Metapod

Metapod in the anime

Ash caught a Caterpie that evolved into Metapod in Ash Catches a Pokémon, marking the species' debut, and it evolved into Butterfree in Challenge of the Samurai after a horde of Beedrill attacked. In that same episode a Samurai's Metapod fought Ash's Metapod for hours, since both only knew Harden. Bugsy also used a Metapod that could fight back with Tackle during his Azalea Gym battle with Ash. In Butterfree and Me!, a Metapod that Ash had befriended as a Caterpie evolved into a Butterfree on Wayfarer Island.

Metapod on cards

Metapod's first card came from 1999 Base Set, illustrated by Ken Sugimori, with a Base Set 2 printing the following year. Later printings moved between illustrators across eras, including Sumiyoshi Kizuki's Neo Discovery card, kawayoo's Flashfire and Generations printings, and Ken Sugimori's return for the 2016 Evolutions set. Shibuzoh. illustrated the Hidden Fates printing, and the 151 and Journey Together commons carried Metapod into the Scarlet & Violet era.

Cards to know

• Metapod (Base Set #54)

  Metapod's first card, a 1999 Base Set Common illustrated by Ken Sugimori.

• Metapod (Flashfire #2)

  Flashfire's Uncommon Metapod, illustrated by kawayoo, who returned for the Generations printing two years later.

• Metapod (Evolutions #4)

  The 2016 Evolutions printing brought Ken Sugimori back to illustrate Metapod.

• Metapod (151 #011)

  151's Metapod gave the species a modern Scarlet & Violet era Common in 2023.