Caterpie, Metapod, Butterfree

The original baby bug lines have arrived! Caterpie and Weedle would set the standard for easy-to-evolve, early game bugs you could level up quickly, and usually replace by the third gym or so. I always liked Caterpie’s look. It’s weirdly complicated, and I like the horn and big eyes and little exclamation point tail. It’s appropriately cute and pathetic looking for something that is supposed to be super low on the food chain.

I do like Metapod and its even more pathetic look. The sad, sleepy, almost resigned eyes speak loudly through this very alien looking chrysalis. Although I’ve had almost 30 years to get bored of the gimmick, it is really fucking funny to have TWO pokemon in the first generation who could only sit and take hits while desperately trying to make their shells strong enough to survive your assault. Metapod has a lot of charm.

Props to the monster designers for making a butterfly pokemon that exemplifies that feeling of looking closely at a beautiful butterfly to discover the body is creepy looking. Butterfree always felt like it should be Poison type, which is sort of maybe explained by the theory that it was supposed to be Venonat’s evolution. I always kinda forget about it, but every time I do look at it closely, I love the little squat body and tiny hands and big nose with fangs.

Gigantamax Butterfree looks even more poisonous, with the flaky scales raining down around it. I’m not in love with the design, but I like that Butterfree got some love so many years later.

I like this evolution line a decent amount, even if I regularly forget about them all these generations later.