POCKET MYTH Pokedex entry No.010 Caterpie

Type: Bug. Category: Worm Pokémon. Height: 0.3 m | Weight: 2.9 kg.

Abilities

• Shield Dust: when attacked, a 30% chance to inflict one of burn, paralysis or poison on the opponent
• Hidden ability Run Away: a 100% escape success rate in wild battles

Form and ecology

Caterpie is the most common Bug-type Pokémon in the Kanto region, entirely emerald green with golden ring patterns dotted across its back. The Y-shaped red antenna on its head releases a special pheromone that deters bird predators, and its belly carries 10 pairs of sucker-like feet that let it crawl up vertical rock faces.

Special physiology:

• Eats more than 100 leaves a day and can grow to 300% of its starting weight
• When in danger it sprays String Shot from its mouth, with strength comparable to Kevlar fibre, and completes a cocoon binding within 3 seconds
• Tail spiracles release a lemon-scented gas to mark territory (a Pokédex entry added in Scarlet and Violet)

Evolution line and life cycle

Caterpie Lv. 7 -> Metapod Lv. 10 -> Butterfree.

Metapod stage

• Loses the ability to move, and its Defense base stat jumps to 55
• Can only use Harden (Defense +1 stage) and Tackle

Butterfree evolution

• The scales on its wings contain hallucinogenic toxins, and it learns Confusion and Sleep Powder
• It flies at 10 m/s and expands its range to 40 square kilometres

Habitat and survival strategy

Distribution:

• Viridian Forest (Kanto) and Santalune Forest (Kalos): appearance rate above 60%
• Activity rises 300% on rainy days (its shell prevents water loss)

Dealing with predators:

• Mimics a leaf to hide from Pidgeotto (its body colour darkens with the environment)
• In groups they spin silk together to build a string barrier against Spearow