No. 0010 · Generation I · Worm Pokémon
キャタピーKyatapī · A clipped form of kyatapirā (caterpillar) finished with -pī, a cute, affectionate ending
The Worm Pokémon · Bug type · first seen in Pokémon Red & Green (1996)
01Overview
Meet Caterpie
Everything you need to know about the Worm Pokémon — the creature behind the number.
Meet Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon: a plump green caterpillar with a pale yellow belly, big round markings on its head and a stubby, teardrop-shaped tail. It is a pure Bug-type and, at #0010, the very first Bug-type in the National Pokédex – the point where the Kanto Pokédex leaves the first partners behind and heads into the trees.
Everything about Caterpie is built for surviving long enough to grow up. The yellow rings on its head look like staring eyes, a bluff meant to put off anything hungry, while the bright red, forked feeler on top is its secret weapon: touch it and Caterpie lets rip a truly horrible stench. Its four tiny feet end in suction pads, so it can creep up tree trunks, slopes and even walls without tiring.
“It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon.”
Pokédex · Pokémon Red (Japan), Green (Japan) & FireRed · 1996
It is also always, always hungry. Caterpie munches through around a hundred leaves a day, cheerfully tackling leaves bigger than its own body, and hides among foliage that matches its colour. Sadly the camouflage doesn't fool everyone – bird Pokémon see it as a snack, and its soft body makes it a regular meal in the wild. It sheds its skin again and again as it grows, then wraps itself in thick silk to become a cocoon.
That growing-up happens at record speed. Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7 and into Butterfree at level 10, tied with Weedle and Wurmple for the earliest evolutions in the series, and its catch rate is the highest any Pokémon can have. Add its home in Viridian Forest, the first stretch of woodland on the road north from Pallet Town, and it is easy to see why so many journeys include one – the Pokédex in Pokémon Moon even names it a top pick for novice Trainers.
Fans, though, mostly picture one Caterpie in particular: Ash's. His very first capture in the anime was a sunny little bug that dreamed of becoming a beautiful Butterfree – much to the horror of Misty, who cannot stand Bug-types. It got its wish within two episodes, and its farewell in Bye Bye Butterfree is still one of the show's great tearjerkers. Not bad for a Pokémon whose whole plan is eat, hide, stink and repeat.
How big is Caterpie?
At 0.3 m (1′00″) Caterpie stands about as tall as a 30 cm school ruler, and at 2.9 kg (6.4 lb) it weighs roughly the same as three bags of sugar – all those leaves add up.
Evolution
02In the Pokédex's words
Caterpie's Pokédex entries
16 different entries across 40 games, from 1996 to 2021. Here is how the Pokédex has described Caterpie over the years, in the order the games came out.
Generation I
It is covered with a green skin. When it grows, it sheds the skin, covers itself with silk, and becomes a cocoon.
Kanto Pokédex
Its short feet are tipped with suction pads that enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls.
Kanto Pokédex
If you touch the feeler on top of its head, it will release a horrible stink to protect itself.
Kanto Pokédex
It has large, eye-like patterns on its head as protection. They are used to frighten off enemies.
Kanto Pokédex
Generation II
For protection, it releases a horrible stench from the antenna on its head to drive away enemies.
Johto Pokédex
Its feet have suction cups designed to stick to any surface. It tenaciously climbs trees to forage.
Johto Pokédex
It crawls into foliage where it camouflages itself among leaves that are the same color as its body.
Johto Pokédex
Generation III
Caterpie has a voracious appetite. It can devour leaves bigger than its body right before your eyes. From its antenna, this Pokémon releases a terrifically strong odor.
Hoenn Pokédex
Its voracious appetite compels it to devour leaves bigger than itself without hesitation. It releases a terribly strong odor from its antennae.
Hoenn Pokédex
Generation IV
It releases a stench from its red antenna to repel enemies. It grows by molting repeatedly.
Sinnoh Pokédex
For protection, it releases a horrible stench from the antennae on its head to drive away enemies.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Pokédex
Generation VII
When attacked by bird Pokémon, it resists by releasing a terrifically strong odor from its antennae, but it often becomes their prey.
Rotom Pokédex
It's easy to catch, and it grows quickly, making it one of the top recommendations for novice Pokémon Trainers.
Rotom Pokédex
Perhaps because it would like to grow up quickly, it has a voracious appetite, eating a hundred leaves a day.
Rotom Pokédex
Its body is soft and weak. In nature, its perpetual fate is to be seen by others as food.
Rotom Pokédex
Generation VIII
It releases a stench from its red antennae to repel enemies. It grows by molting repeatedly.
Sinnoh Pokédex
03Stats, moves & where to find it
Caterpie in the video games
Base stat total 195 · 24 core-series games · 23 spin-offs · every move it learns, generation by generation.
Base stats
Base stats have never changed: 45/30/35/20/20/45, a total of 195 – the same total as Weedle and Wurmple. In Generation I Caterpie had a single Special stat of 20; when Gold and Silver split Special into Sp. Atk and Sp. Def, both were set to 20, and that Sp. Def of 20 is the joint-lowest of any Pokémon. Base friendship was 70 in Generations II–VII and has been 50 since Generation VIII. Its base experience yield was 53 in Generations I–IV and has been 39 since Generation V; it reaches level 100 at 1,000,000 Exp. (Medium Fast).
Abilities
- Shield Dustsince Gen III
Protects Caterpie from the extra effects of opponents' attacks, such as flinching, burns or stat drops. - Run AwayHidden abilitysince Gen V
Lets Caterpie always escape from a wild Pokémon battle.
Type matchups
How hard each attacking type hits a Bug Pokémon.
Generation I: Poison-type moves were also super effective (2×) against Bug-types; from Generation II onwards Poison is neutral against Caterpie.
