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

Where's this fire mouse hiding?

Cyndaquil's Pokedex entry in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Screenshot by Dot Esports

You can finally catch wild Cyndaquil and other Starters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC. Previously, Cyndaquil was only tied to special seven-star Tera Raid events for Typhlosion and Hisuian Typhlosion, but now the adorable Gen II Fire Starter can spawn in the overworld in The Indigo Disk’s Terarium.

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That being said, you’re going to have to put in some work before you can find Cyndaquil. It’s unfortunately not as simple as randomly encountering the Starter immediately after entering the Terarium.

We’ll break down how to encounter and catch Cyndaquil in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk.

How to upgrade the Polar Biome and unlock Cyndaquil in Pokémon SV The Indigo Disk DLC

Cyndaquil will spawn in the Polar Biome of the Terarium but not until after you have upgraded the section. To upgrade the Biomes, go to the League Club Room, use the computer, and donate 3,000 BP to the Terarium Club to upgrade a Biome of your choice—in other words, it’ll cost you 12,000 BP to upgrade all four Biomes.

Cyndaquil's location in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Upgrade the Polar Biome to unlock Cyndaquil. Screenshot by Dot Esports

For Cyndaquil in particular, spend 3,000 BP to upgrade the Polar Biome. Oddly enough, other Fire Starters like Torchic, Chimchar, and Scorbunny can also be found in the snowy Biome along with Piplup and Oshawott. The Polar Biome upgrade will unlock these specific Starters for you to start catching.

Make sure you earn BP by completing quests in the Terarium to afford the Biome upgrades.

Cyndaquil location in Pokémon SV The Indigo Disk DLC

Cyndaquil's location in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Head to this cave in the Polar Biome. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Within the Polar Biome, Cyndaquil can only be found in one small section, as indicated on the map above. To be more specific, Cyndaquil spawns in a cave near the Polar Biome’s border with the Coastal Biome. This cave has other Pokémon like Beartic and Golurk, two ‘mons much larger than the little Fire Mouse Pokémon.

Cyndaquil's location in a cave in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Look for Cyndaquil’s tiny flame. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Enter the cave, and you may find a Cyndaquil waiting for you inside. The Gen II Starter does somewhat blend in with the cave while being quite small, so it can be easy to miss if you aren’t careful. It will, however, be much easier to spot once its flames come out, so be on the lookout for that.

Author
Image of Karli Iwamasa
Karli Iwamasa
Karli is a freelance writer and editor for Dot Esports based in the Bay Area. She mostly writes about Pokémon with a focus on competitive VGC but also enjoys VALORANT.