Weedle is relatively rare on Route 2, with a 5% encounter chance. Weedle is very common in the Viridian Forest, with a 40% encounter rate. Kakuna has either a 5% or a 10% encounter rate in Viridian Forest, depending on which version you’re playing (5% for LG, 10% for FR). Weedle has a 20% encounter rate on Route 24 and Route 25. Kakuna has a 4% encounter rate on Routes 24 and 25 in FR and a 1% encounter rate on the same routes in LG.
Why are you doing this to yourself? Sludge Bomb, Brick Break, and Twineedle make this marginally useful, but you really have better Pokemon to give Sludge Bomb and Brick Break, especially since the TM for Sludge Bomb doesn’t come until after the Elite Four have been beaten. 65 HP/80 Sp. Def are not going to do you any favors against Psychics (who are super-effective against Bug/Poison types), 40 Defense will result in rapid KOs against any physical attackers, and 75 Speed is just not enough for a glass cannon, particularly in late-game. While this line had situational value in Gen 1, Poison now resisting Bug takes away the possibility of sweeping Celadon Gym and much of Pokemon Tower. You can use it if you want, but prepare to make a new addition to your roster of the dead. While Beedrill may look cooler than Butterfree, its usefulness in battle is significantly less, as it lacks the useful ability and wide array of status moves that Butterfree packs. Beedrill is useful in the early stages of the game, when most opponents use low-leveled, unevolved Pokémon, but you’ll start to notice its power diminishing around the 4th or 5th gym. If you want to minimize your death count, it’s best to replace Beedrill with something more useful before you grow too attached to it.
Rival (Route 22, optional): Neither Weedle nor Kakuna is a great choice for this battle. While you might want to try your luck by spamming Poison Sting and hoping that the 30% chance to poison will kick in, keep in mind that Weedle/Kakuna are quite frail and will easily die to most strong attacks. Keep it away from Pidgey (Gust) and Charmander (Ember). However, against Squirtle, you can probably use Kakuna to do something similar to Toxic Stall, since its best move is the pathetic 20 base power Bubble. Against Bulbasaur, it is possible to use Weedle/Kakuna, but by that time you probably have a Flying-type to help you out. Bulbasaur’s Leech Seed may also be an issue.
Gym #1 - Brock (Pewter City, Rock-type): No. You might be able to kill Geodude slowly by poisoning it with Poison Sting, but Onix will take away way too much of your health with STAB super-effective Rock Tomb, and you’ll definitely be better off using either your starter, a Sleep Powder and Confusion-packing Butterfree, or a Mankey, if you’re lucky enough to have one of the latter two.
Rival (Cerulean City): Beedrill can be easily killed by the Rival’s Charmander and underleveled Pidgeotto, so you should keep it away from these two Pokémon. It can kill the Rival’s Abra, but any Pokemon that knows a damage-dealing move can do this. It fares well against Squirtle and Bulbasaur, especially since it doubly resists Bulbasaur’s Vine Whip; however, as Bulbasaur is immune to being poisoned, you can’t do much back to it. Against Rattata, you should probably steer clear unless you’re feeling really lucky with Fury Attack. Also, don’t poison it, since it has Guts.
Gym #2 - Misty (Cerulean City, Water-type): Beedrill should only really be used in this Gym if it’s already reached level 20 and learned Twineedle. Against Staryu, you can probably score a 2HKO with Twineedle. The same should hold true for Starmie, as though Starmie is bulkier, it is weak to your Bug-type STAB in Twineedle. Be careful of Water Pulse, though; Beedrill is notoriously frail, and Starmie is quite powerful, so a critical Water Pulse may be able to kill you if you’re underleveled.
Rival (S.S. Anne): Beedrill is still easily killed by Charmeleon or Pidgeotto, and is now in danger due to Raticate’s dangerous Hyper Fang. Wartortle can be handled by Twineedle, which could possibly be a 3HKO (just an estimate). Ivysaur is thankfully limited to Tackle and Leech Seed, so Beedrill can wall it pretty handily and retaliate with STAB Twineedle. Be careful against Kadabra, though. You’re super-effective against it, but it can also nail you with STAB super-effective Confusion off of a very high Special Attack stat. If your Beedrill isn’t super fast, it’s not a good risk to take.
