Charmeleon is a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon. It has dark red scales and a cream underside from the chest down. It has narrow, blue eyes and a long snout with a slightly hooked tip. On the back of its head is a single horn-like protrusion. It has relatively long arms with three sharp claws. Its short legs have plantigrade feet with three claws and cream-colored soles. The tip of its long, powerful tail has a flame burning on it. The temperature rises to unbearable levels if Charmeleon swings its tail.
Charmeleon has a vicious nature and will constantly seek out opponents. Strong opponents excite this Pokémon, causing it to spout bluish-white flames that torch its surroundings. However, it will relax once it has won. It is rare in the wild, but it can be found in mountainous areas.
Charmeleon also appeared in I Choose You!, which is set in a different continuity from the main series. In this continuity, it previously belonged to Cross and evolved from Charmander after defeating a Jigglypuff in battle. It later evolved into Charizard after battling Cross's Lycanroc.
A Charmeleon appeared in The Crystal Onix, under the ownership of Mateo. He would commonly use it to make glass. It was also used to battle the titular Crystal Onix, during which it set it alight and defeated it.
A Charmeleon appeared in Judgment Day, under the ownership of Jimmy. It would help Jimmy with a variety of odd jobs on Bomba Island. It was later targeted by Team Rocket in one of their schemes, but it was rescued by Jimmy's newly-evolved Blastoise.
Minor appearances
A Charmeleon appeared in The Breeding Center Secret as part of a TV advertisement for Cassidy and Butch's breeding center, in which it evolved from a Charmander and then into Charizard.
Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon knocks down opponents with its tail, then defeats them using razor-sharp claws.
Charmeleon debuts in Onix is On!, where it is seen battling in the Pewter Gym as one of Blue's Pokémon. He evolved from Charmander sometime between The Secret of Kangaskhan and this round. When Red and Blue collided in Celadon City, Red mistakenly picked up the Poké Ball of Blue's Charmeleon, but he managed to give it back to Blue later. He has since evolved into Charizard with Blue's intense training, and became even more powerful, assisting in the defeat of both the Team Rocket triads Koga and Sabrina, and continued to act as the powerhouse for both Blue and Red, in the two times it was (temporarily) traded to him since then.
Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color.
Without pity, its sharp claws destroy foes. If it encounters a strong enemy, it becomes agitated, and the flame on its tail flares with a bluish white color.
Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color.
Charmeleon, Quilava, and their respective evolutionary lines have exactly the same base stats.
Origin
Charmeleon resembles a small dinosaur with remnants of Charmander's salamander-like appearance, with the body plan of a theropod and a single horn on the top of the head, itself bearing a resemblance with theropod's crests such as the one of Parasaurolophus.
Although its nomenclature suggests commonality with the chameleon, its Japanese name, Lizardo, clarifies that Charmeleon is rather based on lizards, with the chameleon term being used to make a word play in the English name. As such, Charmeleon doesn't have the traits that set chameleons apart from lizards, with the main traits derived from it having an appearance which is intermediate between that of Charmander and that of Charizard, reflecting its role in Charmander's evolutionary family.
Name origin
Charmeleon is a portmanteau of the word char (to burn) and chameleon.
「リザード」 is the transliteration of the English word lizard, its romanized name, Lizardo, is a portmanteau of lizard and ardo, Italian for I burn.
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
リザード Lizardo
From the English Lizard, officially romanized as Lizardo, portmanteau between lizard and ardo
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.
For other sprites and images, please see Charmeleon images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
