Bug Catcher (Trainer class)

A Bug Catcher (Japanese: むしとりしょうねん Bug Catcher Boy) is a type of Pokémon Trainer that debuted in the Generation I games. They are generally depicted as little boys in hats, carrying nets and what appears to be their lunchboxes, or containers to keep caught bugs in, held by a strap after Generation II. Most Bug Catchers have been considered just hobbyists. Some Bug Catchers move around areas, and don't always stay in the same place each day. Experienced Bug Catchers may become s.

Bug Catchers are usually one of the first Trainer classes encountered during the course of the games' storylines, mostly appearing on earlier routes. In Generation I, Bug Catchers are the first Trainer class that the player encounters. They first appear in Viridian Forest, while the last one is on. In, Bug Catchers appear again on the Sevii Islands, in the Pattern Bush. In Generation II, Bug Catchers appear on, but they are not the first Trainer class seen in the game, and are actually more uncommon in this Generation than any other in which they appear. In Generation III, there are a few Bug Catchers, appearing between, through. The number of Bug Catchers in Generation III surpasses each other generation except the first. In, Bug Catchers don't appear until , after the player defeats the first Gym Leader, which is unusually late in the game. There are only four Bug Catchers, most of them appearing in the Eterna Forest. There are no Bug Catchers in the Unova, Kalos and Alola regions.

In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Bug Catchers will award three Poké Balls along with prize money upon being defeated, except for Master Trainers.

In Pokémon Stadium, they are referred to as Bug Boys.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

 * ''See more: List of Battle Tower Trainers (Generation IV)/Bug Catcher

Pokémon Platinum

 * ''See more: List of Battle Frontier Trainers (Generation IV)/Bug Catcher

In the anime
Samurai is a character of the day who lives in Viridian Forest and dresses up in samurai armor. Like Bug Catchers, he specializes in Pokémon and has a bug-catching net. He appeared in Challenge of the Samurai.

In Charizard's Burning Ambitions, 's Gigantic Mistake mecha is modeled after a Bug Catcher.

In The Spheal of Approval, a boy named strongly resembled the Bug Catchers in the, but did not own any Bug-type Pokémon.

A child resembling a Bug Catcher appeared in Pallet Town in A Glimpse of the Glow.

In Wake Up—You're Snorlax!, a Bug Catcher appeared during the Miracle Cycle bicycle race, alongside a and. He took a shortcut through a small woods full of Bug Pokémon, but later got stuck on due to a sleeping Snorlax blocking the way.

In Verily Vanquishing Vileplume I, a Bug Catcher named James was seen battling Cyndy in the Battle Dome. While it is unknown who won, what is known is that James at some point lost a match, eliminating him from the tournament.

A Bug Catcher was seen exploring the Safari Zone Gate in Weavile Wobbles But It Won't Fall Down.

Trivia

 * Bug Catcher's sprite from the main series Generation II games resembles the class' artwork from.
 * The first Bug Catchers battled in all Generation III games are named Rick.
 * In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, a show on the Variety channel mentions that used to be a Bug Catcher and a Gym Leader before joining the Elite Four.
 * A Bug Catcher in the is named Tajiri; this could be possibly a reference to the creator of the Pokémon series, Satoshi Tajiri, who liked bug-catching as a child.
 * In Pokémon Emerald, Bug Catcher Davis on uses the overworld sprite of a.

In other languages
Käfersammler Cazabichos Scout Pigliamosche むしとりしょうねん 捕虫少年