Training & breeding
- Catch rate
- 255
- Base friendship
- 50
- Base experience
- 39
- Growth rate
- Medium Fast
- EV yield
- 1 HP
- Egg groups
- Bug
- Egg cycles
- 15
- Colour
- Green
- Gender ratio
- 50% male
- Body shape
- insectoid
Where to find Caterpie
| Game | Year | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Red & Green | 1996 | Wild in Viridian Forest and on Route 25 |
| Blue (Japan) | 1996 | Wild in Viridian Forest and on Routes 2, 24 and 25 |
| Red & Blue | 1998 | Wild in Viridian Forest and on Route 25Blue also has it on Routes 2 and 24. |
| Yellow | 1998 | Wild in Viridian Forest |
| Gold & Silver | 1999 | Gold: wild on Routes 2, 30 and 31, in Ilex Forest and National Park, and in Headbutt trees; Silver: only in the Bug-Catching ContestThe National Park Bug-Catching Contest runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. |
| Crystal | 2000 | Wild on Routes 2, 24, 25, 30 and 31, in Ilex Forest and National Park; also in the Bug-Catching Contest and Ilex Forest's Headbutt trees |
| Ruby & Sapphire | 2002 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| FireRed & LeafGreen | 2004 | Wild in Viridian Forest and on Routes 2, 24 and 25; also in Pattern Bush on the Sevii Islands |
| Emerald | 2004 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| Diamond & Pearl | 2006 | Route 204 with Pokémon FireRed in the DS's Game Boy Advance slot (dual-slot mode)Or migrate one from a Game Boy Advance game via Pal Park, where it lives in the Forest area. |
| Platinum | 2008 | Route 204 and Eterna Forest with Pokémon FireRed in the DS's Game Boy Advance slot (dual-slot mode) |
| HeartGold & SoulSilver | 2009 | HeartGold: wild on Routes 2, 30 and 31, in Ilex Forest, National Park and Viridian Forest, and in Ilex Forest's Headbutt trees; SoulSilver: only in the Bug-Catching Contest |
| Black & White | 2010 | Not found in the wild – White players can breed one from a Metapod or Butterfree; Black needs a trade or Poké Transfer |
| Black 2 & White 2 | 2012 | Not found in the wild – White 2 players can breed one from a Butterfree; Black 2 needs a trade or Poké Transfer |
| X & Y | 2013 | Wild in Santalune ForestY also has it on Route 2. |
| Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 2014 | Not found in Hoenn – trade only |
| Sun & Moon | 2016 | Wild on Routes 1 and 5, in Melemele Meadow and Lush Jungle |
| Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | 2017 | Wild on Routes 1 and 5 and in Melemele Meadow; called in through SOS Battles in Lush Jungle |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Wild on Route 2 and in Viridian Forest |
| Sword & Shield | 2019 | Wild on Route 1; also in Max Raid Battles at Bridge Field, Dappled Grove, Rolling Fields and South Lake Miloch |
| Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl | 2021 | Brilliant Diamond: Grand Underground hideaways (Spacious Cave, Grassland Cave, Swampy Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, Sunlit Cavern, Bogsunk Cavern) after obtaining the National Pokédex; Shining Pearl: trade only |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Unobtainable |
| Scarlet & Violet | 2022 | Unobtainable – Caterpie never made it to Paldea, Kitakami or Blueberry Academy |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Unobtainable |
Sprites through the ages
Spin-offs & cameos
Super Smash Bros.
Caterpie has never crawled into a Super Smash Bros. game – no trophy, no sticker, no spirit – but its family has fluttered past. In the original Super Smash Bros. (1999), Butterfree can be spotted flying across the background of the Saffron City stage, and they return to the skies over Saffron City when the stage comes back in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pokémon GO
Caterpie has been crawling around Pokémon GO since launch day in July 2016, and it is still one of the cheapest evolutions in the game: just 12 Candy turns it into Metapod. As a buddy it earns a Candy every single kilometre, and it once hatched from 2 km Eggs. Shiny Caterpie arrived on 1 November 2018 as a Field Research reward, Dynamax Caterpie began turning up in Max Battles in March 2025, and on 3 August 2025 its final form made its Gigantamax debut on Gigantamax Butterfree Max Battle Day. Then came the costume fans had been asking for – sort of. For Pokémon GO Fest 2026 Caterpie put on a Poké Ball hat, a cheeky nod to the community's long-running campaign for a 'Cowboy Hat Caterpie'. It can also be met as a Shadow Pokémon; purify it and it can learn Return.
Its Base Set card, String Shot and all, is part of the digital card collection on Game Boy.
Flip your way to Viridian Forest or Cerulean City and Caterpie is up for grabs on both the Red and Blue Fields.
Its Stadium Pokédex entry is the one that spells out the trick behind its markings: big, eye-like patterns that frighten off enemies.
A common piece on the Phobos Train, in Endless mode, Trozei Battle and Mr. Who's Den.
The very first Pokémon your rescue team saves. Too young to join the team, it becomes your most loyal fan – and wild ones lurk in Wish Cave.
Found inching around the first floors of Apple Woods and Oran Forest.
Back in Apple Woods and Oran Forest for the expanded Explorers adventure.
A Caterpie lives in the Meadow Zone, and her favourite attraction is Bulbasaur's Daring Dash.
Toy Caterpie crawl around the Sun-Dappled Bank in the Treetops.
Lives in the Arbor Area – slow on its feet, but feisty, competitive and second to none in spirit.
Turns up in the Slithering Trains stage of the Vehicle Gallery and in The Forest of Memories.
Visits through the Pokémon Safari event, with a skill that hits harder the more same-type Pokémon share the puzzle area.
Found in Fairy Land's Pixie Glen and the Old-Growth Woods of the Origin Hideaway.
Have a chat with it in Serene Village and it will join your team.
An early catch since launch day that evolves for just 12 Candy – with a Shiny form, Dynamax Max Battles and even a Poké Ball hat.
Shows up in the tutorial and in several Seas, including the Butterfree Sea.
Hatch it from an Egg during a Bug-, Steel- and Ice-type Egg event and it teams up with your own player character.
Wild Caterpie wait in Purity Forest, and more can be found fainted in Howling Forest, Buried Relic, Wyvern Hill and Waterfall Pond.
