Mid-stage Pokemon like Charmeleon rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Charizard, which is where the real potential kicks in. Can go either physical or special depending on the set. A longtime staple going back to Gen 1.
You won't find a real weakness in Charmeleon's stat line. It's well-rounded for the Flame Pokemon, and what it does with that depends on moveset and items. Yields 2 Sp. Atk and Speed EVs, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It is very hotheaded by nature, so it constantly seeks opponents. It calms down only when it wins.
It has a barbaric nature. In battle, it whips its fiery tail around and slashes away with sharp claws.
Charmeleon Weakness
AvgWater, Ground, and Rock-type moves hit Charmeleon for super-effective damage. The Fire typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Not too many gaps in the chart, 3 weaknesses to account for.
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
- Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def
Charmeleon sits between Charmander and Charizard in this three-stage line. Not the final form yet. For breeding, average hatch time with a small partner pool via two egg groups. So far, Sp.Atk got the biggest boost (+20 from Charmander). The final form adds another 129 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Breed with Charmeleon to get Charmander eggs easily using 13 partners from the Dragon and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Ancient Power, Beat Up, Belly Drum and 3 more.
Best Build
Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).
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Without breeding, Charmeleon misses out on Ancient Power and Beat Up. That's 6 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Fire Blast and Flamethrower, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Charmeleon isn't available in the wild in Gold & Silver. Start by transferring Charmander from Red, Yellow, or Brilliant Diamond. The evolution path from Charmander to Charmeleon is covered in the steps below.
At 405 BST, Charmeleon is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Charizard before bringing it to any serious fight.
Watch for Starmie (Water), Golem (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Charmeleon. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.
Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16. Charmeleon evolves into Charizard at level 36. Charmeleon is a middle-stage evolution in the Charmander line.
Charmeleon is a special attacker with base 80 Sp. Atk. But the speed tells the real story — base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Charmeleon appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Present since Red & Blue, Charmeleon appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Gen 1 originals like Charmeleon have the longest track record of availability in the series.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A