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.
When it swings its burning tail, it elevates the temperature to unbearably high levels.
Charmeleon Weakness
AvgWater, Ground, and Rock-type moves hit Charmeleon for super-effective damage. The Fire typing picks up 4 resistances to work with. Not too many gaps in the chart, 3 weaknesses to account for.
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
Partway through Charmander's chain, Charmeleon is a Fire type pushing toward Charizard. No breeding at this stage. So far, Sp.Atk got the biggest boost (+20 from Charmander). The final form adds another 129 stats on top.
How to Evolve
Start with flexible EVs EVs. A nature nature gives Charmeleon the right balanced lean, an item adds extra utility, and an ability works in the background. Flamethrower is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Charmeleon Moveset
- Fire Blast
- Flamethrower
- Fire Spin
- Ember
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Charmeleon's Normal and Fighting coverage and more all comes from technical machines, built on top of Fire Blast and Flamethrower for same-type damage. Flamethrower and Double-Edge are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Charmeleon doesn't appear wild. Catch Charmander instead, it shows up but it's a rare spawn. Evolve it at level 16 to get Charmeleon. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Charmeleon in Red & Blue
Step 1Catch CharmanderMODERATEPallet TownRedGift from NPCLv.5LimitedEarlyCityStarter choiceMODERATEPallet TownBlueGift from NPCLv.5LimitedEarlyCityStarter choice
Step 2Charmeleon ✓
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