Though there’s certainly nothing wrong withPokemon Brilliant Diamond&Shining Pearl’s fire-typestarter Pokemon, Chimchar, some might instead prefer a fire-type with a bit more history behind it. For those players, few Pokemon fit the bill quite as well as the iconic gen 1 starter, Charmander, whose final stage evolution Charizard is arguably one of the most popular and most recognizable Pokemon in the entire franchise.
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Whether as a replacement for Chimchar or to compliment one ofthe games' other two starter Pokemoninstead, Charmander makes an excellent addition to just about any team and is definitely worth catching if players ever stumble across one. For those who are actively trying to find Charmander inBrilliant Diamond&Shining Pearl, however, this guide should be able to help point them in the right direction.
Where to Find Charmander in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
The good news is that Charmander isn’t particularly rare inBrilliant Diamond&Shining Pearl, nor does it have an especially high catch rate either. Unfortunately, however, it won’t start to appear until players havebeaten Cynthiaat the Pokemon League andunlocked the National Dexby encountering all 150 Pokemon in the Sinnoh region and then visiting Rowan’s research lab in Sandgem Town.
Only after players havehad their Pokedex updated by Professor Oakwill they be able to find Charmander and the other two Gen 1 starter Pokemon down in the Grand Underground. Charmander spawns in theSandsear Cave,Typhlo Cavern, andVolcanic Caveareas, as too do other fire-type starter Pokemon like Cyndaquil, Torchic, and Chimchar.

How to Get Charizard in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16, which in turn becomes Charizard when it reaches level 36. Given thatPokemon encountered in the Grand Undergroundtypically have the same level as the player’s active Pokemon (up to and including level 63), however, most players will probably end up catching a Charmander that’s already at a much higher level than this.
If players catch a Charmander whose level is already at 35 or above, they’ll simply be able to level it up twice to get their hands onCharizard. This could be through using it battle, putting it in the main team so that it benefits from EXP share, or simply using a couple of Rare Candies. Whichever method players opt for, evolving a Charmander into a Charizard is a relatively straightforward process inBrilliant Diamond&Shining Pearland one that really shouldn’t take too long.

