Special
Balanced
309Low
65Moderate
DTier

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.

Base Stats
309Avg
HP39
F
Attack52
D
Defense43
D
Sp. Atk60
C
Sp. Def50
D
Speed65
C
Total309
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Cyndaquil yields +1 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+1
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.5m / 1'08"7.9kg / 17.4 lbs62Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It has a timid nature. If it is startled, the flames on its back burn more vigorously.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Cyndaquil Weakness

Avg

Cyndaquil'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.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
3Weak
6Resist
1Immune
Scorei0
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
BlazeStrengthens fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Flash FireHAProtects against fire moves. Once one has been blocked, the Pokémon's own Fire moves inflict 1.5× damage until it leaves battle.
Flash Fire grants Fire immunity

Cyndaquil kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Quilava all the way to Typhlosion. For breeding, average hatch time with no compatible partners via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 225 total stats over Cyndaquil.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Cyndaquil
Fire
HP
39
58+19
78+20
ATK
52
64+12
84+20
DEF
43
58+15
78+20
SP.ATK
60
80+20
109+29
SP.DEF
50
65+15
85+20
SPE
65
80+15
100+20
BST
309D-Tier
405D-Tier+96
534B-Tier+129
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Sweeper
TYPE
Utility
Special
Special
Breeding
Moderate

Breed Cyndaquil from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Covet, Crush Claw, Double Kick and 9 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Ground
Gender
87.5%12.5%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
12moves

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
10030Normal
Lv 1
Tackle
4010035Normal
Lv 6
Smokescreen
10020Normal
Lv 10
Ember
4010025Fire
Lv 13
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Lv 19
Flame Wheel
6010025Fire
Lv 22
Defense Curl
40Normal
Lv 28
Flame Charge
5010020Fire
Lv 31
Swift
6020Normal
Lv 37
Lava Plume
8010015Fire
Lv 40
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
Lv 46
Inferno
100505Fire
Lv 49
Rollout
309020Rock
Lv 55
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Lv 58
Burn Up
1301005Fire
Lv 64
Eruption
1501005Fire

TM Moves

Src
TM40
Aerial Ace
6020Flying
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM93
Cut
509530Normal
TM28
Dig
8010010Ground
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM58
Endure+4
10Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM38
Fire Blast
110855Fire
TM35
Flamethrower
9010015Fire
TM50
Overheat
130905Fire
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM82
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM61
Will-O-Wisp
8515Fire
TM10
Work Up
30Normal

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Covet
6010025Normal
Egg
Crush Claw
759510Normal
Egg
Double Kick
3010030Fighting
Egg
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Egg
Extrasensory
8010020Psychic
Egg
Flare Blitz
12010015Fire
Egg
Fury Swipes
188015Normal
Egg
Howl
40Normal
Egg
Nature Power
20Normal
Egg
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Egg
Reversal
10015Fighting
Egg
Thrash
12010010Normal

Tutor Moves

Cyndaquil can't learn any Tutor moves

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.

Sandsear Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostDesertPost-game
Sandsear Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostDesertPost-game
Typhlo Cavern
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Typhlo Cavern
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostCavePost-game
Volcanic Cave
Shining PearlGrassLv.58-63PostVolcanoPost-game
Volcanic Cave
Brilliant DiamondGrassLv.58-63PostVolcanoPost-game
  • 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.