#0170 · Johto · Generation 2

Chinchou

Angler Pokémon · Water/Electric-type

Chinchou is a Water/Electric-type Pokémon, the Angler Pokémon, number 170 (#0170) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 12 kg.

Chinchou is the Angler Pokémon, a small blue fish whose two glowing antennae are its only way to talk in the dark ocean depths. The same antennae shoot positive and negative electricity at enemies.

How to pronounce Chinchou

Chinchou is pronounced CHIN-chow. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Chinchou said out loud:

In Japanese it is チョンチー (Chonchie).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Chinchou is a round blue fish with big yellow eyes, plus-shaped pupils, small pale fins and stubby feet. Two antennae that grew from a fin curl over its head, each ending in a yellow orb. It is 0.5 m long and weighs 12.0 kg. The Pokédex says its antennae are full of electricity-making cells, so powerful that Chinchou tingles slightly.

Behaviour

Chinchou lives beyond the reach of sunlight, so its constantly flashing lights are its only means of communication. The Pokédex says Chinchou blink their antennae at each other to claim turf, and that the glow also lures prey, which it stuns with electricity before attacking.

Habitat

The Pokédex habitat is the sea, and Bulbapedia says it lives on the dark ocean floor and rarely comes up to the surface. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in the wild only in the Terarium of The Indigo Disk.

Powers

Its Abilities are Volt Absorb and Illuminate, with Water Absorb hidden. It combines Water moves such as Water Gun, Bubble Beam and Hydro Pump with Electric ones like Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Spark and Discharge, and adds Confuse Ray. With base 75 HP it is a sturdy base for Lanturn.

Name origin

Chinchou may come from chōchin, the Japanese for 'lantern', or from chōchin-ankō, the footballfish. The Japanese name is Chonchie (チョンチー), which may come from the same words.

Design inspiration

Bulbapedia reads Chinchou as an anglerfish, specifically a footballfish, a deep-sea fish with a glowing lure on its head. The Pokédex adds that its antennae developed from a fin. This is a fan reading.

Evolution notes

Chinchou evolves into Lanturn at level 27.

In the games

You catch Chinchou with a rod, as players have since Gold and Silver. In Scarlet and Violet it appears in The Indigo Disk's Canyon Biome and in 1-star and 3-star Tera Raid Battles at Blueberry Academy. It is not available in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Dayton's Chinchou made their series debut in 'Takin' It on the Chinchou', the story of a parade celebrating newly hatched Chinchou migrating from the mountains to the sea. In Pokémon Journeys, Goh caught one in 'Octo-Gridlock at the Gym!'.

Fun facts

• The vowels in its English name run in the reverse order of those in its Japanese name, Bulbapedia notes.
• Chinchou and Lanturn are the only Electric types in the Water 2 Egg Group.
• Bulbapedia notes an oddity: Chinchou is shown walking on land in both the anime and the games, yet it can be caught only in water and has no footprint.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Chinchou (Pokémon) · Serebii: Chinchou (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 75
• Attack: 38
• Defense: 38
• Sp. Atk: 56
• Sp. Def: 56
• Speed: 67

Chinchou’s base stat total is 330. Its highest stat is HP.

Type matchups

What is Chinchou weak to?

Chinchou takes extra damage from Grass (2×), Ground (2×) moves.

It resists Steel (¼×), Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Flying (½×).

Evolution

How does Chinchou evolve?

Chinchou evolves into Lanturn at level 27.

The whole family: Chinchou, Lanturn.

Abilities

• Volt Absorb: Absorbs Electric moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
• Illuminate: Doubles the wild encounter rate.
• Water Absorb (hidden ability): Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.

Moves

Moves Chinchou learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (40)

Chinchou can learn 40 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Agility, Protect, Water Pulse, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Chilling Water, Charge Beam, Facade, Icy Wind, Endure, Volt Switch, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Electro Ball, Waterfall, Dazzling Gleam, Thunder Wave, Rest, Eerie Impulse, Substitute, Liquidation, Surf, Thunderbolt, Amnesia, Ice Beam, Electric Terrain, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Wild Charge, Thunder, Tera Blast, Charge, Scald, Flip Turn, Double-Edge, Whirlpool, Muddy Water, Electroweb, Curse.

Egg moves (5):Mist, Psybeam, Soak, Sucker Punch, Water Pulse.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Water 2.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 HP effort value.
• Base experience yield: 66.

Pokédex entries

On the dark ocean floor, its only means of communication is its constantly flashing lights. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, X, Shield)

Its antennae, which evolved from a fin, have both positive and negative charges flowing through them. (Crystal, Sword)

Chinchou blink their shining antennae at one another to claim their respective turf. (Ultra Moon)

Its two antennae glow softly to lure in prey, making it a useful Pokémon for night fishing. (Ultra Sun)

It lives in the depths beyond the reach of sunlight. It flashes lights on its antennae to communicate with others of its kind. (Moon)

Its two antennae were originally fins. It discharges electricity to stun its prey before attacking. (Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 31% of all Pokémon (12 kg).
• Base stat total 330, ranked #741 of 1,025.
• One of 2 Pokémon that are both Water and Electric.
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 19 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 50 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 11 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Chinchou (Pokémon), Serebii: Chinchou (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (CHIN-chow): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Electric-type Pokémon · Water/Electric weaknesses and matchups · Johto region guide · Volt Absorb ability · Illuminate ability · Water Absorb ability · Compare Chinchou · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 2 Water-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Electric-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Water 2 egg group · Pokémon that start with C · Fish Pokémon

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