

Charmander is a small lizard-like Pokémon. It is a fire-type Pokémon, and is
capable of breathing fire.

![Charmander burning an Exeggutor](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ye1ED.jpg)

How do Charmander and its evolved forms do this? Is there any biological basis
for it, and is it ever explained in canon?


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2013-04-26T20:11:21.593
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2014-01-30T22:55:38.530
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pokemon
How does Charmander breathe fire?


I don't think our known biology can be applied to Pokemon. Blastoise has
cannons, for instance, and Pikachu can shoot electricity (is not the same be
able to create electricity to shock predators that attack you and actually
shooting it).

I mean, we could make theories about how they can do all those things, but the
designers just didn't think about it. It would be an interesting pastime, but
pretty pointless, because they would be just that, theories.


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2013-04-29T20:18:58.123
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It might hard to elaborate with a canonical explanation. The only things I can
think of are:

  * Charmander might store methane gas in his stomach, like other living things do. 
  * His stomach might be specialized for compressing gases numerous times (enough to breath fire )
  * His throat or digestive system might include something that can make sparks, which would bring the fire from his belly. 
  * Methane is lighter than air, so it can be presumed to be one of the reasons that Charizard can fly.


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2013-09-15T02:50:19.580
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I read an article a while back which theorized that Pokemon were beings
composed of energy rather than matter.

This also explains how they can be stored in computers and Pokeballs.

See [this video](http://www.gamesradar.com/pokemon-weekly-are-pokemon-made-
pure-energy/) it's not the original article that I read but it covers the
basic idea.


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2014-01-31T16:30:01.493
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Maybe he stores some kind of inflammable gas in his stomach. He can create a
spark in his throat. The gas comes out and due to the spark appears like a
flame pillar.

This concept is similar to that of a cigarette lighter.


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2023-08-18T15:58:49.477
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Charmander might technically be a lizard Pokémon, but it eventually evolves
into Charizard, a Pokémon that very closely resembles a dragon. Indeed, Mega
Charizard (X) is partially dragon type.

[![charizard](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BIsuUs.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BIsuUs.png)
[![mega charizard
x](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MPEiIs.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MPEiIs.png)

Charmander can also learn Dragon-type moves, albeit only by Technical Machine
(TM) - Moves such as "Dragon Tail" and "Dragon Claw".

Therefore, I would consider your question a similar question to "How do
dragons breath fire" \- In which there have been many theories in fantasy
novels, mythology, etc.

One theory for how dragons can breath fire is that they contain flammable gas
or liquid sacks in their bodies, which is then ignited when they wish to
exhale it. Some theories imagine that dragon have small natural pieces of iron
and flint in their mouths, which they would use to create sparks.

The Bombardier Beetle is an interesting example of a creature that has a
similar mechanism, storing corrosive checmicals inside its body then spewing
it out when threated ([1](https://dragons.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_fire))

There are a bunch of other theories, like hydrogen being emitted from the
stomach during the dragon's digestion - or simply, Magic.


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