How to get Chimchar in Pokémon Legends: Arceus

While most Pokémon games only let the player receive one starter as a gift from the region’s professor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives players the unique opportunity to find and catch all of the Sinnoh starters in the wild. The Fire-type Chimchar is the first member of the trio that trainers will be able to encounter in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Here’s how you can find and capture your very own Chimchar in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

The Mysterious Will-o’-the-Wisp

The quickest way to find a Chimchar in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is to fulfill Paira’s The Mysterious Will-o’-the-Wisp request. She tells the player she has seen a red wisp in Obsidian Fieldlands and asks them to investigate it for her. As it turns out, the wisp she has seen is Chimchar’s fiery tail.

The trainer will find Chimchar hiding at the top of a tree in Deertrack Heights. Chimchar will only appear at night, so the trainer should rest in a tent until nightfall if it is not already nighttime. Additionally, the player should fast travel to the Heights Camp, since Chimchar’s tree is located just south of this camp.

Upon finding the right tree, the player can press the A button to investigate. At that point, a brief cutscene will show Chimchar jumping down from the tree before battling the trainer. The Chimchar will be Level 12 and the trainer will be able to catch it during the fight.

To complete the request, the player must take their new Chimchar back to Paira and show it to her. However, she does not take the Pokémon like some other NPCs do, meaning the player will be able to keep the Sinnoh starter for themselves.

Other ways to get Chimchar in Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Although Paira’s request provides the only guaranteed Chimchar encounter, it is not the only way to get the Fire-type in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. After unlocking the ability to surf on Basculegion, players can access a new area in Obsidian Fieldlands called Ramanas Island.

Wild Chimchar can be found in abundance on Ramanas Island, along with the rarer evolved form, Monferno. Finally, players looking for a real challenge can face an Alpha Infernape in this area. The Fire/Fighting-type final evolution will be Level 65, so it will be quite difficult to catch until later in the game.