Photodex #011 – head into Florio Nature Park or the Secret Side Path at night to snap it.
A Dozing-type Berries specialist that brings Lum Berries, Honey, Snoozy Tomatoes and Greengrass Soybeans, with sleep styles including String-Shot Sleep.
Moves
Caterpie has one of the smallest movesets in the whole series, and it wears that proudly. From Red and Green all the way to Diamond and Pearl it knew exactly two moves, Tackle and String Shot, both from level 1, with no TMs, no HMs, no egg moves and no tutors to fall back on. To be fair, it evolves at level 7, so it was never planning to stay long.
Platinum finally gave it something new: Bug Bite by level-up and Snore from a move tutor, before Black 2 and White 2's tutors added a surprisingly zappy Electroweb. Sword and Shield went one better and made Electroweb TM82, the only TM Caterpie has ever learned. It sits out Scarlet, Violet and Legends: Z-A, so for now that is the complete toolkit: five moves, and not one of them an egg move.
Signature moves
The silky spray it is famous for: Caterpie knows it from level 1 in every game it has ever appeared in, from Red and Green to Sword and Shield.
Its only attack for three whole generations. Tackle hit for 35 in the early games, 50 from Black and White, and 40 from Sun and Moon onwards.
Caterpie's first Bug-type attack, added in Platinum at level 15 and moved to level 9 from Sun and Moon. Both levels come after its usual level-7 evolution, so a home-grown Caterpie has to be kept from evolving to learn it.
An electric net from a little bug: a tutor move from Black 2 and White 2 onwards, then TM82 in Sword and Shield, the first TM Caterpie has ever been able to use.
A move-tutor extra since Platinum. Caterpie cannot learn Rest, so it has to wait for an opponent to send it to sleep before it can use it.
No main-series game has ever taught Caterpie Headbutt, but its Expedition card attacks with one anyway.
Complete learnsets
Generation I · Red, Green, Blue & Yellow2 level-up
Wild in Viridian Forest in Red, Blue and Yellow, and also on Route 25 in Red and on Routes 2, 24 and 25 in Blue. Caterpie knows both of its moves from level 1 and cannot use a single TM or HM. In the first three generations a move's category follows its type, so Normal- and Bug-type attacks are physical.
By level-up
| RGBY | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
Generation II · Gold, Silver & Crystal2 level-up
Wild in Gold and Crystal on Routes 30 and 31, in Ilex Forest and on Kanto's Route 2; in Silver it turns up only in the National Park's Bug-Catching Contest (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). Still just Tackle and String Shot: no TMs, HMs, egg moves or tutor moves. Categories follow the type-based split.
By level-up
| GSC | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
Generation III · Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed & LeafGreen2 level-up
Wild in FireRed and LeafGreen on Routes 2, 24 and 25, in Viridian Forest and in Pattern Bush. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald have no wild Caterpie, and it does not appear in Colosseum or XD. No TMs, egg moves or tutor moves. Categories follow the type-based split.
By level-up
| RSE/FRLG | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
Generation IV · Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver3 level-up · 3 tutor
Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver add Bug Bite at level 15; Diamond and Pearl stick to Tackle and String Shot. In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Caterpie lives on Route 204 (and in Eterna Forest in Platinum) when FireRed is in the DS's second slot. It is wild in HeartGold, but SoulSilver players can only find it in the National Park's Bug-Catching Contest. Still no TMs or egg moves. From this generation each move has its own physical or special category.
By level-up
| DP | Pt/HGSS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 35 | 95 | 35 |
| 1 | 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
| N/A | 15 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | HGSS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | Pt, HGSS |
| String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 | HGSS |
Generation V · Black, White, Black 2 & White 23 level-up · 3 tutor
There is no wild Caterpie in Unova: in White it can be hatched by breeding Metapod or Butterfree, and in White 2 by breeding Butterfree, while Black and Black 2 offer no Caterpie at all. Tackle rises to 50 power and 100% accuracy. Black 2 and White 2's move tutors teach Bug Bite, Electroweb and Snore; Black and White have none for Caterpie.
By level-up
| BW/B2W2 | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
| 15 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | B2W2 |
| Electroweb | Electric | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | B2W2 |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 | B2W2 |
Generation VI · X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire3 level-up · 3 tutor
Wild in Santalune Forest in X and Y, and on Route 2 in Y as well; Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have no wild Caterpie. Snore goes up to 50 power. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire's tutors teach Bug Bite, Electroweb and Snore (X and Y have no tutor moves for Caterpie). Still no TMs or egg moves.
By level-up
| XY/ORAS | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 50 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
| 15 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | ORAS |
| Electroweb | Electric | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | ORAS |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | ORAS |
Generation VII · Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon3 level-up · 3 tutor
Wild on Routes 1 and 5, in Melemele Meadow and in Lush Jungle in all four Alola games. Bug Bite moves up to level 9 and Tackle settles at 40 power. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's tutors teach Bug Bite, Electroweb and Snore; Sun and Moon have none for Caterpie. Still no TMs or egg moves.
By level-up
| SM/USUM | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
| 9 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
By move tutor
| Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 | USUM |
| Electroweb | Electric | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | USUM |
| Snore | Normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 | USUM |
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! · Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee!2 level-up
Wild on Route 2 and in Viridian Forest, just as in the originals. Caterpie is back to its Red and Blue basics here: Tackle and String Shot, no Bug Bite and no TMs. These games have no breeding or move tutors.
By level-up
| LGPE | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
Generation VIII · Sword & Shield, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl3 level-up · 1 TM/HM
Caterpie is part of the Galar Pokédex in Sword and Shield, wild on Route 1 and around the Wild Area. In Brilliant Diamond it lives in caves of the Grand Underground; Shining Pearl has no wild Caterpie. One level-up list covers all four games. Electroweb is TM82 in Sword and Shield, the first TM Caterpie has ever been able to learn; Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have no TMs for it. Snore can only be brought along from an earlier generation. Caterpie does not appear in Legends: Arceus, so there is no Legends: Arceus list.
