[[File:Green's Charmander.png|thumb|right|Charmander as it appears in [[Pokémon Adventures]]]]
[[File:Blue Charmander Adventures.png|thumb|right|Charmander as it appears in [[Pokémon Adventures]]]]
Charmander debuted in the first round of the {{chap|Red, Green & Blue}}, ''[[PS001|A Glimpse of the Glow]]'', as one of {{adv|Blue}}'s first Pokémon, received from his grandfather [[Professor Oak]]. It has since evolved into {{p|Charmeleon}} before facing [[Brock]] of [[Pewter City]], and then to {{p|Charizard}} before the [[Silph Co.]] battles against [[Team Rocket]]. The major powerhouse of his team with its newly learned {{m|Blast Burn}} attack, its battle skills (able to defeat {{adv|Red}}'s [[Poli|Poliwhirl]] easily even before evolving) are complimented by its fast flight, for which it was traded to Red during the {{chap|FireRed & LeafGreen}}. It is worth noting that, as Charmeleon, it was accidentally traded to Red many years earlier.
Charmander debuted in the first round of the {{chap|Red, Green & Blue}}, ''[[PS001|A Glimpse of the Glow]]'', as one of {{adv|Blue}}'s first Pokémon, received from his grandfather [[Professor Oak]]. It has since evolved into {{p|Charmeleon}} before facing [[Brock]] of [[Pewter City]], and then to {{p|Charizard}} before the [[Silph Co.]] battles against [[Team Rocket]]. The major powerhouse of his team with its newly learned {{m|Blast Burn}} attack, its battle skills (able to defeat {{adv|Red}}'s [[Poli|Poliwhirl]] easily even before evolving) are complimented by its fast flight, for which it was traded to Red during the {{chap|FireRed & LeafGreen}}. It is worth noting that, as Charmeleon, it was accidentally traded to Red many years earlier.
Charmander is an orange reptilian creature resembling a bipedal salamander with some dinosaur qualities, particularly like those of theropods. Charmander has four small fangs visible on its upper and lower jaws, a cream underside and an expansive cream coloration on the sole of its foot. Its most notable feature is the flame burning on the tip of its tail, which is there even at birth. It is said that if this flame goes out, the Pokémon dies, although this has never happened in the anime, manga, or video games.
Charmander has been described as cute in appearance, but despite this one may have to regard it with caution as its slashing claws are sharp and strong, and thus potentially dangerous.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
Charmander can breathe fire, which allows them to use a wide range of Template:Type2 attacks. However, the strength of these are very closely connected to the strength and health of the Charmander, since it draws on the life force which fuels the flame on its tail to fuel the flames of its attacks. With time, it can learn powerful Fire-type techniques like Flamethrower and Fire Blast. It can even learn to breathe the blue flames of Dragon Rage. It can also use the flame on its tail to attack by swinging it about, or wield its small, yet sharp claws to use Slash. However, these attacks are usually weaker than those from the flames Charmander breathes.
Behavior
Charmander is easily the most mild-mannered of its evolution line. Its health and emotions can be easily read by paying attention to the flame on the tip of its tail. For example, if the flame grows suddenly, the Charmander is probably angered, and perhaps even using a Rage attack. It is scarce in the wild. Most are domestic Pokémon, raised to be distributed as starters by Professor Oak. As such, they are regarded as well-behaved Pokémon. It is often regarded as the most difficult Pokémon to start with because it has a disadvantage against the first two Gym Leaders in Kanto (Brock and Misty).
There are some who choose it anyway under the impression that it is stronger than Bulbasaur or Squirtle. However, while a Charmander can certainly grow to be a very powerful Pokémon, its strength in battle is very closely connected to its condition and health. Therefore, like a real fire, it must be tended to regularly and not strained or neglected. Most Trainers shouldn't have a problem with this, though impatient ones who expect it to be very strong right off the bat will have severe difficulty raising this Pokémon. A Trainer named Damian in Charmander the Stray Pokémon abandoned his completely because of this. They are also stubbornly loyal. In that same episode, Charmander wouldn't move from the rock, because Damian told it to wait. Ash had to carry it because it refused to move, even in the rain.
Charmander is rarely found in the wild. Sometimes they can gather in extremely hot areas, such as active volcanoes. They can also thrive in craggy mountains or in rocky, heated crags and caves along the coast of the Sevii Islands. Their final evolution, Charizard, also inhabits the Charicific Valley or near mountain chains. However they are found far more often in the ownership of Trainers. It is normally native to Kanto.
Their diet is the usual omnivorous diet of a Pokémon. The few places where Charmander can be seen in the wild, they usually hunt and gather in small packs, and will call others over if any sort of food is found.
In Charmander the Stray Pokémon, Ash, Misty, and Brock came across a Charmander which had been abandoned by its Trainer, Damian, who only cared about strong Pokémon. At first, Charmander refused to leave the spot it was at, waiting for Damian to return. However, when a rainstorm picked up, Charmander grew ill and Ash took it to a Pokémon Center. Charmander realized that Damian was no good, and joined up with Ash. It has since evolved into Charmeleon, and then Charizard.
