One Pokémon theory suggests that the evolutions of Metapod and Venonat, Butterfree and Venomoth respectively, might have been incorrectly mixed up. Fans have made distinct connections between the final evolutions of these Pokémon and their respective prior forms, causing many to speculate that Game Freak or Nintendo may have let a mistake slip through during the creation of these evolutionary families.
The Caterpie-Metapod-Butterfree and Venonat-Venomoth evolutions were both introduced in Generation I of the Pokémon franchise, seeing their debut in Pokémon Red & Blue. Both of these Bug-Type Pokémon can be found quite early in-game and often inhabit similar routes in the games. It’s quite possible that an error occurred during production, leading to a mix up in each Pokémon’s respective final evolutions. As it is not unheard of for Pokémon fan theories to be proven correct, such a scenario having occurred could be true.
Those who stand by the theory that such an error occurred, often cite the striking similarities between Venonat and Butterfree in comparison to Metapod and Venomoth. According to GamesRadar, many of these common points can be seen when comparing the different eye types and head features of all the respective Pokémon. Venonat and Butterfree both have big, red, compound eyes and feature mouths, antennae, feet, and clawed-hands which resemble each other quite closely. Between Caterpie, Metapod, and Venomoth, the similarities can be a little harder to locate.
All three Pokémon sport some form of head feature: Caterpie has a V-like structure on its forehead that then diminishes into a single point when evolving into Metapod, and then turns into three prongs. Caterpie’s distinct red protrusion is often attributed to the Swallowtail butterfly’s caterpillar, the butterfly off of which Venomoth derives its wing design. All Pokémon in Caterpie’s evolutionary family feature segmented bodies except for Butterfree, a detail which can be seen on the body of Venomoth. The last detail can be found in the style of eye. Caterpie and Metapod feature eyes which have a very distinct separation between their sclera and pupil, similar to Venomoth’s own eyes. However, as mentioned previously, Butterfree features compound eyes which resemble Venonat much more closely than the counterparts in its canonical evolutionary family.
The fans who stand by this theory claim that, during the production of Pokémon Red and Blue, the editors made a mistake and accidentally switched up the sprites of Butterfree and Venomoth. Unfortunately, this mistake was not noticed until after release, which led to it being left in the game. Others claim that since one of Ash’s first Pokémon in the Pokémon television series was a Caterpie, creators didn’t want him to have an “ugly Pokémon.” As such, Game Freak may have opted to replace Caterpie’s final evolution with Butterfree instead of Venonat, as the design was believed to appeal better to audiences.
It is, however, not unheard of for Pokémon to gain or lose traits as they evolve or have evolutions that don’t resemble one of their previous forms. Another Bug-Type Pokémon from Generation I, Weedle, looks nothing like it’s final evolution, Beedrill. That does not necessarily mean that somewhere down the line Weedle’s final evolution was replaced with a different Pokémon. Even so, there is a reason why many feel this theory is compelling, especially with the blatant evidence that can be seen between the two evolutionary lines and their respective final forms. This has led to many fans continuing to question exactly where along the line Pokémon got Venonat and Metapod’s evolutions mixed up.
Source: GamesRadar
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