How to catch shiny Charmander in Pokemon GO

Shiny Charmander was released by Niantic via Community Day on October 2020 (Image via Game Freak)
Shiny Charmander was released by Niantic via Community Day on October 2020 (Image via Game Freak)

Long-time Pokemon fans will be delighted to learn that shiny Charmander is now available in Pokemon GO.

Charmander was the Fire-type starter from the original Pokemon Red and Blue back in 1996. Since then, it has grown in popularity courtesy of its appearances in the Pokemon games and the anime as a part of Ash’s team.

Its final evolution, Charizard, is one of the most popular Pokemon of all time and is even a character in the Super Smash Bros games.

Anyone who can catch a shiny version of Charmander should consider themselves very lucky.


Obtaining a shiny Charmander in Pokemon GO

When Charmander evolves, Charizard will have a black hue, making it appear similar to Mega Charizard X (Image via Sly the Neko, YouTube)
When Charmander evolves, Charizard will have a black hue, making it appear similar to Mega Charizard X (Image via Sly the Neko, YouTube)

Shiny Charmander was released by Niantic via Community Day on October 2020. This was the second time that Charmander was featured in Community Day. This means that long-time Pokemon GO players might have already caught a few Charmanders.

Now that the Community Days have passed, finding shiny Charmander will become much more challenging. However, the good thing about the two Community Days that have already taken place is that many players might have Charmanders that they are willing to trade.

Trading for a Charmander that was caught a long time ago increases the likelihood of the Pokemon being shiny from a lucky trade. Players who are really looking for shiny Charmander might want to try this method, as it certainly will involve less walking than the alternative.

Without the lucky trade option, players will have to find shiny Charmander the old-fashioned way. Thankfully, it’s not too hard to get Charmander encounters. All players have to do is go outside when the conditions are sunny and clear to have a good chance of finding the Pokemon.

As opposed to the typical red-orange coat that Charmander has, shiny Charmander has a yellow complexion. When it evolves, though, Charizard will have a black hue, making it appear similar to Mega Charizard X.

Other than having a very stunning design, shiny Charizard can perform exceptionally well in PvP modes. Its 223 Attack is decent, albeit outclassed by many other offensive Pokemon.

Charizard was the lucky recipient of the elite TM for Blast Burn, a fire move with 110 base power. That’s one of the strongest moves that only cost 50 energy.