What Do You Do With Chimchar in Pokemon HeartGold?

How to Get Chimchar in "HeartGold"

• Chimchar is not available in "Pokemon HeartGold" by normal methods, such as catching him in the wild. The only way to get Chimchar is to trade him from a copy of "Pokemon Platinum," "Diamond" or "Pearl." Once you receive the Pokedex from Professor Elm at the beginning of the game, on the second floor of any Pokemon Center, you gain the ability to trade. Additionally, you can get a Chimchar by breeding one of Chimchar's evolved forms, such as Monferno or Infernape, with a Ditto at the Pokemon Daycare Center on Route 34, south of Goldenrod City.

How to Evolve Chimchar

• As a "starter" Pokemon, a Pokemon that a player is given at the beginning of a "Pokemon" game, Chimchar comes with two evolutions: Monferno and Infernape. Chimchar evolves through the standard process of gaining levels by earning experience from defeating wild Pokemon or Pokemon trainers. At Level 16, Chimchar evolves into Monferno, and at Level 32 Monferno evolves into Infernape. In addition to receiving increased statistics with each evolution, such as higher attack power or more health, both of Chimchar's evolutions make him a new type of Pokemon. Both Monferno and Infernape are Fight-type in addition to Fire-type, whereas Chimchar himself is only Fire-type.

Chimchar's Strengths and Weaknesses

• As a Fire-type Pokemon, Chimchar has the expected strengths and weaknesses you would expect. Chimchar's fire moves are strong against Grass-, Ice-, Bug- and Steel-type Pokemon, but Water-, Ground- and Rock-type moves do double damage against him. Additionally, Fire-type moves only do half damage against Dragon-type Pokemon. As Monferno or Infernape, new strengths and weaknesses are added as the Pokemon becomes Fight-type as well. Fight-type moves are effective against Normal-, Ice-, Rock-, Dark- and Steel-type Pokemon, but Flying- and Psychic-type moves do double damage. Additionally, Fight-type moves do not work on Ghost-type Pokemon at all. Knowing the strengths and weakness of Chimchar and his evolutions allows you to plan for the best possible scenarios in which to use him.

Items That Chimchar Benefits From

• In "HeartGold," Pokemon can hold items that provide benefits during battle, such as increased attack power. One such item, Charcoal, provides a 10 percent boost to the attack power of all Fire-type moves. This item is available for free in Azalea Town, located west of Route 33. Enter the brown house in the lower right corner and speak to the man with the glasses inside. He gives you the Charcoal at the end of the conversation. Chimchar can be given this item to hold through the "Pokemon" menu, increasing the attack power of his Fire-type moves.