Gym #3 - Lt. Surge (Vermilion City, Electric-type): Just get a Diglett. Twineedle can take care of Pikachu, but Voltorb has a little bit more bulk and should avoid the OHKO. Raichu is quite dangerous with its high mixed attacking stats, with STAB Shock Wave and priority Quick Attack at its disposal. It can also paralyze you with Thunder Wave and then Double Team while you fail to kill it.
Rival (Pokémon Tower): As usual, Beedrill cannot stand up against Charmeleon or Pidgeot. It is wise to not use it against Growlithe, either. Don’t leave it in against Gyarados, either, as due to Beedrill’s awful Defense stat, Thrash may OHKO with (or even without) a critical hit. Exeggcute can be easily killed due to its double weakness to your STAB Twineedle, but Kadabra is still a gray area: if you’re confident in your Speed stat and think you can outspeed the quite fast Kadabra (it has 105 base speed), then go for it; if your Beedrill is ripped apart by super-effective STAB Confusion, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Beedrill can still defeat Ivysaur without too much trouble by Twinneedling it to death. Finally, it can reliably defeat Wartortle with a little luck from Twineedle’s decent chance to inflict poison.
Giovanni (Rocket Hideout, Ground-type): Against Onix, Beedrill is in danger of being KOed by STAB super-effective Rock Throw. Rhyhorn, however, can be taken out by a couple Brick Breaks, since it doesn’t have any Rock-type moves. The TM for Brick Break can be found in the SS Anne and can also be bought in the Celadon Department Store. For Giovanni’s ace, Kangaskhan, Beedrill should not be used due to its low Defense and Kangaskhan’s Mega Punch and high Attack.
Gym #4 - Erika (Celadon City, Grass-type): Feel free to use Beedrill here. Twineedle won’t be super-effective against anything except Tangela, but you can tank pretty much anything Erika’s Pokémon throw at you due to Beedrill resisting almost every single attacking move known by Erika’s Pokémon (everything except for the insanely weak Constrict).
Gym #5 - Koga (Fuchsia City, Poison-type): Beedrill resists the Poison-type moves that are commonly thrown around by Koga’s Pokémon and is also handily immune to being poisoned, but it really can’t do much back to them. The Koffing and Grimer lines are both extremely bulky and resist your STAB Twineedle (along with being immune to its occasional poison-inducing side-effect), so your best move to use would be the weak Secret Power. Also, watch out for SelfDestructs.
Fighting Dojo (Saffron City, Fighting-type): Beedrill has a quad-resistance to the Fighting-type moves used in this “gym”, and should be able to hit back with moves such as Secret Power or Aerial Ace (Twineedle won’t be very effective). Both of those moves, however, are taught via TM, and Aerial Ace may find better use on one of your other Pokémon (the TM for Secret Power can be bought at the Celadon Department Store and is therefore not an issue).
Rival (Silph Co.): As always, keep Beedrill away from Charizard, Growlithe, and Pidgeot. Exeggcute and Alakazam are easily slaughtered by Twineedle: the former due to a quad-weakness, the latter because its only damaging attack is the pitiful Future Sight. Leaving Beedrill in against Venusaur will most likely result in a standstill, but you should be able to out-damage Leech Seed with Twineedle, Secret Power, or Aerial Ace, as Leech Seed is its only way to do real damage. Blastoise is bulky and tough, but its moves are crap (the best it gets is Bite). If you get lucky and Twineedle poisons it, you might be able to kill it slowly but surely. Gyarados’ strong physical attacks should deter use of Beedrill against it.
Giovanni (Silph Co., Ground-type): Keep Beedrill far, far away from this battle. Nidorino and Nidoqueen are both pretty bulky (with Nidoqueen being, of course, far bulkier and much more powerful), Rhyhorn now has Rock Blast, and Kangaskhan is still quite bulky and very dangerous with STAB Mega Punch.
