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Charmander

Venusaur (#3) - Charmander - Charmeleon (#5)
General
Name (Japanese), Number	Charmander (Hitokage), 4
Stage	Basic
Evolves from	(none)
Evolves to	Charmeleon
Battle¹
Hit points	39
Attack	52
Defense	43
Speed	65
Special attack²	60
Special defense²	50
Special³	50
Biological
Species	Lizard Pokémon
Types	Fire
Height	2'0" (0.61 m)
Weight	19 lb (8.55 kg)
Shiny color	The part of its body that's normally a vermilion-like color, turns golden
Ability	Blaze
Signature Attack	Ember
Gender distribution	87.5% male, 12.5% female
¹ Stats for trading card versions may vary. ² Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal ³ Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow

Charmander (Hitokage in Romaji Japanese) is a basic fire-type Pokémon that evolves into Charmeleon at level 16 and Charizard at level 36. Charmander, like its evolved forms, is notable for the flame on the tip of its tail; the flame is said to indicate its life-force, burning weaker or stronger depending on Charmander's condition. Baby Charmander that are not yet familiar with this flame sometimes accidentally burn themselves with it. Charmander generally prefers hot places to live.

In the anime

In the TV show, Ash and his friends find a Charmander on a rock, waiting for its owner. Fearing for its life in the rainstorm because the Charmander will die if the flame on its tail goes out, they pick it up and take it inside, yet it returns to the very same rock once it has recovered. It turns out that its owner had abandoned it and deceived the Charmander by convincing it he would come back for it. After Charmander discovers that, it becomes Ash's Pokémon and breathes fire in the face of its previous owner. Once acquired, Charmander becomes a willing and eager Pokémon, speaking in its dilute, high-pitched, kawaii "Char! Char!" voice. Ash's Charmander later evolves into Charmeleon and then into Charizard.

Name origin

Charmander's name is a combination of "char" and "salamander." Its Japanese name, Hitokage, means "fire lizard", from "hi" (meaning "fire") and "tokage" (meaning "lizard"). The name is thus a reanalysis of the word "hitokage", which in Japanese generally means "figure" (in the sense of the vague outline of a person, as in "I saw a shadowy figure passing by at the side of the hill"). In the usual sense of the word, "hitokage" is a compound of "hito" (meaning "person") and "kage" (meaning "shadow").

Availability

In Pokémon Red/Blue, Charmander is one of the starter Pokémon, together with Bulbasaur and Squirtle. In Pokémon Yellow, Charmander is not a starter; rather, it's obtained on Route 24. In Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Charmander must be obtained through trading with another cartridge. In Pokémon Sapphire/Ruby, Charmander is only obtainable through fire red and leaf green.

Charmander also appears in the Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap.

Strengths / weaknesses

Charmander is vulnerable to Water, Ground and Rock, and strong against Fire, Bug, Grass, Steel and (in Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal) Ice.