What does Caterpie evolve into?

Caterpie becomes Metapod at level 7, then Butterfree at level 10. Straight three-stage line with no branching.

At what level does Caterpie evolve?

Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7. Early evolution, you'll hit it before the third gym in most games.

Should I use Caterpie?

For Crystal, you can run Caterpie through the first few routes without issues. 195 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Metapod as fast as you can.

Where can you catch Caterpie?

Caterpie is catchable in Crystal. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 18 other games across the series.

Caterpie - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Physical

Balanced

DTier

45Speed · Slow

Stats & Training

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 stat exp.

Base Stats

Low

HP45

Attack30

Defense35

Sp. Atk20

Sp. Def20

Speed45

Total195

Details

Catch Rate

Guaranteed255 / 255

Growth Rate

Medium Fast1M XP

Height0.3 m

Weight2.9 kg

Base XP39

Abilities

Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.

Shield Dust

Protects against incoming moves' extra effects.

Run AwayHA

Ensures success fleeing from wild battles.

EV Yield

HP+1AtkDefSpASpDSpe

HP training source

Pokedex Entries

It crawls into foliage where it camouflages itself among leaves that are the same color as its body.

Crystal

Caterpie Weakness

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

Caterpie Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
2x (Weak)	Fire, Flying, Rock
0.5x (Resist)	Grass, Fighting, Ground

Type ChartAvg

3Weak

3Resist

0Immune

Score-3

Gen II Type Chart

Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def

4xCritical

None

2xWeak

Fire Flying Rock

½xResist

Grass Fighting Ground

¼xResist

None

0xImmune

None

STAB (3)

Grass Psychic Dark

How to Beat Caterpie in Crystal (Best Counters)

Magby Fire	D
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Move Moves EmberLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Ember 2x 78-93% View Magby builds →
Natu PsychicFlying	D
Available Move Moves PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Peck 2x 44-53% View Natu builds →
Cyndaquil Fire	D
Obtain MethodNew Bark Town Gift Available Move Moves EmberLv. 12 Damage vs Caterpie Ember 2x 73-87% View Cyndaquil builds →
Spearow NormalFlying	D
Available Move Moves PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Peck 2x 49-60% View Spearow builds →
Hoothoot NormalFlying	D
Available Move Moves PeckLv. 11 Damage vs Caterpie Peck 2x 38-47% View Hoothoot builds →

Crystal Evolution

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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms

#010Caterpie

Level 7

#011Metapod

Level 10

#012Butterfree

Stat Comparison 3 Stages

Caterpie

Bug

Metapod

Bug

Butterfree

BugFlying

50+5

60+10

ATK

20-10

45+25

DEF

55+20

50-5

SP.ATK

25+5

90+65

SP.DEF

25+5

80+55

SPE

30-15

70+40

BST

195D-Tier

205D-Tier+10

395C-Tier+190

ROLE

Balanced

TYPE

Utility

Special

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed Caterpie easily with 23 breeding 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)

Crystal Caterpie Best Moveset

Best Build

Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).

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

Moves

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

D—9540Bug

Lv 1

Tackle

D409535Normal

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

Crystal Caterpie Locations

high spawn rates in early-game routes across 9 locations. Caterpie's one of the easier catches on the list. Two different catch methods are in play here. Knock it out fast and save your time for harder targets.

Best Locations to Catch Caterpie in Crystal

9 walking and headbutt spots from Lv. 3-18 for Caterpie. Sorted by game progression with rates on each row, so you can compare without scrolling through everything.

Route 24

Grass Lv.8-10 Route

60%Early

Morning/day

Route 30

Grass Lv.3-4 Route

50%Early

Morning/day

Route 2

Grass Lv.3 Route

30%Early

Morning/day

Route 31

Grass Lv.4 Route

30%Early

Morning/day

Ilex Forest

Grass Lv.5 Forest

30%Early

Morning/day

Route 25

Grass Lv.10 Route

30%Early

Morning/day

National Park - Bug Catching Contest

Grass Lv.7-18 Facility

20%Early

Ilex Forest

Headbutting special trees Lv.10 Forest

15%Early

National Park

Grass Lv.10 Facility

5%Early

Morning/day

Caterpie Guide

Caterpie becomes Metapod at level 7, then Butterfree at level 10. Straight three-stage line with no branching.
Caterpie evolves into Metapod at level 7. Early evolution, you'll hit it before the third gym in most games.
For Crystal, you can run Caterpie through the first few routes without issues. 195 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Metapod as fast as you can.
Caterpie is catchable in Crystal. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 18 other games across the series.