By level-up
| SwSh/BDSP | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| 1 | String Shot | Bug | Status | — | 95 | 40 |
| 9 | Bug Bite | Bug | Physical | 60 | 100 | 20 |
By TM / HM / TR
| No. | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr. | Acc. | PP | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM82 | Electroweb | Electric | Special | 55 | 95 | 15 | SwSh |
By transfer
| Move | From |
|---|---|
| Snore | Gen IV (tutor), Gen V (tutor), Gen VI (tutor), Gen VII (tutor) |
Generation IX · Scarlet & Violet, Legends: Z-A
Caterpie cannot be obtained in Scarlet and Violet or in Legends: Z-A, so it has no Generation IX learnset. Its most recent moves are the Sword and Shield and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl lists above.
04Ash's Caterpie & friends
Caterpie in the anime
Debut EP002Pokémon Emergency! · First major role EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon · Ash’s loyal Caterpie, its battle record, and 4 other trainers who raised one.
Few Pokémon can claim a place in anime history quite like Caterpie. It was the very first Pokémon Ash ever caught, a shy, sweet-natured Bug with a big dream of becoming a Butterfree – and two episodes after crawling on screen in Viridian Forest, it had beaten Team Rocket, given the anime its first ever evolution and made that dream come true. Along the way it introduced viewers to Misty's famous fear of Bug Pokémon, and its farewell as a Butterfree remains one of the most tearful moments of the original series.
Caterpie has been popping up ever since. Goh's caught one to kick off a day-long Bug-type catching spree in Pokémon Journeys, Zander's grew into a Mothra-sized monster in Caterpie's Big Dilemma, Bucky's tried its best in a race full of Dunsparce, and a lonely Caterpie on Wayfarer Island let Ash relive his first catch all over again. From the trees of Azalea Gym to Professor Sycamore's lab and Red's team in Pokémon Origins, the little Worm Pokémon is never far away.
Ash's Caterpie
Trainer profile
Ash Ketchum
- Caught in
- EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon
- First aired
- 15 April 1997 (Japan) · 10 September 1998 (US)
- Where
- Viridian Forest, Kanto
- Status
- Now a Butterfree living in the wild with its mate, the Pink Butterfree, after Ash released it in Bye Bye Butterfree (EP021); the pair flew in to see Ash again in JN136.
- Japanese name
- サトシのキャタピー
- Moves used
- String ShotTackle
- How it joined
- Spotted in Viridian Forest at the end of Pokémon Emergency!, it was caught with a single Poké Ball and no battle at all – Ash's very first wild catch.
Personality
Ash's Caterpie was a sunny little optimist with a fragile heart. It adored Misty from the moment it met her and kept on trying to make friends, blinking back tears every time she shrieked at it, and only gave up once her insults became too much to bear. It never held a grudge, though – and beneath the shy exterior was a remarkably brave Bug Pokémon that squared up to a Pidgeotto and two of Team Rocket's Pokémon all on its own. Above all, it was a dreamer: its greatest wish was to become a Butterfree and soar through the sky.
Every Pokémon journey has to start somewhere, and Ash's catching career started with a small green Bug in Viridian Forest. On the way to Pewter City, Ash and Misty stumble upon a Caterpie at the end of Pokémon Emergency! (EP002). Misty, it turns out, cannot stand Bug Pokémon – but Ash only sees his first chance at a capture, and he hurls a Poké Ball at it.
In Ash Catches a Pokémon (EP003) the ball does its job without a fight, and an overjoyed Ash runs round in circles celebrating his first catch. Misty is far less impressed. The friendly Caterpie takes an instant shine to her, but every attempt to get close is met with squeals of disgust – and by morning she has frightened it straight back into its Poké Ball.
That night, while Ash and Misty sleep, Caterpie and Pikachu get to know each other. Caterpie confides its dearest dream: one day it wants to evolve into a beautiful Butterfree and fly. It worries it may never manage it, but Pikachu is there to cheer it on.
Its first battle is a tall order. Ash sends Caterpie out against a wild Pidgeotto – a bird against a bug, with every advantage on the bird's side – and has to recall it in the nick of time. Pikachu takes over, and Pidgeotto becomes Ash's second catch.
Then Team Rocket arrive to grab Pikachu. With Pikachu unable to see and Pidgeotto beaten, Ash has only one Pokémon left: the Caterpie the trio laugh at. Trembling at first, it wraps up James's Koffing and muzzles Jessie's Ekans with String Shot, then rams Koffing into Ekans with Tackle. Meowth ends up tangled in silk too, and Team Rocket flee from the little Bug they had just been laughing at.
It is a hero's moment – and Misty finally reaches out to give the little champion a pat on the head. Right on cue, Caterpie starts spraying silk, wraps itself up and evolves into Metapod, faster than any Caterpie Ash's Pokédex has on record. The anime's very first evolution leaves Misty more rattled than ever.
The rest of the journey belongs to Metapod and Butterfree. In Challenge of the Samurai (EP004) Metapod hardens so much that Samurai's Pinsir breaks its own pincers, is carried off by a swarm of Beedrill, and – after Ash rescues it and apologises for leaving it behind – takes a Twineedle meant for its Trainer and bursts out as Butterfree. The dream came true: Butterfree battled at Mt. Moon, the Cerulean Gym and aboard the St. Anne, then flew off with the Pink Butterfree it had fallen for in Bye Bye Butterfree (EP021). Roughly 1,200 episodes later, the happy couple dropped in on Ash and Pikachu again (JN136).
Battle record
| Episode | Opponent | Context | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon | wildvs Pidgeotto | Wild – Ash trying to catch PidgeottoHopelessly outmatched by the bird; Ash recalls it in the nick of time and Pikachu takes over to weaken Pidgeotto for the catch. | Withdrawn |
| EP003Ash Catches a Pokémon | Team Rocketvs Ekans and Koffing | Team RocketString Shot ties up Koffing and muzzles Ekans, a Tackle knocks Koffing into Ekans, and the trio flee – then Caterpie evolves. | Won |
Why didn’t it evolve?
