Want to add one of the most iconic and powerful Pokemon to your Pokemon Go lineup, but don‘t want to spend any money? With the right strategies, you can capture Charizard for your collection without spending a dime! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the best methods to get this flying fire-breather for free in Pokemon Go.
Why Charizard?
Before we dive into the how, let‘s look at why Charizard is so sought-after. As one of the most recognizable Pokemon from the original games and anime, Charizard holds a special place in many trainers‘ hearts. It‘s no surprise that Pokemon Go players are eager to catch ‘em all by adding Charizard to their Pokedex.
Beyond nostalgia, Charizard is a legitimately strong battler. It deals Fire, Flying, and Dragon type damage, leaving it with few weaknesses. Charizard‘s stats are excellent, especially its Attack which reaches 223 at maximum level. No wonder it‘s a favorite among collectors and competitors alike!
Adding to the appeal, Charizard‘s shiny variant offers an eye-catching black color scheme instead of traditional orange. Whether you want its power or just think Charizard looks cool, this guide will help you get one without going broke. Let‘s dive into the best free acquisition methods!
Evolving Charmander into Charizard
Evolving a Charmander into Charmeleon and then into Charizard is the most reliable free method to add this winged beast to your roster. While it requires some effort to get 125 Charmander candy, focusing on the following tips will have you flapping fire in no time:
Locate a Charmander nest – Nests are pre-defined areas that spawn extra Charmander encounters. Community maps and online nest trackers can help you find the hottest Char-spot.
Use lures and incense frequently – Equip a lure module on a PokeStop to attract more Pokemon to that area for 30 minutes. Incense does the same for just your personal spawn radius, so use both items to boost Charmander sightings.
Make Charmander your buddy – Set Charmander as your buddy Pokemon and you‘ll earn candy periodically as you walk around. Distance-based candy provides a nice passive trickle of Char fuel.
Pinap those Charmanders! – When catching a Charmander, use a Pinap Berry to double the candy you receive from that capture. This stacks with other bonuses to accelerate your candy income.
Power up caught Charmanders – You can recycle any excess Charmander candy by powering up your best specimens. Each power up grants 1 candy in return.
Grinding enough candy to evolve Charmander into its final form Charizard takes time, but is very doable for free with the steps above. Stick with it, trainer!
Hatching Eggs for Random Charizard Luck
While the odds are admittedly low, diligently hatching eggs gained for free from PokeStops can randomly grant you a Charmander line Pokemon. Here are the possibilities:
2km eggs – Charmander has a slim chance of hatching, around 5% based on research data
5km eggs – Charmeleon hatches from these, but only around 0.5% of the time
10km eggs – Extremely rarely, these can directly contain a strong Charizard!
Filling your available egg slots and keeping eggs incubating at all times maximizes your chances of getting lucky. Using your unlimited-use incubator on 2km eggs and saved disposable incubators on 10km eggs is smart management. Any Charizard line hatchlings will save you a ton of candy!
Completing Field Research for Encounters
Certain Field Research tasks provide encounters with Charmander or its evolved forms as a reward. While not super common, keeping an eye out for these can give you some free chance catches.
Tasks to watch for include:
Catch 5 fire-type Pokemon – Charmander encounter
Make 5 great curveball throws in a row – Charmander encounter
Power up Pokemon 10 times – Charmeleon encounter
Hatch 3 eggs – Charmeleon encounter
Catch a Dragon-type Pokemon – Charizard encounter
Having an available research slot for these rewarding tasks allows you to claim them and get right to catching. Each new field research encounter is an opportunity to skip grinding for candy!
Battling Mega Charizard in Raids
Occasionally Charizard gets featured as a Mega Raid boss. This amped-up version is very difficult to take down. But with some coordination, you can beat it without using premium raid passes:
Use the free daily pass you get each day by spinning a gym‘s photo disc. This lets you participate once per day without cost.
Work together by forming or joining a raid party with other players. With enough high-level help, victory is achievable!
Mega Raids are on a rotation. Keep an eye out for when Mega Charizard is available and take advantage with your daily free pass.
The catch chance after winning a Mega Raid is excellent. Be ready with Golden Razz Berries and excellent curveball throws to catch your quarry! Then you just need to earn more candy to evolve it to a normal Charizard.
Trading Charizards with Other Trainers
Trading with friends is great for filling Pokedex gaps, but trading shiny or legendary Pokemon like Charizard can get expensive. Here are tips for reducing the stardust cost:
Become Best Friends – At the maximum friendship level, special trades only cost 1600 stardust, a big discount!
Wait for special events – Occasional in-game events make trades completely free for a short time. Watch for these!
Find local trade groups – Try Discord servers and Facebook groups to connect with other trainers looking to trade Charizards.
Building friendships, monitoring events, and leveraging local communities will help you trade for that Charizard at zero stardust cost!
Earning Free PokeCoins for Raid Passes and Incubators
While the focus of this guide is on getting Charizard without spending real money, you can use free PokeCoins to help speed up the process:
Defend gyms – Each Pokemon assigned to a gym earns 1 PokeCoin per 10 minutes defended, up to 50 coins per day.
Complete research – Some research tasks reward small amounts of coins along with other prizes.
Refer friends – Bring new trainers into the game and get 100 free PokeCoins for each referral.
With free PokeCoins, you can purchase items like raid passes for more Mega Charizard chances and incubators to hatch more eggs. But patience and wise use of the tips above will get you there without extra purchases.
The Thrill of the Dragon Hunt
Part of what makes Charizard so appealing is the thrill of the hunt. While free acquisition takes more effort, earning that handsome fiery flyer through your own dedication, exploration and grinding makes taming the dragon that much more satisfying.
Bring Charizard into your collection your own way – hatch eggs endlessly, nurture Charmander with care, research the best wild spawn spots. Then watch your persistence pay off as your Charmander evolves into the mighty Charizard at long last!
The journey is uniquely rewarding with free-to-play games like Pokemon Go. And seeing that iconic orange winged silhouette appear on your map for the first time will be well worth the effort. Let this guide start you on the path to catching Charizard with zero purchases required!
So get out there, brave Pokemon trainer. Adventure awaits, and that perfect Charizard too. Just believe in the heart of the cards – and the power of patience!
