Introduced in the original generation one, with the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Kakuna is a dual type bug and poison Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Weedle and into Beedrill when they reach the level thresholds. Kakuna is classified by the Pokedex as the “Cocoon Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Kakuna’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Kakuna.
About Kakuna
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, Kakuna first appeared in the Original Series of the anime in the episode Challenge of the Samurai. In this episode, multiple Kakuna were shown protecting their hive before they suddenly evolved into Beedrill. The Pokedex mentions that the inside of Kakuna’s shell is busy with evolution. The outside of its shell is hot to the touch when it is close to evolution.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: Challenge of the Samurai |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Red/Green (Japan) Pokemon Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Evolves from Weedle, evolves into Beedrill |
| 1st Evo level | 7 |
| 2nd Evo level | 10 |
| Pokedex Entry | Kakuna remains virtually immobile as it clings to a tree. However, on the inside, it is extremely busy as it prepares for its coming evolution. This is evident from how hot the shell becomes to the touch. |
Kakuna Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 25 |
| DEFENCE | 50 |
| SP. ATTACK | 25 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 25 |
| SPEED | 35 |
| TOTAL | 205 |
Appearance
Kakuna is a small yellow Pokemon that resembles a caterpillar’s cocoon. Most of its body is yellow and armored. It has two black eyes with white pupils, but no other discernible body parts. Kakuna’s body is shelled and armored for it to rest for its next evolution. There is a small poison barb that it can extend out if it is threatened by predators. Kakuna is a small Pokemon at only 2 feet, or 0.6 meters, tall.
Behavior
In the wild, the presence of multiple Kakuna can be bothersome. Hives of Beedrill will protect their fellow pre-evolutions making them a pest in many areas of the Pokemon universe. Kakuna themselves are harmless as they tend to stay in one spot while they prepare for evolution. Its hard shell makes it difficult to bother and it is often found close to the safety of its hive. The Pokedex mentions to be careful around tall trees as Kakuna can be plentiful nearby. They can extend a poison barb if they are threatened or stepped on.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Kakuna has woefully weak base stats and a movepool that makes it harmless. It is easy to predict what a Kakuna can do as it is only capable of learning 5 different moves. Kakuna will typically raise its physical attack, so try to use special attacking moves against Kakuna to prevent a prolonged battle. As a dual type bug and poison Pokemon, Kakuna takes 2x damage from flying, rock, fire, and psychic type moves. It has no immunities but will resist fighting, poison, bug, grass, and fairy type moves.
Best Moveset
There is little reason to consider using Kakuna in competitive play as it is far too weak to consider it for any role on your team. Instead, it is better to focus on using its final evolution, Beedrill. With a Life Orb, as a held item, or through its mega evolution, Beedrill can function as an aggressive offensive Pokemon. Consider running Swords Dance, X-Scissor, Brick Break, and Baton Pass/Poison Jab. This set is aimed at scaling Beedrill’s high physical attack and eventually sweeping your opponent’s team. Baton Pass can be considered if you want another aggressive Pokemon in the reserve. Otherwise, Poison Jab will function as another aggressive move for Beedrill to take advantage of.
| Swords Dance | X-Scissor |
| Brick Break | Baton Pass/Poison Jab |
How to Catch Kakuna in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Kakuna in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Weedle and eventually evolve it into Kakuna. Like most evolved Pokemon, its base evolution is much more common to encounter. You can find Weedle spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near farms, forests, woodlands, gardens, parks, and other grassy areas. Weedle can also be hatched from 5 km eggs but while Weedle and Kakuna have not appeared as raid bosses in the past, Beedrill has been a tier four raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve Weedle into a Kakuna, it will take 12 candies. Evolving Kakuna into Beedrill will take 50 candies and 100 Mega Energy to evolve Beedrill into Mega Beedrill.
Trivia
- Kakuna shares its Pokedex classification with Metapod, Silcoon, and Cascoon as the “Cocoon Pokemon”. They all share the same base stat total, movepool, and EV yields.
- The inspiration for Kakuna’s design is likely based on the pupal stage of a bee or wasp.
- The name Kakuna is a corruption of the word cocoon.
FAQ
What is Kakuna?
Kakuna is meant to resemble the cocoon that you can see caterpillars or wasps go through during metamorphosis. This is the stage before it turns from a worm-like larva into a flying butterfly or wasp. Since Kakuna’s evolution line more closely resembles bees or wasps, it is likely meant to resemble the same in real-life.
Is Kakuna worth catching?
Weedle and Kakuna are fairly weak even for early-game standards. However, Kakuna will evolve into a fast offensive Pokemon, which can help you through the early phases of the game. Investing into a Beedrill is worth it as long as you are within the early stages of the game. If not, it is better to skip Kakuna.
What does Kakuna evolve into?
Kakuna is the second evolution of its three stage evolution line. It evolves into Beedrill at level 10 and evolves from Weedle at level 7. There are no special conditions to fulfill with this Pokemon’s evolution line and it will begin to evolve naturally once it reaches the level thresholds. After you have obtained a Beedrill, you have finished the Pokemon’s evolution line and can move on to collecting other Pokemon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Cocoon Pokemon”. While Kakuna is not a powerful Pokemon by any means, it does evolve into an aggressive bug type Pokemon. Kakuna is meant to evolve early with little investment. With a little time, Kakuna can evolve into Beedrill to sweep opposing teams. Reserve a slot on your team for Kakuna if you eventually want an aggressive bug and poison type Pokemon.