Gym #6 - Sabrina (Saffron City, Psychic-type): Don’t do it unless you’re extremely desperate or your Beedrill is massively overleveled. Twineedle will almost definitely score OHKOs on Sabrina’s Psychic-types (keep in mind that that label does not apply to Venomoth; stay away from that thing no matter what), but they’ll probably outspeed you with their ridiculous Speed stats and kill you with STAB super-effective Psybeam/Psychic. Mr. Mime is pretty much the only one you have a good chance to outspeed, so you should use a different team member for Kadabra and Alakazam.
Gym #7 - Blaine (Cinnabar Island, Fire-type): Keep Beedrill away from this gym at all costs. Any strong Fire attacks from the opposition, and you’re down one Beedrill.
Gym #8 - Giovanni (Viridian City, Ground-type): Giovanni leads with Rhyhorn. One Rock Blast and you’re done. The Nidoroyalty can kill you easily with strong STAB Earthquakes that will hit your awful base 40 Defense. Rhyhorn #2 is the same as Rhyhorn #1 in terms of whether you should send out Beedrill; it’s a higher level and has Rock Blast as well. Dugtrio can also outspeed you and hit hard with STAB Earthquake, and it can trap you with Sand Tomb. Just use a Flying-type against it. All in all, it’s really not worth it to use Beedrill in this battle.
Rival (Route 22, pre-Elite Four): As always, Pidgeot, Growlithe, and Charizard should all be avoided by Beedrill. As always, you can OHKO Exeggcute with Twineedle, but since Alakazam now has STAB Psychic to play around with, keep Beedrill well away from it. Your Rival’s Rhyhorn, like Giovanni’s, has Rock Blast, which will quickly put you down one killer bee. Against Gyarados, it is wise not to use Beedrill due to its poor physical defense. Blastoise’s moves are still garbage, and the best damage it can do to you would be through the combination of Rain Dance and… Water Gun. If you can poison it, whether through Twineedle or Toxic, you can probably successfully down this colossal pile of bulk. Venusaur is still annoying, but thankfully, it no longer has Leech Seed, and will have to rely on Razor Leaf, which you have a quad-resistance to, to damage you. Since Beedrill walls it completely, you should be able to beat it.
Elite Four Lorelei (Indigo Plateau, Ice-type): There’s not really any good reason not to use Beedrill in this battle, but its hard to find a convincing reason to use it as well. If you’re packing both Brick Break and Twineedle, you can hit every single one of her Pokémon super-effectively, but keep in mind that the only one that will probably be OHKO’d or 2HKO’d will be Jynx. Cloyster, Slowbro and Lapras have titanic physical bulk, and Dewgong is just bulky enough to take a few hits. Also keep in mind that strong STAB Ice and Water-type attacks will be coming your way in this battle; don’t just expect Lorelei to lie down and die simply because you have a few super-effective moves.
Elite Four Bruno (Indigo Plateau, Fighting-type): Against Bruno’s two Onix it would be better to just use a Water or Grass-type. Beedrill can take out any of his Fighting types if it has Aerial Ace, since it has a quad-resistance to Fighting. However, Hitmonlee has Mega Kick and Facade, both of which will pack a major punch (kick?). Also, watch out for Machamp and Hitmonchan, as both have Rock Tomb which will most likely kill you in one or two hits. Also, Hitmonchan has Counter. On second thought, maybe it’s not a good idea to use Beedrill in this battle...
Elite Four Agatha (Indigo Plateau, Poison-type): Every single one of Agatha’s Pokémon is Poison-type. Beedrill really can’t do a single thing to any of her Pokémon, so keep it out of this battle.
Elite Four Lance (Indigo Plateau, Dragon-type): It is too risky to send Beedrill against Gyarados for the same reasons it is in any Rival Battle. Both Dragonairs have Hyper Beam, which will probably be able to score an instant kill against the very physically frail Beedrill. Against Dragonite as well, the risk of Hyper Beam OHKOing it is too great to use Beedrill unless it is an emergency. Aerodactyl is a Flying and Rock-type, don’t even think about using Beedrill!
