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Chimchar 100% perfect IV stats, shiny Chimchar in Pokémon Go explained

Will you find a shiny Chimchar?

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Image credit: Eurogamer

There is a shiny Chimchar in Pokémon Go, but that's not the only reason you should partake in this week's Spotlight Hour.

On this page we cover why you should spend some time catching Gen 4's Chimchar during the hour-long window - including the chance to find a 100% perfect IV Chimchar - and a preview of shiny Chimchar that's up for grabs in Pokémon Go.

If you're interested in the other events currently occurring in Pokémon Go, the Ed Sheeran event will be around until early next week. Elsewhere recently, we've seen the conclusion of the Misunderstood Mischief research - which has you track down leaders Arlo, Cliff and Sierra, as well as Giovanni - and completing it soon will allow you to play a special end-of-season event this weekend for free.

On this page:

Watch us battle Guzzlord - one of the Ultra Beasts in Pokémon GoWatch on YouTube

Chimchar's 100% perfect IV in Pokémon Go explained

A good reason to partake in this week's Spotlight Hour is the chance to catch a perfect Chimchar in Pokémon Go.

With its highest possible IV stats, you can evolve Chimchar into Monferno and Infernape and use it in raids, gyms and even the Go Battle League if you so choose.

The CP values - which correspond to perfect 15/15/15 stats are as follows:

  • Level 30 (wild CP maximum) - 820
  • Level 35 (weather boosted CP maximum) - 889

Remember - wild CP value aligns with your trainer level until you reach Level 30. If you're currently below 30, then the maximum CP value will be different. Since the majority of the player base is now above Level 30, we kept to the values above to keep things simple.

Is there a shiny Chimchar in Pokémon Go?

There is a shiny version of Chimchar in Pokémon Go.

As with other starters, Shiny Chimchar debuted during its own Community Day in November 2019.

If you participated in this event, chances are you already have a handful of shiny Chimchar available.

Remember, unlike Community Day, the shiny odds during Spotlight Hour don't increase - making it difficult you'll find a shiny during the hour window. It's through the increased spawn numbers, not odds, which will make it more likely you'll find a shiny during a given Spotlight Hour - so attempt to see as many Pokémon as possible to increase your chances!

What does shiny Chimchar look like?

The difference between a regular and shiny Chimchar is pretty simple - with its fur changing from brown to red:

Normal versus shiny Chimchar in Pokémon Go.

The Dual Destiny Season is here! It begins with the Just My Cup of Tea event, which also sees the arrival of Sinistea and the Dual Destiny quest in Pokémon Go! You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest. Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Other reasons to catch as many Chimchar as possible

Even if you already have a shiny Chimchar, there are still some good reasons to catch as many Pokémon as possible during this Spotlight Hour, including:

  • If you haven't had the chance to add Chimchar or it's evolutions Monferno and Infernape to your Pokédex yet, then this Spotlight Hour is the perfect time to do so.
  • The Spotlight Hour bonus is also an important consideration. In this case there is double catch XP - and serves as one of the fastest ways to get XP in Pokémon Go if you manage to catch using an Excellent throw - taking you from 1,000 XP to a doubled 2,000 XP. Put on a Lucky Egg? That's 4,000 XP per catch. To put it into context, three Excellent catches during Spotlight Hour with a Lucky Egg gives you 2,000 more XP than a Legendary Raid (10,000 XP) with far less time and effort involved.
Chimchar is the second of the three Sinnoh starters being highlighted in Community Day. Next week it's Piplup's turn...
  • There are no other bonuses from on-going events - but if you haven't already, using the hour to help complete any remaining Misunderstood Mischief research objectives ahead of the weekend's end-of-season event is well worth doing.
  • Chimchar is a fire type Pokémon, so you can use this hour to make some good progress on the fire catch bonus medal.

Spotlight Hour only lasts for an hour - 6pm to 7pm (local time) - but don't worry if you can't partake this week. Next week sees Piplup take the spotlight with a double catch candy bonus!

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