Major appearances
Caterpie was the first Pokémon that Ash Ketchum caught in the wild, in Ash Catches a Pokémon. It evolved into Metapod in the same episode after a battle with Team Rocket, and then into Butterfree the following episode.
Caterpie also appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. It evolved into Metapod during a battle against Pinsir and later evolved into Butterfree after a battle against Primeape.
Other
Bucky owns a Caterpie as seen in The Dunsparce Deception, where he used it to compete in a race with Dunsparce but lost due to its slow speed.
A Caterpie appeared in Caterpie's Big Dilemma, under the ownership of Xander. It ate some of Dr. Gordon's enhanced Rare Candies and turned giant as a result. It eventually evolved into a Mothra-sized Butterfree.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in Butterfree and Me! on Wayfarer Island, where they evolved into Metapod. Ash befriended one Caterpie that had yet to evolve, which reminded Ash of his own Caterpie. As a result, he helped Caterpie evolve into Metapod and then into Butterfree.
Minor appearances
A Caterpie appeared in Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village. It was one of the Pokémon in Melanie's care. It reappeared in a flashback in Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!.
A Caterpie appeared in Electric Shock Showdown, under the ownership of an unnamed Trainer.
A Caterpie appeared in Battle Aboard the St. Anne, The Breeding Center Secret, Clefairy Tales, Mewtwo Strikes Back, Camp Pikachu, Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Destiny Deoxys, and One Team, Two Team, Red Team, Blue Team!.
A Caterpie appeared in Pokémon Fashion Flash as one of the Pokémon seen on Scissor Street.
A Pink Caterpie appeared in In the Pink, residing on the Pinkan Island.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in Tracey Gets Bugged, Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, and Coming Full-Festival Circle!.
Ralph and Emily were both shown, in a flashback, to have once owned one Caterpie each in Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?.
A Caterpie appeared in Illusion Confusion! as an illusion created by Haunter and Gengar.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in For Crying Out Loud, where they were accidentally wet by Wilhomena's Marill.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in Gettin' The Bugs Out, where they were residents of Azalea Gym. One Caterpie scared Misty by coming down the trees. Later on, they assisted in tying the Team Rocket trio up with silk.
A Caterpie appeared in The Bug Stops Here. Misty chased it away when it is talking with Togepi.
A Caterpie appeared in Carrying On! as one of the sick Pokémon in Way Away Island's Pokémon Center.
A Caterpie appeared in Jessie's fantasy in Wings 'N' Things.
A Caterpie was one of the inhabitants of an oasis just for Pokémon in Got Miltank?.
Multiple Caterpie appeared in For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!, where they protected the Tin Tower after Team Rocket stole the crystal bells on the top floor.
In Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution, Team Rocket's experiments made Pokémon feel sick, one being a Caterpie.
A Caterpie was used by one of the students of the Pokémon Trainers' School in Gonna Rule The School!.
A Caterpie appeared in Hi Ho Silver Wind!, under the ownership of a Coordinator.
A Caterpie appeared in One Big Happiny Family! in Jessie's fantasy.
A Caterpie appeared in Genesect and the Legend Awakened at Pokémon Hills.
A Caterpie appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!.
A Caterpie appeared in Lumiose City Pursuit!, Mega-Mega Meowth Madness!, Day Three Blockbusters!, and Battling With a Clean Slate! at Professor Sycamore's lab.
A Caterpie appeared in a flashback in Seeing the Forest for the Trees!.
A Caterpie appeared in Loading the Dex! as a silhouette that Rotom Pokédex brought up.
Two Caterpie appeared in Lillie's Egg-xhilarating Challenge!, where they were among the Pokémon playing in Lillie's garden. It appeared again in The Ol' Raise and Switch!.
A Caterpie appeared in Lulled to La-La Land! during a fantasy.
Multiple wild Caterpie appeared in Alola, Kanto!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in Now You See Them, Now You Don't!.
A Caterpie appeared in Tasting the Bitter with the Sweet!.
A Trainer's Caterpie appeared in The Power of Us.
Four Caterpie appeared in SM090, with three under the ownership of different Trainers and the fourth being wild. They joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its true form.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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AG142
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Caterpie
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May's Pokédex
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Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Caterpie uses the suction cups on its feet to climb trees and feed on its favorite leaves.
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Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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BW130
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Caterpie
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Ash's Pokédex
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Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. To repel enemies, Caterpie releases an unpleasant odor from its red antenna. It molts several times while growing.
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Red caught a Caterpie, which was registered in his Pokédex. It evolved into Metapod before his Gym battle with Brock.
Two Caterpie appeared in File 3: Giovanni caged in the Rocket Hideout and Silph Co. while Team Rocket was around.
A wild Caterpie appeared in Viridian Forest in The Adventure.
- Main article: Ash's Caterpie
Ash's Caterpie appears in the manga series The Electric Tale of Pikachu.
Caterpie is the second wild Pokémon that Ash captures in the manga. It was caught in Pikachu, I See You!. It evolves twice in Play Misty For Me—first into Metapod while Ash is showing off his Pokémon to Misty, and then into Butterfree during his Gym battle against Misty.
Ash is not shown releasing his Butterfree in the manga, although it is not seen after Haunting My Dreams.
- Main article: Kitty
Caterpie's first appearance is a cameo in Bulbasaur, Come Home! as one of the Pokémon that escapes from Professor Oak's Laboratory. It also makes a cameo in The Secret of Kangaskhan.
Another Caterpie appeared as a silhouette when Green explains about Mew in The Jynx Jinx.
Caterpie made its main appearance in As Gastly as Before. With the help of her fishing rod and Red's Pika, Yellow saved a Caterpie from its tree, which was targeted by a fire attack. Caterpie then followed Yellow to where she and Blue were training, next to the Rock Tunnel. It took Yellow a whole day to properly catch this Caterpie with a Poké Ball, but once she prevailed, Yellow welcomed Caterpie to her team and called it "Kitty". It then became one of Yellow's most useful Pokémon, whose string was commonly used to make floaters. However, in the battle against Lance, Yellow did not have a Pokédex, which she needed to stop her Pokémon from evolving, and so Kitty evolved into Metapod and then into Butterfree right afterwards.
A Caterpie was mentioned as one of the Pokémon Crystal had captured for Professor Oak in Three Cheers for Chikorita.
A Caterpie was one of the Pokémon Crystal fails to catch in Absolutely Azumarill.
A Caterpie appeared in The Last Battle XIII as one of the Pokémon sent to help the fight in Ilex Forest.
According to the Pokédex at the end of Volume 1, Red appears to have captured a Caterpie which evolved into a Metapod and then a Butterfree.
Shu has a Caterpie that he uses in various creative ways, mostly involving strange uses of its String Shot.
- Main article: Caterpie (Red and Blue Rescue Team)
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, Ginji saved a Caterpie from an attacking Ariados.
A Caterpie is seen with Green during the baseball match that took place in Fierce Competition at the Pokémon Baseball Tournament!.