No Pokémon of Ash's has ever been in a bigger hurry to grow up. Caterpie evolved into Metapod at the end of the very episode it was caught, moments after its victory over Team Rocket, and became a Butterfree the following episode when it shielded Ash from a Beedrill's stinger. That made it Ash's fastest evolver by far – fully evolved just two episodes after its debut – and the only one of his Pokémon to evolve after being caught within the very same episode.
Key episodes
Ash’s Caterpie trivia
- Caterpie was Ash's first wild catch, his first Bug-type, and the first of his Pokémon to appear on screen before the episode in which he caught it.
- Caterpie was the first of Ash's Pokémon to use a status move – String Shot, against Team Rocket.
- Its evolution in EP003 was the first evolution ever shown in the anime – animated like real pupation, with Caterpie spraying silk and shedding its skin rather than the familiar glow.
- It holds Ash's speed record for evolving: Metapod at the end of its capture episode, Butterfree the very next episode. No other Pokémon of Ash's has evolved after its capture within the same episode.
- Misty's famous fear of Bug Pokémon is established through Ash's Caterpie, whose attempts to befriend her go hilariously wrong.
- When Ash remembered catching Caterpie in a DP080 flashback, its mouth had been recoloured from yellow to green to match the newer artwork – the first time a main character's Pokémon was redesigned like this.
- Goh's Caterpie echoes Ash's: in Pokémon Journeys it was the first Pokémon Goh caught after getting his first partner, just as Caterpie was Ash's first catch after Pikachu.
Other trainers’ Caterpie
First seen: JN006Working My Way Back to Mew!
Goh's luck changed with a Caterpie. After a frustrating start in Vermilion Forest, Scorbunny's twitching ears led him to one munching on a leaf; he and Scorbunny crept up on it and the Poké Ball clicked shut – inspiring him to catch every Bug-type native to Kanto before the day was out (JN006). Caterpie settled in at the Cerise Laboratory, usually beside Weedle and joining in Mimey's kung fu exercises. It is no fighter – it hates conflict and was rattled when Grimer threatened it during the park's food shortage (JN023) – but its tough silk is a lifesaver: a String Shot zip line carried Goh and Ash across a river (JN046) and two more strands lowered Goh into the depths of the Seafoam Islands (JN102). It was there to wave Ash and Goh off at the lab's farewell party (JN136).
First seen: PO01File 1: Red
Evolved: PO01File 1: Red
Red, the hero of Pokémon Origins, catches a Caterpie early on his travels, after a Rattata and a Spearow and before a Pidgey. By the time he reaches the Pewter Gym it has become a Metapod, and when Brock's Onix knocks out Spearow and Rattata, Red sends it in. Its String Shot ties Onix up, but the Rock Snake Pokémon snaps the silk and flattens Metapod with Tackle – leaving Charmander to win Red his first Badge.
- PO01File 1: Red · vs Onix Lost
First seen: AG142Caterpie's Big Dilemma
Evolved: AG142Caterpie's Big Dilemma
Zander hasn't even officially caught his Caterpie yet, but the two are inseparable – its String Shot ties up Ash's group when Zander mistakes them for thieves. During a Team Rocket raid on inventor Dr. Gordon's lab, Caterpie gobbles one of his experimental 'Mystery Candy Complete' supplements and grows to monstrous size, bursting through the ceiling, stampeding through town, snapping a bridge and toppling a radio tower before evolving into a giant Metapod right on top of it. It emerges as a Mothra-sized Butterfree that confuses Team Rocket's supersized Dustox with Supersonic, catches the kidnapped Dr. Gordon and blasts the trio off with Whirlwind alongside Pikachu's Thunder – before shrinking back to normal, ready for Zander's first journey.
- AG142Caterpie's Big Dilemma · vs Dustox (giant-sized) Won
First seen: EP191The Dunsparce Deception
Bucky is the only child in town without a Dunsparce – a swarm turned up while he was away visiting his sick grandfather – so his Caterpie has to fly the flag alone, sending Misty diving behind a rock the moment it appears. Entered in the town's Dunsparce obstacle race, it falls far behind, struggles up the steps as a Dunsparce floats right over it, then topples off and is knocked out. It gets its revenge on the species later, softening up a wild Dunsparce with String Shot and Tackle so Bucky can catch it, and rides on his shoulder cheering his new teammate on in the final race.
- EP191The Dunsparce Deception · vs Dunsparce (obstacle race) Lost
- EP191The Dunsparce Deception · vs Dunsparce Won
Featured episodes
- EP144Gettin' The Bugs OutThe forest-like Azalea Gym is crawling with Caterpie. One dangles down right in front of Misty's face, sending her fleeing straight into a cluster of Metapod, and later the Gym's Bug Pokémon tie Team Rocket up in silk.
- BW130Butterfree and Me!On Wayfarer Island, Ash finds a sleepy Caterpie left behind when its flock evolved and migrated, and it reminds him of his very first catch. Their adventure together – a String Shot to catch Ash when he falls from a tree, a stand against an Ursaring over Oran Berries – ends with it evolving into Metapod, then into Butterfree in mid-air to save Ash from Team Rocket with Confusion and Psybeam, before flying off to join its flock.
- SM090Securing the Future!Four Caterpie – three of them Trainers' Pokémon and one wild – help shower Necrozma with light so it can return to its true form.
- HZ005Found You, Fuecoco!A pair of Caterpie first seen in The Treasure After the Storm! (HZ004) pitch in to help repair the Brave Olivine.
More appearances
- EP010Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village Melanie looks after a Caterpie in her hidden village of Pokémon; it is seen again in a flashback in Bulbasaur… the Ambassador! (EP225).
- EP015Battle Aboard the St. Anne A Caterpie is aboard the St. Anne.
- EP028Pokémon Fashion Flash A Caterpie appears on Scissor Street.
- EP056The Ultimate Test A picture of Caterpie turns up in the Pokémon League exam.
