Nothing fancy in Chinchou's spread. It leans mixed with HP out front. And you'll get 1 HP EV per KO for it. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
It discharges positive and negative electricity from the tips of its antennae to shock its foes.
It discharges positive and negative electricity from the tips of its antennae to shock its foes.
Type-wise, Chinchou takes extra damage from Grass and Ground. The Water/Electric typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Volt Absorb grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Grass, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Steel |
Glimmet's Sludge Bomb hits Chinchou for 40-47%. Koffing deals 34-40% with Sludge Bomb.
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityToxicdebris ItemEviolite NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Chinchou View Glimmet builds →Power Gem36-42% Sludge Bomb40-47% | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityWeakarmor ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Chinchou View Vullaby builds →Knock Off23-27% Heat Wave6-7% | ||
 Koffing Poison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityNeutralizinggas ItemEviolite NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Chinchou View Koffing builds →Thunderbolt23-27% Fire Blast14-16% Sludge Bomb34-40% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemEviolite NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Chinchou View Mareanie builds →Sludge Bomb31-36% Ice Beam10-12% Surf15-18% | ||
 | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityHydration ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Chinchou View Wingull builds →Hurricane25-29% Surf20-24% | ||
Chinchou is the base form in a two-stage line leading to Lanturn. Check the evolution method below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 130 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Chinchou easily with 34 breeding partners from the Water2 egg group.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Chinchou with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Spread EVs and Timid nature maximize that, and Voltabsorb handles the rest.
Best Build
Chinchou best EVs are Speed and Sp. Atk
Utility Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Hydro Pump
Recommended Teammates
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Wall Moveset
- Discharge
- Icy Wind
- Scald
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Most of Chinchou's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Hydro Pump and Thunder, but Normal and Ice and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Agility and Amnesia aren't available any other way for Chinchou, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Hydro Pump and Thunder for solid options.
The egg pool carries weight here. Mist and Psybeam aren't available any other way for Chinchou, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Hydro Pump and Thunder for solid options.
The egg pool carries weight here. Agility and Amnesia aren't available any other way for Chinchou, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Zap Cannon and Hydro Pump for solid options.
Chinchou can't be caught in Scarlet & Violet. Bring it over from Gold, Crystal, or Ruby instead. The encounter info below covers the source games.
Chinchou is available from early-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 8 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Chinchou in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
8 walking and fishing encounters at Lv. 15-63 for Chinchou across Shining Pearl and Brilliant Diamond. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Chinchou is available from mid-game water routes onward at high spawn rates. 18 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations to Catch Chinchou in Sword & Shield
Chinchou's encounter pool splits between Shield and Sword. You've got 18 surfing and fishing spots at Lv. 20-45 total, but your version determines which ones actually show up.
Easy grab on Chinchou with high spawn rates across 8 locations in early-game fishing spots. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations to Catch Chinchou in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Bring Super Rod for Chinchou. There are 8 fishing encounters from Lv. 10-29 with no walking alternatives. Pick the spot with the best rate and settle in.
Chinchou evolves into Lanturn at level 27. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 330 BST.
Chinchou evolves into Lanturn at level 27. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
For a casual playthrough, Chinchou works as a placeholder. Water/Electric coverage is useful early. The real payoff is Lanturn. That's where the stats start mattering.
Chinchou shows up in 17 games, making it one of the more widely available Pokemon in the series. First catchable in Scarlet & Violet, most recently in Gold & Silver and Crystal.
Debuting in Gold & Silver, Chinchou appears in 17 games across 9 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through catching or hatching as a base form.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves