémon
- Single-type Pokémon
- Pokémon with a gender ratio of one male to one female
- Pokémon in the Medium Fast experience group
- Green-colored Pokémon
- Body style 14 Pokémon
- Bug group Pokémon
- Pokémon in the Kanto Pokédex
- Pokémon in the Johto Pokédex
- Pokémon in the Kalos Pokédex
- Pokémon in the Alola Pokédex
- Pokémon in the Galar Pokédex
- Pokémon with wild held items
- Pokémon with a base stat total of 195
- Pokémon whose Special stat became both Special Attack and Special Defense
- Pokémon with 15 max performance stars
- Pokémon that cannot learn TMs
- Body size 1 Pokémon
- Pokémon that are part of a three-stage evolutionary line
- Body style 02 Pokémon
