Mid-stage Pokemon like Cyndaquil rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Typhlosion, which is where the real potential kicks in. Can go either physical or special depending on the set. Part of the Gen 2 roster.
Nothing fancy in Cyndaquil's spread. It leans mixed with Speed out front. And you'll get 1 Speed EV per KO for it. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
Hails from the Johto region. Though usually curled into a ball due to its timid disposition, it harbors tremendous firepower.
Cyndaquil Weakness
AvgCyndaquil's Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, and Rock moves. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
Cyndaquil kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Quilava all the way to Typhlosion. For breeding, average hatch time with a massive partner pool via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 225 total stats over Cyndaquil.
How to Evolve
Breed Cyndaquil with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
Cyndaquil's locked into one move per switch-in with Choice Scarf, trading flexibility for speed patching through item lock. Eruption is the go-to spam option, with Psychic coverage keeping switch-ins honest.
Best Build
Best Cyndaquil Moveset
- Eruption
- Extrasensory
- Overheat
- Tera Blast
Recommended Teammates
The level-up pool is slim, so TMs matter here. Cyndaquil's coverage across 9 types all comes from technical machines, built on top of Eruption and Overheat for same-type damage. Flamethrower and Inferno are the payoff moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A compact toolkit overall. The offense runs through Overheat and Flamethrower for Cyndaquil, with Normal and Rock coverage and more doing what it can. Don't expect versatility from this one.
You'll want to breed for Covet and Crush Claw on Cyndaquil. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Eruption and Burn Up, they expand what Cyndaquil can actually threaten in practice.
You'll want to breed for Covet and Crush Claw on Cyndaquil. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Eruption and Burn Up, they expand what Cyndaquil can actually threaten in practice.
No wild encounters for Cyndaquil in Scarlet & Violet. It's available in Gold, Crystal, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
2 encounter spots for Cyndaquil at decent spawn rates starting from early-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Best Locations
Cyndaquil starts showing up in endgame routes at moderate rates across 6 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations
6 spots to find Cyndaquil at Lv. 58-63 via walking. Not all of them exist in both Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl versions, so filter by your copy below.
No wild encounters for Cyndaquil in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. It's available in Gold, Crystal, or Legends: Arceus and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Cyndaquil is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Catch in the wild in:
Then trade to Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.
Also found in:
At 309 BST, Cyndaquil is firmly in pre-evolution territory. Evolve it into Quilava before bringing it to any serious fight.
Watch for Starmie (Water), Golem (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Cyndaquil. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.
Cyndaquil evolves into Quilava at level 14. Cyndaquil is the base form in a 4-stage evolutionary line.
Cyndaquil gets Flash Fire and Blaze. But Flash Fire is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Cyndaquil is a special attacker with base 60 Sp. Atk. Fragile — can't afford to take many hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — at base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often.
Cyndaquil appears in 17 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Debuting in Gold & Silver, Cyndaquil appears in 17 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through catching or hatching as a base form.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
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