#10 - #12: Caterpie, Metapod & Butterfree

Caterpie and Metapod.

I would like to start this review with saying that Caterpie was the first of the mandatory caterpillar-cocoon-butterfly evolution lines every generation, but I'd be lying if I did that: the second and fourth generation don't have such evolution lines. Neither does the fifth generation, strictly speaking, because Leavanny and Scolipede certainly aren't butterflies...

That is not to say, however, that Caterpie wasn't the first of many such evolution lines to come, the other ones being Weedle in Gen. I (in fact, Weedle and its evolutions will be reviewed right after Butterfree), Wurmple and its split evolutions in Gen. III, Sewaddle and Venipede in Gen. V and Scatterbug in Gen. VI. As for Caterpie, I can safely say that this Pokémon is nothing short of unexciting, to say the least. The only characteristic worth mentioning is that its antenna emits a horrible stench, which is something the larvae of papilio xuthus (Asian swallowtail) and papilio troilus (spicebush swallowtail) can do as well. It doesn't help that Caterpie looks exactly like those larvae. It evolves into Metapod early though, at level 7, just like all of the above-mentioned caterpillar Pokémon, with the exception of Sewaddle and Venipede from the fifth generation. No, Caterpie is extremely uneventful, utterly boring and ultimately forgettable indeed, but Metapod is where it gets interesting. Don't get too excited though, because Metapod isn't that fascinating.

The epic Metapod vs. Metapod battle in "Challenge of the
Samurai"; season 1, episode 4. 

However, there is one thing about Metapod that I will always remember: the epic battle of the two Metapod in "Challenge of the Samurai", the fourth episode of the Pokémon anime series. You all remember that samurai guy challenging Ash to a battle, right? Well, they both sent out their Metapod and all those Metapod could do was use Harden. I was eight years old when I saw that for the first time. Knowing that Pokémon was all about 'harsh' battles like the ones I saw in the previous episodes, this Metapod battle was so ridiculous to me that at first I looked at the screen with my dumbest stare for a few seconds and then started laughing. I couldn't stop with that for about five minutes, with some intervals here and there; my mom probably thought I had gone crazy or something. Well, the excitement of what has become the most boring as well as the most epic Pokémon battle in all existence didn't last long anyway, because Ash's Metapod evolved into Butterfree in that very same episode.

Ash's Butterfree (left) trying to impress the pink Butterfree
(right) with its colorful scarf during mating season.

Now, Butterfree is where things get moderestly interesting. An sich, Butterfree is not such a strong Pokémon and it isn't often used in the competitive scene. For in-game purposes, Butterfree is a decent Pokémon to use: its special attack got a boost in the sixth generation and it is capable of learning some very good special moves, such as Bug Buzz, Psychic, Shadow Ball and Energy Ball, along with Quiver Dance to give its special attack, special defense and speed a boost. You can even teach it Dream Eater if you want to play the Compound Eyes/Sleep Powder/Dream Eater combo (you might not want to bother with that though, as the TM for Dream Eater is only available post-game). So what is it that we'll all remember Butterfree for? Well... the anime, of course. And yet again it's Ash's Butterfree I'm talking about. In the 21st episode of the anime, "Bye-Bye Butterfree", Ash and his company come across the Butterfree mating season and Ash lets his own Butterfree try to find a mate. It's the pink Butterfree (which is not the official shiny form of Butterfree, mind you) Ash's Butterfree falls for. After some failed attempts to impress her, Team Rocket attacks and they are ultimately stopped by... right, Butterfree. Needless to say that Pinkie is impressed by Ash's Butterfree now, and Ash releases his Pokémon after an emotional good-bye.

It is that emotional good-bye that we'll always remember, but in the end, Butterfree isn't all that unforgettable. It's a decent Pokémon all around: its design is decent, its stats are decent and it's usable in a playthrough, but there is nothing about it that makes me want to love it. I don't hate it either, though; I like it well enough for a passing grade!

Rating: 3.5/5