Utility
Balanced
205Low
30Very Slow
DTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Metapod rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Butterfree, which is where the real potential kicks in. Part of the Gen 1 roster. Only weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock.

Nothing fancy in Metapod's spread. It leans mixed with Defense out front. And you'll get 2 Defense EVs per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
205Below
HP50
D
Attack20
F
Defense55
D
Sp. Atk25
F
Sp. Def25
F
Speed30
F
Total205
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Metapod yields +2 Def
HPAtkDef+2SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch120Moderate•Medium Fast1M XP•0.7m / 2'04"•9.9kg / 21.8 lbs•72Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Even though it is encased in a sturdy shell, the body inside is tender. It can’t withstand a harsh attack.

Fire Red

This POKéMON is vulnerable to attack while its shell is soft, exposing its weak and tender body.

Leaf Green

Metapod Weakness

Avg

Metapod's Bug typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Flying, and Rock moves. Metapod's physical bulk (base 55 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Gen III Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
FireFlyingRock
½xResisti
GrassFightingGround
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (3)i
GrassPsychicDark
3Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-3
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Shed SkinHas a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn.

Metapod sits between Caterpie and Butterfree in this three-stage line. Not the final form yet. For breeding, quick to hatch with a decent partner pool via one egg group. So far, Defense got the biggest boost (+20 from Caterpie). The final form adds another 190 stats on top.

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
Very Easy

Breed with Metapod to get Caterpie eggs easily using 37 partners from the Bug egg group.

Egg Groups
Bug
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
15 cycles·3,855 steps
Quick~4 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
flygonmasquerainvolbeatillumiseparasectvibravaparastrapinchsurskitshuckleforretressvenomoth
12 of 37·

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

A compact toolkit overall. The offense runs through Bug STAB for Metapod, with Normal coverage doing what it can. Don't expect versatility from this one.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Harden
——30Normal
Lv 7
Harden
——30Normal

TM Moves

Metapod can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Metapod doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Metapod can't learn any Tutor moves

Reminder Moves

Src
Rem
String Shot
—9540Bug
Rem
Tackle
409535Normal

Metapod starts showing up in early-game routes at decent spawn rates across 8 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.

Where To Catch Metapod in FireRed & LeafGreen

Caterpie is your first catch on the way to Metapod. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 3-9 across 18 total spots in the chain.

  1. Caterpie
    Step 1Catch Caterpie
    Viridian Forest
    LeafGreenGrassLv.3-5CommonEarlyForest
    EFFORTLESS
    Viridian Forest
    FireRedGrassLv.3-5CommonEarlyForest
    EFFORTLESS
    Pattern Bush
    FireRedGrassLv.6UncommonEarly
    EASY
    Pattern Bush
    LeafGreenGrassLv.6UncommonEarly
    EASY
    Route 24
    LeafGreenGrassLv.7UncommonEarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 24
    FireRedGrassLv.7UncommonEarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 25
    LeafGreenGrassLv.8UncommonEarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 25
    FireRedGrassLv.8UncommonEarlyRoute
    EASY
    Route 2
    FireRedGrassLv.4-5RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 2
    LeafGreenGrassLv.4-5RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
  2. Metapod
    Step 2Metapod ✓
    Viridian Forest
    LeafGreenGrassLv.4-6UncommonEarlyForest
    EASY
    Pattern Bush
    LeafGreenGrassLv.9UncommonEarly
    EASY
    Viridian Forest
    FireRedGrassLv.5RareEarlyForest
    CHALLENGING
    Route 24
    FireRedGrassLv.8RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 24
    LeafGreenGrassLv.8RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Pattern Bush
    FireRedGrassLv.9RareEarly
    CHALLENGING
    Route 25
    LeafGreenGrassLv.9RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    Route 25
    FireRedGrassLv.9RareEarlyRoute
    CHALLENGING
    or evolve from Caterpie (Step 1)

  • At 205 BST, Metapod is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Butterfree before bringing it to any serious fight.

  • Watch for Arcanine (Fire), Dodrio (Flying), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Metapod. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. At base 30 Speed, Metapod won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7. Metapod evolves into Butterfree at level 10. Metapod is a middle-stage evolution in the Caterpie line.

  • Shed Skin has a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn — that's the one you want on Metapod. It's the only ability Metapod has.

  • Metapod is leaning toward the special side (base 25 Sp. Atk). Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 30 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

  • Metapod appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Present since Red & Blue, Metapod appears in 19 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Metapod have the longest track record of availability in the series.