Champion Rival (Indigo Plateau): Against Pidgeot, Charizard, Arcanine, Gyarados, and Rhydon, it would be unwise to use Beedrill. Venusaur can be killed slowly but surely, as you have a quad-resistance to its only attacking move, SolarBeam. Blastoise, on the other hand, is much too dangerous, as it now packs Hydro Pump. Against Exeggutor, a Twineedle should probably OHKO unless you’re either unlucky or underleveled.. You can try to use Twineedle on Alakazam, but it may outspeed you and send you packing with STAB super-effective Psychic.
Post-Game: Are you REALLY sure? Beedrill really, really does not bee-long here.
Moves[]
If you start out with a Weedle (and pray that you do, as it really sucks to switch-train Kakuna to level 10), then you’ll be starting out with Poison Sting and String Shot. String Shot can sometimes be helpful, but it’s generally just a waste of a turn when you use it. Poison Sting, on the other hand, can be extremely useful thanks to its haxy 30% chance to poison the opponent (unless, of course, your opponent is Poison-type). Unfortunately, rival Weedles and Caterpies can’t be poisoned, the former due to its Poison-typing, and the latter due to its Ability, Shield Dust. Upon evolving into Kakuna at level 7, you’ll learn Harden, which is useless outside of its potential to become a penis joke. Then, at level 10, when your hard work and grinding pays off and you finally get the killer bee of your dreams, you get... Fury Attack. Fury Attack is marginally better than Poison Sting thanks to the fact that it’ll always do more damage, but it also is unreliable in how many times it hits, has the potential to miss (it has 85% accuracy), and doesn’t have Poison Sting’s convenient chance to poison. At level 15, you’ll get Focus Energy, which can pair well with Fury Attack, as each hit of Fury Attack has a separate chance to score a critical hit. It is suggested to get rid of String Shot, as Focus Energy generally serves a better purpose. At level 20, you’ll finally get Beedrill’s signature move, Twineedle. As it’s the best STAB move you’ll get until you find TM36 Sludge Bomb in the post-game, it’s definitely worth learning. It has decent power, as it always hits twice, with each hit having 25 base power as well as a 20% chance to poison the opponent. It’s also one of the few moves you can get early on that can hit those pesky Psychic-types super-effectively. The fantastically mediocre Rage comes at level 25; it’s not really worth learning. The same goes for Pursuit at level 30, as though it offers nice Dark-type coverage to allow you to hit Ghost-types for nice amounts of damage, it has a low base power of 40 and comes off of Beedrill’s pathetic Special Attack stat. Pin Missile comes at level 35, and while it may seem appealing as a replacement for Twineedle, Pin Missile is much less reliable. It has the potential to reach 70 base power (105 with STAB), but as you’re a nuzlocker, you’re automatically unlucky, so it’ll almost always either miss (it has 85% accuracy) or hit twice for 28 base power (42 with STAB). It’s not really that bad a move; however, as a nuzlocker, you’ll probably prefer the reliability of Twineedle. At level 40, Beedrill will try to learn Agility. It’s not an awful idea to learn it, as it would allow you to outspeed and KO dangerous Psychic-types such as Kadabra and Alakazam. However, Beedrill will probably need all the moveslots it gets for coverage moves. It’s really just up to preference. Finally, at level 45, Beedrill will try to learn Endeavor. There should be no need to tell you that trying to use Endeavor strategies is a bad idea in a nuzlocke.