- EP088In the Pink A pink Caterpie lives on Pinkan Island, where the local berries turn every Pokémon pink.
- EP097Tracey Gets Bugged Several Caterpie live on Murcott Island.
- EP100Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon? In a flashback, Ralph and Emily each have a Caterpie.
- EP121Illusion Confusion! A Caterpie is one of the illusions conjured up by Haunter and Gengar.
- EP132For Crying Out Loud Wilhomena's Marill splashes a group of Caterpie.
- EP161The Bug Stops Here Misty chases away a Caterpie she finds chatting with her Togepi.
- EP164Carrying On! A Caterpie is at the Pokémon Center on Way Away Island.
- EP177Wings 'N' Things A Caterpie appears in one of Jessie's daydreams.
- EP207Got Miltank? A Caterpie lives at an oasis reserved for Pokémon.
- EP227For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll! Several Caterpie guard the Tin Tower after Team Rocket steal the Crystal Bells.
- EP235Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution A Caterpie falls ill as a result of Team Rocket's experiments.
- AG015Gonna Rule the School! The Pokémon Trainer's School lends Caterpie to pupils too young to have Pokémon of their own, for use in lessons.
- DP030Some Enchanted Sweetening! Two Caterpie are lured in by Cheryl's Honey.
- M16Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened A Caterpie lives in Pokémon Hills.
- XY002Lumiose City Pursuit! A Caterpie lives at Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City, and is seen there again in XY010, XY040 and XY137.
- SM008Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge! Two Caterpie play in the garden of Lillie's mansion; one of them is back in The Ol' Raise and Switch! (SM030).
- SM042Alola, Kanto! Wild Caterpie appear during the class trip to Kanto.
- SM131The Battlefield of Truth and Love! A Caterpie watches Bewear and Stufful perform at their hot spring.
- SM144From Z to Shining Z! A Trainer's Caterpie watches Pikachu battle Tapu Koko.
- JN001Enter Pikachu! In a flashback, a Trainer catches a Caterpie.
- JN015A Snow Day for Searching! While the team search for Cubone's missing bone, Goh's Butterfree meets a Caterpie.
- JN062Not Too Close for Comfort! A video shows a Caterpie evolving into Butterfree.
- JN142The Same Moon, Now and Forever! A Caterpie appears – and it is also the episode's Who's That Pokémon?
- HZ062A New Song for Fuecoco One of the Caterpie from The Treasure After the Storm! reappears in a flashback.
Beyond the main series
Anime gallery
Anime trivia
- Caterpie was the first Pokémon ever to evolve in the anime, when Ash's evolved into Metapod in Ash Catches a Pokémon (EP003).
- Despite debuting in the second episode, Caterpie didn't get an anime Pokédex entry until May scanned Zander's in Caterpie's Big Dilemma (AG142) – 414 episodes later.
- The first two episodes in which a Pokémon evolves twice both star a Caterpie: Caterpie's Big Dilemma (AG142) and Butterfree and Me! (BW130), 371 episodes apart.
- Caterpie's Big Dilemma looks like a nod to the Mothra kaiju films: a giant Caterpie climbs a radio tower, evolves into Metapod on top of it and emerges as a colossal Butterfree.
- Both Ash and Goh made a Caterpie their first catch after receiving their first partner Pokémon – and Goh's set off a spree in which he caught every Kanto Bug-type in a single day.
- Caterpie has been the subject of Who's That Pokémon? in Ash Catches a Pokémon (EP003), Charizard Chills (EP105, dub), For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll! (EP227, dub) and The Same Moon, Now and Forever! (JN142).
- Pinkan Island in the Orange Islands is home to a pink Caterpie (EP088).
“Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Caterpie uses the suction cups on its feet to climb trees and feed on its favorite leaves.”
May's Pokédex · AG142
05On the big screen
Caterpie in the movies
3 films, 1 Pikachu short and 1 special featuring Caterpie.
Caterpie has spent most of its film career as an extra. From a Trainer's Caterpie in Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998) to walk-on parts in Celebi: Voice of the Forest, Pokémon Heroes, Destiny Deoxys, Genesect and the Legend Awakened, The Power of Us and Secrets of the Jungle, it's the Pokémon you spot in the background if you know where to look. Its one starring role came in 2017, when I Choose You! retold Ash's first catch: this Caterpie gazes up at a flock of Butterfree, evolves twice on the road and finally flies away with a pink Butterfree. Wild Caterpie also wander through two Pikachu shorts, Pikachu's Rescue Adventure and Camp Pikachu.
Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
M01 · 1998
A Trainer's Caterpie; another Caterpie in the extended Japanese cut
Caterpie's film career starts in the crowd. A Trainer's Caterpie is among the many Pokémon in Mewtwo Strikes Back, though it never gets a scene of its own. Japan's extended kanzenban cut also slips a Caterpie into its opening.
Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened
M16 · 2013
A Caterpie living in Pokémon Hills
A Caterpie is one of the Pokémon that call Pokémon Hills, New Tork City's great green park, home. Its peace doesn't last: a band of Genesect moves in, and the park's Pokémon have to flee.
Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!
M20 · 2017
Ash's Caterpie (later Metapod and Butterfree)
I Choose You! retells Ash's first journey, and Caterpie is still his first catch. This time Ash finds it gazing up at a group of Butterfree from a tree, and Pikachu has to battle it before the Poké Ball goes in. It evolves into Metapod after a fight with a Pinsir, and into Butterfree as the friends flee a pack of Primeape. When they save a pink Butterfree from a Fearow, Ash lets his own Butterfree go with her: the first time a Pokémon is released in a Pokémon film.
Pikachu shorts
- PK11Camp Pikachu (2002) · A wild Caterpie
Strolling through the long grass on their camping trip, Pikachu and friends pass a wild Caterpie, along with a Skiploom and a Butterfree. The short opened in Japan alongside Pokémon Heroes, and came out in English with that film on DVD and video in January 2004.
