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.
It is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball. If attacked, it flares up its back for protection.
It usually stays hunched over. If it is angry or surprised, it shoots flames out of its back.
Cyndaquil Weakness
AvgCyndaquil's Fire typing leaves it vulnerable to Water, Ground, and Rock moves. The Fire typing picks up 5 resistances to work with.
- 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
Cyndaquil kicks off a three-stage evolution line through Quilava all the way to Typhlosion. For breeding, average hatch time with plenty of partners via one egg group. The evolved forms gain up to 225 total stats over Cyndaquil.
How to Evolve
Breed Cyndaquil with 66 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Foresight, Fury Swipes, Quick Attack and 2 more to offspring.
Charcoal and an ability form the backbone. Cyndaquil invests flexible EVs EVs to play its attacker role properly, and a nature nature pushes higher. Flamethrower handles the heavy lifting on offense. Normal coverage rounds it out.
Best Build
Best Cyndaquil Moveset
- Flamethrower
- Quick Attack
- Double Edge
- Swift
Recommended Teammates
You'll want to breed for Foresight and Fury Swipes on Cyndaquil. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Fire Blast and Flamethrower, they expand what Cyndaquil can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Cyndaquil is handed to you at New Bark Town. No encounter rates or random spawns involved, so there's nothing to grind. Check the location details below for the exact conditions to trigger it.
Best Locations
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 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