Hey, we’re on to TMs now. Cool. As usual, only the ones that are worth it will be covered. As always, Toxic is definitely an option, but Beedrill isn’t really bulky enough to pull off Toxic stall. Hidden Power can be okay if it turns out to have a good type and usable power, but it also has the potential to be absolute garbage. Interestingly, Beedrill can learn Sunny Day, which really isn’t a good idea to teach this killer bee. Just let your Fire-type learn it. Hyper Beam can work as a finisher, but is only good if you’re playing on Shift mode. Protect can work in tandem with Toxic if you’re doing a superless run or something similar. Otherwise, don’t bother. Giga Drain can be very interesting, as it allows you to beat Rock/Ground types such as Onix, Rhyhorn, and Graveler. However, it’s normally better to teach Giga Drain to your resident Grass-type and leave Beedrill with Brick Break, an extremely useful Fighting-type move that gives great coverage, has nice power, and allows Beedrill to hit Rock and Steel-types. It’s also a purchasable TM that you can buy at the Celadon Department Store, so you don’t have to worry about whether Beedrill is the best fit for the TM or not. Return is, as always, a good option, but you’ll probably have other Pokémon that will appreciate it more. SolarBeam is garbage unless used alongside Sunny Day, but when exactly would Beedrill be able to set up Sunny Day without dying? Sludge Bomb is an absolutely fantastic move and is by far the best STAB move available to Beedrill, except, well, there’s the minor fact that it comes after you beat the Elite Four and Champion. That’s kind of annoying, isn’t it? Aerial Ace can work quite well, allowing Beedrill to hit Fighting-types and Bug-types that it would otherwise be unable to beat easily. However, it’s only a single-use TM, so make sure your other Pokémon don’t need it more. Secret Power and Facade are both good options, with Secret Power being slightly better due to being a purchasable TM and having a useful side effect that changes based on location. Beedrill can also be a Cut and Rock Smash slave, if you’re not an opponent to HM slavery. Also, Double-Edge and Substitute are available as Move Tutor options. They’re usable, but not recommended; Substitute doesn’t do too well on something as frail as Beedrill, whereas Double-Edge has too nasty of recoil and teaching it to Beedrill would also require it to still be in your team by the time you’re ready to face the Elite Four. It’s extremely difficult to take Beedrill that far. And yes, many people know from experience.
Recommended moveset: Twineedle / Pin Missile, Brick Break, and any two between Aerial Ace / Return / Double-Edge
Other[]
Weedle's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
40
100 - 147
190 - 284
Attack:
35
36 - 95
67 - 185
Defense:
30
31 - 90
58 - 174
Sp.Atk:
20
22 - 79
40 - 152
Sp.Def:
20
22 - 79
40 - 152
Speed:
50
49 - 112
94 - 218
Total:
195
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Kakuna's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
45
105 - 152
200 - 294
Attack:
25
27 - 84
49 - 163
Defense:
50
49 - 112
94 - 218
Sp.Atk:
25
27 - 84
49 - 163
Sp.Def:
25
27 - 84
49 - 163
Speed:
35
36 - 95
67 - 185
Total:
205
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Beedrill's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
65
125 - 172
240 - 334
Attack:
80
76 - 145
148 - 284
Defense:
40
40 - 101
76 - 196
Sp.Atk:
45
45 - 106
85 - 207
Sp.Def:
80
76 - 145
148 - 284
Speed:
75
72 - 139
139 - 273
Total:
385
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Weedle Line Ratings
Availability
Matchups
Movepool
Survivability
Type Usefulness
Team Role
Offensive Utility
Defensive Utility
Tankiness
Fun Factor
Overall
What Nature do I want? Really any nature that doesn’t nerf Attack or Speed or boost Special Attack is useful.. One that lowers Attack should be avoided, as Attack is Beedrill’s only decent stat (it’s decent Special Defense is negated by its poor HP), and one that boosts Special Attack is utterly useless unless you decide to run Giga Drain for some strange reason. A lowered Speed is generally unpleasant, and could force you to have to carry Agility.
At what point in the game should I be evolved? Right around Brock. If you don’t mind grinding, have it fully evolved before Brock; if you don’t, do it anyway, because the Route 3 trainers are tough.
How good is the Weedle line in a Nuzlocke? Not going to sugarcoat it here: the Weedle line kinda sucks. It’s tentatively good during the early game, but since its movepool is absolute garbage in the early game, that’s not necessarily true. Pretty much the only good thing about Beedrill is that it provides Bug-type STAB with Twineedle and Pin Missile, and that’s hardly a good reason to let it occupy a valuable team slot. There are much better Poison-types out there, and even much better Bug-types as well (Butterfree, Venomoth, Scyther, etc.). It’s not strong, it’s not bulky, and it sure as heck doesn’t have a good movepool, since it’s way too over-reliant on TMs. You can try to use it, but unless you’re either a master Nuzlocker or extremely lucky, you probably won’t succeed.