TV specials
- Pocket Monsters, Fall Special! (1997)
Japan's 90-minute autumn special went out straight after Pokémon Fashion Flash (EP028), and its hour-long clip show of Ash's adventures so far puts Ash's Caterpie back on screen. The clip show was later released on rental-only VHS in 2000 as The Journey to be a Pokémon Master Begins!!, the first of three tapes recapping Ash's Kanto journey.
06Trading Card Game · every card
Caterpie in the Pokémon TCG
29 cards since 1999, oldest first. Tap any card to see it full size.
Caterpie has been crawling across card tables from the very first booster. It was in Japan's Expansion Pack in October 1996 and reached English players in Base Set in January 1999: a modest 40 HP Basic Grass Pokémon whose String Shot could pin a rival in place. Since then it has turned up in almost every era, from Neo Discovery and the e-Reader cards of Expedition to Flashfire, Sun & Moon, Fusion Strike, 151 and Journey Together. It has never had an ex or V card, and its HP has stayed tiny, from 30 in HeartGold & SoulSilver to 60 in Hidden Fates. Its designers have had fun with its speedy growth instead. Signs of Evolution fetches Metapod and Butterfree in one go, Pupate lets it evolve straight from the deck on a lucky flip, and Adaptive Evolution lets it evolve on your very first turn.
The art has grown up alongside the cards. Ken Sugimori's clean Base Set portrait was reprinted again and again, right up to Evolutions in 2016, and was joined in Japan by Aya Kusube's vending-machine card and a rare e-Reader demo card made for Nintendo Space World 2001. The 2000s brought a parade of new hands, including Yuka Morii, Miki Tanaka, Atsuko Nishida and Midori Harada, before the modern era added Sumiyoshi Kizuki, Kanako Eo, Sekio, Shibuzoh. and even a Mitsuhiro Arita Caterpie in Fusion Strike. The high point is Teeziro's Illustration Rare in 151, the only English Caterpie above Common. TCG Pocket has picked up the thread digitally, giving Miki Tanaka's 2002 art and Shibuzoh.'s 2019 piece new lives, and adding a Shiny Caterpie for good measure.
Cards to know
- Base Set 45/102 — Ken Sugimori's original: a 40 HP caterpillar whose String Shot could paralyse the Defending Pokémon. The earliest prints even list its weight as 'Length'.
- EX FireRed & LeafGreen 56/112 — Signs of Evolution grabs a Metapod and a Butterfree from your deck in one go, the whole family packed into a single attack.
- Great Encounters 63/106 — The Pupate Poké-Power: flip heads and Caterpie evolves straight from your deck, a perfect fit for the fastest-evolving line in the games. Unbroken Bonds brought it back as an Ability.
- HeartGold & SoulSilver 57/123 vs Hidden Fates 1/68 — The weakest and toughest Caterpie cards: 30 HP in 2010, twice that in 2019.
- 151 172/165 — Teeziro's Illustration Rare, the only English Caterpie card ever printed above Common.
- Sample Set (Japan) — An e-Reader demo card used on the show floor at Nintendo Space World 2001; only a few copies ever found their way to collectors.
Every English-language card
Promo cards
Japan-exclusive cards
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Digital card games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color): Caterpie (Base Set 45 art, Ken Sugimori), card B04, from the Evolution booster pack; two copies are in the Bulbasaur & Friends Deck, one of the starter decks Dr. Mason offers at the start (not in its Auto Deck Machine version). Sprite: TCG1 B04 Caterpie.png.
- Pokémon Card GB2 (Japan only): Caterpie (Base Set 45 art, Ken Sugimori), card B02, Common, in the Legendary Power pack. Sprite: TCG2 B02 Caterpie.png.
The artists behind the cards
- Ken Sugimori — 5 cards (Base Set 45 and its reprints in Base Set 2, Legendary Collection and Evolutions, plus Japan's Sample Set e-Reader card); his Base Set art is also the Caterpie in both Game Boy TCG games
- Shibuzoh. — 1 paper card (Unbroken Bonds 2), whose art was reused for TCG Pocket's Everyday Wonders and Deluxe Pack: Mega
- Miki Tanaka — 1 paper card (Expedition Base Set 96), whose art returned in TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex
- Sumiyoshi Kizuki — 1 artwork (Flashfire 1), reprinted in Generations
- One artwork each: Aya Kusube (Vending Expansion Sheet 1), Yuka Morii, Atsuko Nishida, Midori Harada, Tomokazu Komiya, Kanako Eo, Sekio, Tetsuya Koizumi, Uta, Mitsuhiro Arita, Tika Matsuno, Teeziro and Shimaris Yukichi; MAHOU drew TCG Pocket's Shiny Caterpie
07On the page & beyond
Caterpie in manga, books & other media
From the earliest manga to story books and songs.
In print, Caterpie's finest hour belongs to Yellow. In Pokémon Adventures she rescues one from a Fire Blast, names it Kitty, and turns its String Shot into a fishing line, a lifeline for the sinking S.S. Anne and a net over a volcano, before it evolves twice in a single chapter to shield her from Lance. Elsewhere it gets the comedy roles: Toshihiro Ono's Ash calls his 'Felix the Cat-erpie', Shu needs a Caterpie costume to catch one in Yeah! I Got Pokémon!, and in Anakubo's Pocket Monsters Clefairy puts one out of action with a squirt of Repel. On the bookshelf, Scholastic's Team Rocket Blasts Off! remembers the day Ash's Caterpie tied up Ekans and Koffing, and Ron Zalme's How to Draw Pokémon teaches you to sketch one. Its singing career runs from the Pokérap to a moon-gazing Meowth song, a Christmas carol about the long road to Butterfree and, in 2026, a call-out in Pokémon All Stars 1025.
Manga
Books
Other media
More from the page
08Did you know?
Caterpie trivia
Name origins, design secrets and the facts that make Caterpie such a fan favourite.
What’s in a name?
Caterpie is simply 'caterpillar' with the end nibbled off. The same is true in Japanese, where キャタピー Kyatapī clips kyatapirā, the borrowed English word for caterpillar, and finishes with -pī, a cute, affectionate ending. Because the Japanese name was already English-flavoured, it barely needed changing: Caterpie is the name in English, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Korean alike. It nearly had a different one, though – during the making of Red and Green its English name was 'Catterp'.
