How to catch Chimchar in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk

Time to go bananas.

The Pokedex entry picture for Chimchar in The Indigo Disk.
Screenshot by Dot Esports.

Starter Pokémon have gathered in mass for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC, with the starting trios from all previous generations making their return—but where can you catch Chimchar?

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The Gen IV fire-starter is one of the most represented Pokémon in the Nintendo Switch era, having been available in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as in the wild in Pokémon Legends: Arceus—while Infernape was previously available as a Tera Raid encounter in Scarlet and Violet.

If you’ve not got enough of everyone’s favorite fire monkey, the good news is there are a bunch of opportunities to catch Chimcar in The Indigo Disk, and we’ve detailed the steps you need to take.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk: Chimchar location and unlock requirements

Chimchar's spawn location shown in the Pokedex in The Indigo Disk.
Monkey business. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

You cannot immediately encounter starters like Chimchar in Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC and, instead, there’s a fair bit of groundwork to do before these highly desirable Pokémon can be found in the Terarium. To add Chimchar to the encounterable Pokémon you can find, you need to upgrade the Polar Biome, which you can do by heading to the main entrance of the Blueberry Academy, walking to the barriers, and then clicking on “League Club Room” on the list of destinations.

In the League Club Room, you need to interact with the computer on the left-hand side and select “Contribute BP”. Scroll until you see the “Terarium Club” options, of which there are four, and choose the one that reads: “Boost Biodiversity in the Polar Biome!”. It costs a whopping 3,000 BP so, if you don’t have enough, you need to complete quests to collect more. Once you have purchased the upgrade, head into the Polar Biome to hunt for Chimcar—just don’t accidentally throw a Masterball at it like I did, unless you just want to flex on friends.

Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.