The hardest opening stretch in Kanto and the biggest payoff at the end of it. Survive the first two gyms and Charizard carries you home.
Charmander
Base form
Charmeleon
Level 16
Charizard
Level 36
Everyone wants the dragon. The house is obligated to tell you what the dragon costs. Specimen №004 opens its run into the two worst gym matchups a starter can face, back to back, with the thinnest defenses in the cabinet. Pick Charmander and the early game is a proving ground. Get through it, and you own the single most popular Pokémon ever printed at full power for the entire back half — 109 Special Attack, real speed, and a flight home after every win.
| Stage | Typing | Arrives | Calling card | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Charmander | Fire | Starter | Fastest starter in the cabinet | | Charmeleon | Fire | Level 16 | Slash and serious attitude | | Charizard | Fire / Flying | Level 36 | 109 Special Attack, Earthquake immunity |
Note the typing change at the end: Charizard picks up Flying, which makes it immune to Ground moves entirely and lets it carry Fly as real travel utility. It also means Rock moves hit very hard, so respect anything holding stones.
The argument for Charmander is the destination, and the destination is legitimate.
The tradeoff is everything before badge three. Charmander's stat line is built for offense it does not have the moves to deliver yet, and the schedule sends you into Rock, then Water, before you can breathe.
At the Elite Four, Lorelei's Ice respects your Fire, Bruno's Fighting moves get resisted by Flying, and Lance is a problem — Dragon and Rock coverage means your dragon largely defers to a teammate with Ice Beam.
Early: Ember at level 9 is your bread for a long while. In the remakes, Metal Claw arrives just in time for Brock. Take Growl seriously early — it buys your thin defenses real turns.
Mid: Slash is the star of the Charmeleon era. With the era's critical hit rules, it functionally doubles its own damage on speed alone. Dig from the TM case gives you Ground coverage and a free turn of cover in one slot.
Late: Flamethrower lands in the late thirties and never leaves the set. The classic Charizard kit is Flamethrower, Slash, Earthquake from the TM case, and Fly for travel and stall punishment. Swords Dance plus Earthquake is the veteran's party trick in the oldest games. Fire Spin exists; the house does not endorse gambling on its accuracy.
Charizard needs cover for exactly the rooms its typing hates: Rock, Electric, and open water.
Charmander is the veteran's pick because the early game is a tax and the late game is the refund with interest. If it is your first run, know what you are signing: two gyms of genuine adversity before the engine turns over. If you have hands, take the dragon — there is a reason it is the most famous silhouette in the franchise.
Filed under: earned arrogance.