Game Availability

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.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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Cyndaquil Fire	D
Obtain MethodNew Bark Town Gift Upcoming Move Moves EmberLv. 12 Learns Ember at Level 12 View Cyndaquil builds →
Hoothoot NormalFlying	D
Upcoming Move Moves PeckLv. 11 Learns Peck at Level 11 View Hoothoot builds →
Pidgey NormalFlying	D
Upcoming Move Moves GustLv. 9 Learns Gust at Level 9 View Pidgey builds →
Zubat PoisonFlying	D
Upcoming Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 27 Learns Wing Attack at Level 27 View Zubat builds →
Ledyba BugFlying	D
Upcoming Move Moves View Ledyba builds →

Noctowl NormalFlying	C
Available Move Moves PeckLv. 11 Damage vs Caterpie Peck 2x 46-55% View Noctowl builds →
Magby Fire	D
Obtain MethodRoute 34 Gift Available Moves Moves Fire BlastTM38 Fire PunchTM48 EmberLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Fire Blast 2x 226-268%KO Fire Punch 2x 157-185%KO Ember 2x 86-102%KO View Magby builds →
Growlithe Fire	D
Available Moves Moves Fire BlastTM38 EmberLv. 9 Damage vs Caterpie Fire Blast 2x 226-268%KO Ember 2x 86-102%KO View Growlithe builds →
Pidgeotto NormalFlying	D
Available Move Moves GustLv. 9 Damage vs Caterpie Gust 2x 58-69% View Pidgeotto builds →
Natu PsychicFlying	D
Available Move Moves PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Peck 2x 46-55% View Natu builds →

Scyther BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 131-154%KO View Scyther builds →
Noctowl NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 11 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 108-127%KO Peck 2x 45-54% View Noctowl builds →
Fearow NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 167-196%KO Peck 2x 68-81% View Fearow builds →
Butterfree BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves GustLv. 28 Damage vs Caterpie Gust 2x 49-58% View Butterfree builds →
Golbat PoisonFlying	D
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 101-119%KO View Golbat builds →

Scyther BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 128-150%KO View Scyther builds →
Noctowl NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 11 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 105-124%KO Peck 2x 44-53% View Noctowl builds →
Fearow NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 163-191%KO Peck 2x 66-79% View Fearow builds →
Butterfree BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves GustLv. 28 Damage vs Caterpie Gust 2x 48-56% View Butterfree builds →
Golbat PoisonFlying	D
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 99-116%KO View Golbat builds →

Scyther BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 128-150%KO View Scyther builds →
Noctowl NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 11 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 105-124%KO Peck 2x 44-53% View Noctowl builds →
Fearow NormalFlying	C
Available Moves Moves FlyHM02 PeckLv. 1 Damage vs Caterpie Fly 2x 163-191%KO Peck 2x 66-79% View Fearow builds →
Butterfree BugFlying	C
Available Move Moves GustLv. 28 Damage vs Caterpie Gust 2x 48-56% View Butterfree builds →
Golbat PoisonFlying	D
Available Move Moves Wing AttackLv. 30 Damage vs Caterpie Wing Attack 2x 99-116%KO View Golbat builds →

Houndoom DarkFire	B
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves Fire Blast CrunchSTAB PursuitSTAB Sunny Day Damage vs Caterpie Fire Blast 2x 345-406%KO Crunch 126-148%KO Pursuit 63-74% View Houndoom builds →
Dragonite DragonFlying	B
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves Dynamic Punch Ice Beam Thunder Thunderbolt Damage vs Caterpie Ice Beam 87-102%KO Thunder 106-125%KO Thunderbolt 87-102%KO View Dragonite builds →
Rhydon GroundRock	B
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves Rock Slide EarthquakeSTAB RoarUtility CurseSetup Damage vs Caterpie Rock Slide 2x 195-230%KO Earthquake 65-77% View Rhydon builds →
Charizard FireFlying	B
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves Earthquake Fire Blast Belly Drum Rock Slide Damage vs Caterpie Earthquake 30-35% Fire Blast 2x 342-403%KO Rock Slide 2x 90-106%KO View Charizard builds →