Species guide · Ages 10+ · July 2026
Charmander
Say it: CHAR-man-der
Kids summary (simpler)Tap to expand
Charmander is the Lizard Pokémon — Fire before Charmeleon and Charizard. In Pokémon GO it is usually candy on the way to Charizard — not a finished raid attacker. Fire helps against Grass, Bug, Ice, and Steel; Water, Ground, and Rock hit Fire hard. Catch Charmander from the wild, eggs, Community Day, or Rocket, then evolve. Blast Burn from Charmander Community Day belongs on Charizard.
Say it: CHAR-man-der
Charmander (#004) is a Fire Pokémon in Pokémon GO — the baby stage of the Kanto Charizard line. Trainers almost never power Charmander for raids; the value is candy, XL candy, and IVs for Charmeleon/Charizard (and Blast Burn / Mega Energy farming later). Against Charmander, lead with Water, Ground, or Rock. Stats, type chart, moves, and counter picks below use our Game Master snapshot.
Type-colored placeholder — not official Pokémon artwork (see IP notice below).
Pokédex notes
Charmander leads to Charizard, one of the most recognizable raid and PvP picks. Fire typing shines in Sunny weather; Dragon moves on Charizard add coverage.
Where in GO: Starter research, eggs, Community Day
Fun fact: Starter lines get frequent Community Day reruns — save high-IV copies for exclusive moves.
Invest tip: Do not sink Stardust into Charmander. Keep high-IV, lucky, or Shadow copies tagged for Charizard. Save Elite TMs for Charizard’s Blast Burn / Wing Attack. Shadow Charmander is the same story — evolve toward Shadow Charizard DPS.
Type matchups
- Fire moves hit Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel hard.
When Charmander is your opponent, Water, Ground, Rock hits hard.
Full type matchup guide →GO base stats
From Game Master snapshot — IVs, buddy, and power-ups change real battle stats.
- Attack
- 116
- Defense
- 93
- Stamina
- 118
Weak to
Resists
Best Pokémon to use against it
When this species is your opponent (Rocket battle, gym, raid, or PvP), these picks exploit its typings. Each list is a pool of options — not a required 12-Pokémon lobby.
Recommended
Strongest practical attackers for this matchup.
- 1. Primal Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse — Primal lobby boost
- 2. Shadow Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 3. Mega Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 4. Kyogre · beats Water
Waterfall + Origin Pulse
- 5. Shadow Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 6. Shadow Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 7. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 8. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 9. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 10. Samurott · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 12. Empoleon · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
Budget
Solid alternatives when you cannot build the Recommended picks.
- 1. Kingler · beats Water
Bubble + Crabhammer
- 2. Gyarados · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Tail
- 3. Vaporeon · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Tail
- 4. Feraligatr · beats Water
Waterfall + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 5. Swampert · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 6. Clawitzer · beats Water
Water Gun + Crabhammer
- 7. Floatzel · beats Water
Water Gun + Aqua Jet
- 8. Seismitoad · beats Water
Mud Shot + Hydro Pump
- 9. Carracosta · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Pump
- 10. Blastoise · beats Water
Water Gun + Hydro Cannon · Elite TM
- 11. Wailord · beats Water
Water Gun + Surf
- 12. Golisopod · beats Water
Waterfall + Aqua Jet
Recommended moves
Charmander’s Game Master pool is temporary. Real investment is Charizard (Fire Spin + Blast Burn / Overheat) — evolve before serious TMs and power-ups.
Fast
- Ember · Standard
Fire STAB
- Scratch · Standard
Normal filler
Charged
- Flamethrower · Standard
Fire nuke
- Flame Burst · Standard
Fire alternate
- Flame Charge · Standard
PvP utility
Moves in GO
Always-available Game Master learnset (regular TMs). Community Day / Elite TM moves appear above when we have curated notes for this species.
Fast
- ember
- scratch
Charged
- flame charge
- flame burst
- flamethrower
PvP league ranks (family snapshot)
- Great League · rank #758 of 954 · CP 1108
Ember + Flamethrower
- Master League · rank #712 of 1023 · CP 1108
Ember + Flamethrower
In your Collect
Name match only (text). Cards you have saved in Card Nexus Collect — not official art.
Sign in to see holdings, or open Collect.
Open Collect →Raid and PvP advice uses our Game Master snapshot (updated July 2026).
In the Competitive Guide
- Ch. 20: Lucky Pokémon & Family Trades
When lucky status matters for trades and Stardust savings.
- Ch. 21: Best Friends & Lucky Friends
Friendship steps for raid bonuses and lucky trades.