Butterfree
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Butterfree | |
|---|---|
 National Metapod - Butterfree (#012) - Weedle Johto Metapod - Butterfree (#026) - Weedle |
|
| Japanese name | バタフリー Batafurī. |
| Stage | Stage 2 |
| Evolves from | Metapod |
| Evolves to | None |
| Generation | First |
| Species | Butterfly Pokémon |
| Type | Bug / Flying |
| Height | 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) |
| Weight | 70.5 lb (32.0 kg) |
| Ability | Compoundeyes |
Butterfree (バタフリー Batafurī?) is one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon in the Pokémon franchise (a series of video games, anime, manga, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri).
Butterfree’s name is probably a combination of butterfly and free, but may also be related to its Japanese name, バタフリー Batafurī.
Butterfree is not to be confused with Beautifly, a similar butterfly Pokémon indigenous to a different region.
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[edit] Characteristics
Butterfree is an attractive butterfly Pokémon with large red eyes, a dark purple body, two hands, and two feet (instead of the six legs real butterflies have). Its white wings are covered with a toxic dust, which also makes them water repellant. This lets it fly in even heavy rains, something that many real insects and other Bug-type Pokémon cannot do (see Masquerain).
In battle, it flaps its wings at high speeds to release the dust into the air, weakening the opponent with a variety of ailments so that Butterfree can either flee or continue the battle with an advantage. Butterfree also has a rather startling ability to use moderate telekinetic and telepathic powers.
Butterfree feeds by collecting honey every day, flying from flower to flower, and rubbing the honey onto the hairs on on its legs to take back to its nest. It is capable of sighting blooming flowers as far as six miles away from the nest.
In the new Diamond and Pearl versions of the game, female Butterfree have an extra black marking on each of their lower wings.
In the anime Butterfree have a mating season just about when summer is about to end. Each Butterfree must find a mate and cross the sea so they can lay their eggs. Some trainers free their Butterfree so they can lay eggs.
[edit] In the Pokémon video games
In the first four Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green (Japan and China only) versions, Butter free is only obtainable through evolving it from a Metapod found in the Viridian Forests. Obtaining it is the same way in the later FireRed and LeafGreen versions.
It is available in the National Park in Gold, Silver, and Crystal during the contest as well.
Butterfree are not generally found in the wild, appearing only in a few locations within the Johto region. Otherwise, Butterfree must be evolved from Caterpie or Metapod. In Pokémon XD, a Shadow Butterfree can be snagged from Cipher Peon Targ. It is one of only five evolved Pokémon to reach its final form as early as level 10 (with the others being Beedrill, Beautifly, Dustox and Korotokku), and is therefore an invaluable part of most early teams in-game.
Butterfree is vulnerable to Rock, Fire, Flying, Electric, Ice (and, in Pokémon Red and Blue, Poison) attacks, and strong against Grass-, Ground-, Bug- and Fighting-type Pokémon. Because of its dual Bug-type and Flying-type, it is extremely weak to Rock-type attacks, but also has an extremely high degree of resistance to Grass-type and Fighting-type attacks.
Because of its Compound Eyes ability, naturally learned moves such as Sleep Powder and Stun Spore all have a 97.5% accuracy rate. This makes it the 2nd most accurate sleeper in the game, with only breloom and parasect having the 100% accurate spore. It has a decent speed, but very low survivability, and the only way to really take anything down with it is to sleep something. Butterfree also appears in the Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap, flitting around the Beach area.
[edit] In the Pokémon anime
In episode four, “Challenge of the Samurai”, Ash’s Metapod evolved into a Butterfree, and by the end of the episode, Butterfree saves Ash and his friends from a swarm of Beedrill with its powerful Sleep Powder. Ash used Butterfree in battle quite often, particularly taking advantage of its status-affecting powders. In episode 20, “Bye Bye Butterfree”, Ash’s Butterfree fell in love with a pink wild Butterfree during the Butterfree mating season. Trying to act in its best interests, Ash released his Butterfree. A popular rumor suggests that the Japanese episode revealed that Butterfree dies after mating and 4Kids simply cut this from English version, the actual fate of both Butterfree, however, is unknown. To counter this, Ash's Butterfree, and its mate, appear in one of the Japanese openings for the Battle Frontier season "Spurt".
In Pokemon: Mewtwo Returns, a flock of Butterfrees took part in a combat against Team Rocket when they were attempting to establish a new hideout for Giovanni on top of MT. Kaima in the Johto region.
The pink Butterfree in “Bye Bye Butterfree” was the first unusually-colored Pokémon featured in the anime, long before this was a feature of the games, and some believe that shiny Pokémon may have been inspired by this appearance. The fact that shiny Butterfree are pink seems to support this, although, unlike the games, this Butterfree’s eyes, mouth, and limbs retained their normal colors and its body was pink.
On Valencia island, Brock mentions to Professor Ivy that Butterfree like sweet-tasting food. Also in the Orange Islands, Ash and his friends discover Butterfree with different wing-patterns; they are told that this is indicative of climate and other environmental factors, and Butterfree experts can identify where in the world and even where in the Orange Islands a Butterfree is from by looking at its wings.
Also, a Butterfree belongs to Saroi, one of May's rivals.
In the Battle Frontier episode, "May VS Drew! Rivals Forever!", Drew appears with a Butterfree in a battle with his Roselia against May's Combusken and Beautifly, which he wins, with Butterfree's Psychic attacks and its Solar Beam.
[edit] In other media
In the Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu! manga, which loosely parallels the storyline of the anime, Ash’s Metapod evolved into Butterfree during his battle with Misty. Ash used Butterfree a few more times before it stopped appearing with no explanation given. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Yellow was reluctant to let her Caterpie evolve, but it finally did so, rapidly becoming first Metapod and then Butterfree, to help in the showdown with Lance.
There are six distinct Butterfree cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, two more than either Caterpie or Metapod. Specifically, it appears in Jungle (included in Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection), Southern Islands, Neo Discovery, Pokémon *VS (as Bugsy’s Butterfree, a basic Pokémon), Expedition, EX FireRed & LeafGreen, and EX Deoxys. Like other Stage 2 Pokémon, Butterfree is much less common (and therefore more valuabe) than its Basic and Stage 1 forms.
According to an episode of "Norm", Norm MacDonald has a Butterfree and battles with a kid who thinks he's Ash Ketchum.
[edit] References
- The following games and their instruction manuals: Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue; Pokémon Yellow; Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2; Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen; Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Publications
- Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
- Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Snap Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 1999. ASIN B000CDZP9G
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
- Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
- Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., September 22 2005. ISBN 1-59812-002-6
- Manga volumes
- Ono, Toshihiro. Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu! Graphic Novel. VIZ Media LLC, September 9 1999. ISBN 1-56931-378-4
- Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. Pokémon Adventures, Volume 7: The Yellow Caballero: The Pokémon Elite. VIZ Media LLC, January 2003. ISBN 1-56931-851-4
[edit] External links
- Official Pokémon website
- Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Butterfree as a species
- Bulbapedia’s article about Ash’s Butterfree
- Serebii.net’s 4th Gen Pokédex entry for Butterfree
- Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex entry, full of statistics analysis
- PsyPoke Pokédex entry
- PokeRealm Pokemon Battle Analysis
- WikiKnowledge.net’s entry for Butterfree Previously hosted by Wikibooks
