Caterpie sits at the start of its evolution line — not yet at full power, but that changes fast. Most trainers push through to Butterfree as fast as possible. An original Gen 1 pick. Only weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock.
An unusually even spread gives Caterpie flexibility. HP barely edges ahead. But Sp. Atk isn't far off. Easy to catch and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve. Yields 1 HP EV.
Its voracious appetite compels it to devour leaves bigger than itself without hesitation. It releases a terribly strong odor from its antennae.
Caterpie Weakness
AvgType-wise, Caterpie takes extra damage from Fire, Flying, and Rock. Standard number of weaknesses for the Bug typing.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Three stages ahead. Caterpie grows into Metapod, then pushes on to Butterfree. Check the evolution methods below. For breeding, quick to hatch with a decent partner pool via one egg group. Evolving adds up to 200 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Caterpie easily with 37 breeding partners from the Bug egg group.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Not a lot to pick from. Caterpie gets Bug STAB for same-type damage, and Normal coverage rounds things out. You're building around what's available rather than choosing from a deep bench.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Caterpie can't be caught in Emerald. Bring it over from Red, Yellow, or FireRed instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Caterpie is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Catch in the wild in:
Then trade to Emerald.
Also found in:
Caterpie is meant to evolve into Metapod. At 195 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Caterpie's biggest threats include Charizard (Fire), Aerodactyl (Flying), and Golem (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.
Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7. Caterpie is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Shield Dust is the go-to ability for Caterpie. It protects against incoming moves' extra effects. Its hidden ability Run Away can work in specific setups.
Base 45 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Caterpie is leaning toward the physical side (base 30 Attack). Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Caterpie appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
One of the original 151, Caterpie has appeared in 19 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A