In Journey to the Starting Line, Gilbert was intended to start his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, but the trio of Kanto Starter Pokémon were scared off when Ash's Tauros stampeded through Professor Oak's house. Professor Oak, Tracey, Delia and Gilbert split up in order to find the three missing Pokémon. The Charmander was the first one to be found.
Charmander was mentioned in the first episode of the anime, Pokémon - I Choose You!, as one of the three starter Pokémon new Trainers in Pallet Town can choose from. Ash dreamed of owning one, although it was his last choice of a starter coming after Squirtle and Bulbasaur. However, when he arrived at Oak's lab, he found out it was too late, as another Trainer who started the same day had already taken it.
The capture of Ash's Charmander diverges considerably from the anime. In the manga, Damian seems to have abandoned his Charmander at the beginning of the chapter Pikachu's Excellent Adventure, but it turns out that he had just been injured and went to the hospital.
Ash is shown to own a Charmander despite this, his own Charmander first appears in You Gotta Have Friends. Ash's Charmander's capture is not shown in the manga, instead, when Charmander first appears from its Poké Ball, it is simply stated that "Ash has been busy since the last comic".
Charmander debuted in the first round of the Red, Green & Blue arc, A Glimpse of the Glow, as one of Blue's first Pokémon, received from his grandfather Professor Oak. It has since evolved into Charmeleon before facing Brock of Pewter City, and then to Charizard before the Silph Co. battles against Team Rocket. The major powerhouse of his team with its newly learned Blast Burn attack, its battle skills (able to defeat Red's Poliwhirl easily even before evolving) are complimented by its fast flight, for which it was traded to Red during the FireRed & LeafGreen arc. It is worth noting that, as Charmeleon, it was accidentally traded to Red many years earlier.
Kai's Charmander has evolved into Charizard. It seems to be able to skip the Charmeleon stage, as it was seen evolving directly into Charizard. Although it has devolved back to the Charmander stage, it currently seems to have permanently evolved back into Charizard.
The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flame burns fiercely.
The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is happy, and blazes when it is enraged.
Charmander followed you through the Mysterious Tunnel, landing in the Lava Zone. He's one of your best friends. His great desire is to become stronger.
In the film Austin Powers in Goldmember, in the scene where the 'Godzilla' (Actually Foxxy Cleopatra, Austin and Nigel Powers' Mini trapped within a Godzilla float) moves about destroying everything, an actor in the foreground, wearing a Charmander suit, and another actor, in the background wearing a Pikachu suit, can be seen trying to move away from the ensuing chaos.
In the US T.V show, Malcolm in the Middle, a Charmander doll can be seen sitting on the bed in some episodes, along with a Squirtle doll.
In the first generation, Charmander's "back" is depicted as having a small line of spikes. The spikes were not shown in the sprites of later generations. Charmander also had these spikes in the Pokémon Adventures manga, the spikes were larger and easier to see. The spikes were also seen on Kai Midorikawa's Charmander from the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga. This spike can also be seen on the Green Charmander sprite, and in early artwork.
Charmander appears in the fewest anime episodes of any Kanto starter Pokémon; it only appears when owned by Ash, Ritchie, and in numerous other minor appearances. The other two starters, Bulbasaur and Squirtle, have been owned by other main characters.
Charmander is the tallest of the Fire-type starters.
Charmander is the only Fire-type starter that is in the Monster Egg Group.
In the first generation, Charmander and its evolutionary line are capable of learning Leer. However, in later generations, this move is replaced by Scary Face, another intimidating move.
In Generation IV, Charmander's level-up moveset is the fewest of all starter Pokémon.
It is possible that Charmander's tail flame may be more resilient than a regular flame, as it has withstood being frozen in Ice attacks and hit by Water-type attacks in the games without death. Also, some Pokédex entries state Charmander's tail flame as "producing steam" when it rains, while a flame of the size of Charmander's tail would normally be put out by rain.
Charmander and its evolution family are the only Pokémon who have flames as part of their bodies that do not go out naturally (with the Pokémon still being alive).
Charmander has the longest name of all the non-evolved starter Pokémon. However, it ties with the evolved starters Charmeleon, Typhlosion and Feraligatr.
Charmander may have been partially inspired by the salamander, an amphibian bearing a slender body, short nose, and a long tail; it exhibits other physical lizard-like characteristics. The salamander and Charmander themselves may have been inspired by the mythological creature of the same name, the salamander; fire-spirits who survive in extreme heat or flames, sometimes creatively rendered and interpreted to be in the shape of lizards.
Name origin
Charmander is a portmanteau of the words char, to burn, and salamander. Hitokage, on the other hand, comes from 火蜥蜴, which is also salamander. 火 hi and 蜥蜴 tokage separately means "fire lizard."
In other languages
Chinese (Hong Kong and Taiwan): 小火龍 Xiǎo Hǔo Lóng - "Little fire dragon".
French: Salamèche - From Salamandre (salamander) and mèche (wick).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Lucky Egg (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Charmander images on Bulbagarden Archives.
