Utility
Balanced
195Low
45Very Slow
DTier

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, Poison, 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.

Base Stats
195Low
HP45
D
Attack30
F
Defense35
F
Sp. Atk20
F
Sp. Def20
F
Speed45
D
Total195
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Caterpie yields +1 HP
HP+1AtkDefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch255Guaranteed•Medium Fast1M XP•0.3m / 1'00"•2.9kg / 6.4 lbs•39Base XP
Pokedex Entries

If you touch the feeler on top of its head, it will release a horrible stink to protect itself.

Yellow

Caterpie Weakness

Vulnerable

Type-wise, Caterpie takes extra damage from Fire, Poison, Flying, and Rock. Standard number of weaknesses for the Bug typing.

Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
FirePoisonFlyingRock
½xResisti
GrassFightingGround
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (2)i
GrassPoison
4Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-5
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Shield DustProtects against incoming moves' extra effects.
Run AwayHAEnsures success fleeing from wild battles.

Caterpie starts a line toward Butterfree. Can't breed this Bug type (195 stats), so keep the evolution path going. Evolving adds up to 200 stat points total.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Caterpie
#010Caterpie
7
Level 7
Metapod
#011Metapod
10
Level 10
Butterfree
#012Butterfree
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Caterpie
Bug
Metapod
Bug
Butterfree
BugFlying
HP
45
50+5
60+10
ATK
30
20-10
45+25
DEF
35
55+20
50-5
SP.ATK
20
25+5
90+65
SP.DEF
20
25+5
80+55
SPE
45
30-15
70+40
BST
195D-Tier
205D-Tier+10
395C-Tier+190
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Special
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Best Build

Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).

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

Lv 1
String Shot
—9540Bug
Lv 1
Tackle
409535Normal

TM Moves

Caterpie can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Caterpie doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Caterpie can't learn any Tutor moves

Caterpie is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 1 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.

Best Locations

Viridian Forest
GrassLv.3-6CommonEarlyForest
EFFORTLESS

  • 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), Nidoking (Poison), and Dodrio (Flying), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Rock-type attackers are also a problem.

  • Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7. Caterpie is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • 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.