Design origins
Caterpie is a caterpillar through and through – a 2003 Nintendo Dream interview confirms as much – and its colours point to one family in particular: the swallowtail butterflies. The larvae of the Asian swallowtail, the eastern tiger swallowtail and the spicebush swallowtail are green, wear yellow eyespots and hide a red, forked organ called an osmeterium that pops out to release a nasty smell; together, the eyespots and the forked 'tongue' help them pass for a small snake. The pointed tip of Caterpie's tail, meanwhile, echoes the horn on the rear of many hawk moth caterpillars. Whether those big round markings are real eyes or just eyespots has never quite been settled: the anime treats them as eyes, Pokémon Stadium calls them 'eye-like patterns', and in most games they never close, even when Caterpie is asleep – just like the painted-on eyes of its real-life models.
Names around the world
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キャタピー Kyatapī | From kyatapirā (caterpillar) and -pī, an affectionate suffix |
| French | Chenipan | From chenille (caterpillar) and chenapan (little rascal) |
| German | Raupy | From Raupe (caterpillar) |
| Spanish | Caterpie | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Italian | Caterpie | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Caterpie | Same as the English and Japanese name |
| Korean | 캐터피 Caterpie | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 綠毛蟲 / 绿毛虫 Lǜmáochóng | From lǜ (green) and máomáochóng (caterpillar) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 綠毛蟲 Luhkmòuhchùhng | From luhk (green) and mòuhmòuhchùhng (caterpillar) |
| Russian | Катерпи Katerpi | Transcription of the English and Japanese name |
| Thai | คาเตอร์ปี Khatoepi | Transcription of the Japanese name |
| Hindi | कैटरपी Caterpie | Transcription of the English and Japanese name |
| Hebrew | קטרפי Caterpy | Transcription of the English name |
| Bulgarian | Катерпи Katerpi | Transcription of the English and Japanese name |
| Lithuanian | Katerpis | From the English name |
Did you know?
- Caterpie is #0010 in the National Pokédex, which makes it the very first Bug-type on the list.
- It shares the Worm Pokémon category with Wurmple and Snom.
- Its base Sp. Def of 20 is the joint-lowest of any Pokémon, tied with Weedle, Magikarp, Igglybuff, Carvanha, Stonjourner and Attack Forme Deoxys.
- Caterpie, Weedle, Wurmple and Scatterbug are a club of look-alikes: all stand 0.3 m tall, have Shield Dust, grow at the Medium Fast rate and are based on larvae.
- Caterpie, Weedle and Wurmple all evolve at level 7 and again at level 10 – the earliest level-up evolutions in the series – and all have Run Away as their Hidden Ability.
- Until Platinum gave it Bug Bite, Caterpie's only options against a Ghost-type were String Shot and Struggle.
- Because Struggle couldn't hit Ghost-types in Generation I, and opposing Trainers' Pokémon never ran out of PP, nobody could finish Red, Blue or Yellow with only a Caterpie or Metapod.
- A Caterpie traded from Red or Blue into Gold, Silver or Crystal always arrives holding a Berry – but one from Yellow turns up empty-handed.
- During the development of Red and Green, Caterpie's English name was 'Catterp'.
- Caterpie was the first Pokémon Ash ever caught and the first to evolve in the anime.
- When Ash's Caterpie evolved in Ash Catches a Pokémon, the change into Metapod looked like a real caterpillar pupating; later anime evolutions of Caterpie use the usual glow of light.
- The anime coloured Caterpie's mouth yellow in its early episodes; it was finally painted green from Wings 'N' Things (EP177) onwards.
- Caterpie holds the record for evolving twice in the shortest time: a single episode of the anime, Butterfree and Me! (BW130), and a single chapter of Pokémon Adventures.
- In Pokémon Adventures, Yellow's Caterpie Kitty evolves all the way to Butterfree during her battle with Lance – she has no Pokédex to stop it.
- Pokémon Adventures reveals that Caterpie's favourite food is the Vermilion flower.
- In Pokémon Sleep, Caterpie sometimes drools strings of silk instead of saliva.
- For years, Pokémon GO players campaigned for a 'Cowboy Hat Caterpie'; GO Fest 2026 answered with a Caterpie in a Poké Ball hat instead.
09Quizzes, archive & further reading
More Caterpie
Test yourself
Professor Oak's Kanto Quiz: BeginnerProfessor Oak has a few questions before you set foot in the tall grass. How well do you know the region where it all began?Take the quiz →
Who's That Pokémon? Kanto: BeginnerIt's the classic challenge! Can you name these original 151 Pokémon from their silhouettes alone?Take the quiz →
Indigo League Anime: IntermediateGrab your cap and set off on Ash's very first adventure. How much do you remember from the Indigo League days?Take the quiz →Ash & Pikachu Anime: BeginnerFrom his first step out of Pallet Town to the top of the world, how well do you know Ash and Pikachu's legendary journey?Take the quiz →
Pokémon Horizons Anime: BeginnerAll aboard for a brand-new adventure! See how well you know Liko, Roy and the crew of Pokémon Horizons: The Series.Take the quiz →
Mewtwo Strikes Back: BeginnerThe film that brought Pokémon to cinemas everywhere! How well do you remember Pokémon: The First Movie?Take the quiz →From the archive: Gengar’s Online Pokédex
Before this page, Pokémon Dungeon was home to Gengar’s Online Pokédex, the classic fan Pokédex for Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver & Crystal by Curtis Alumbaugh (Gengar) with Ian Alumbaugh (Haunter). Its Caterpie entry is preserved in full, with its original art, moves and locations.
Further reading
Pokémon and all related names, artwork, sprites, screenshots and card images are © Nintendo, Creatures Inc., GAME FREAK inc. and The Pokémon Company, used here for fan commentary. Images via the Bulbagarden Archives. Page updated 24 October 2026.