Is Ninetales Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Fire Stone evolution from Vulpix. AbilityFlash Fire for Fire immunity. Ninetales handles Aaron, Byron, and Candice through Fire coverage. In a region with almost no native Fire options, Ninetales is one of the better Dual Slot gets.
Roark's team hits Vulpix's weaknesses hard.
Vulpix trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Fantina's team.
Ninetales resists most of Byron's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales resists most of Candice's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Bertha's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Lucian's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Ninetales resists most of Jupiter's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales resists most of Saturn's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Vulpix
Catch Vulpix on Route 209 (walking, Lv 16, rare). Pokémon LeafGreen in GBA slot.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10Maniac Tunnel
- LV 24FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Fantina
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Iron Island
- LV 44PsychicExtrasensoryPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 30
- LV 47FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5
- After Volkner
- TM79DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Victory Road
- Post-Game
- TM50FireOverheatPower 210Accuracy 90%PP 5Stark Mountain
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Vulpix to Ninetales
Vulpix evolves into Ninetales with a Fire Stone. You can pick up the Fire Stone in Fuego Ironworks. 1 other location is also available.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 22)
- LV 22DarkNasty PlotPower —Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Gardenia
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Lake Verity
- TM35FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Veilstone Game Corner
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Veilstone Department Store
- After Candice
- TM85PsychicDream EaterPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Valor Lakefront
- Post-Game
- TM50FireOverheatPower 210Accuracy 90%PP 5Stark Mountain
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Ninetales in Diamond & Pearl
A Fire Stone on a dual-slot Vulpix is the only way to Ninetales, which has no catchable spot of its own. The line only exists if you run LeafGreen in the GBA port first.
Wild Ninetales may be holding when caught:
Rawst Berry (always) Held: Consumed when burned to cure a burn.Catch Vulpix at any of these 2 spots to eventually evolve into Ninetales.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Vulpix
- 2Evolve NinetalesUse Fire Stone
Badge 2
Badge 3How to Obtain Ninetales in DP
The path to Ninetales starts with Vulpix at Lv. 16-24 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 2Ninetales ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Vulpix egg.
How to Get Shiny Ninetales in Diamond & Pearl
Ninetales needs a Fire Stone, so chain a shiny Vulpix on Route 209 or Route 214 for the 1 in 200 rate before you evolve it. Compare Shiny Ninetales odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Ninetales Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is PokeRadar Chain at full boosts, about 1 in 200 on each try. Tune it below.
PokeRadar Chain: Chain shaking-grass patches without breaking the combo. The rate peaks at a chain of 40.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 22-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 58-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 139-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 460-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Ninetales in the Diamond & Pearl Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Ninetales Weakness
Type-wise, Ninetales takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. The Fire typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Ninetales's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Ninetales Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Ninetales
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x122-143%KO Stone Edge 2x81-96% Surf 2x41-48% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x81-96% Stone Edge 2x54-64% | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x122-143%KO Stone Edge 2x122-143%KO Surf 2x27-32% | ||
 Kabutops RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Kabuto (Oreburgh City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Kabutops builds →Waterfall 2x88-103%KO Stone Edge 2x109-129%KO Dig 2x59-69% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Hearthome City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x79-93% Dig 2x36-43% | ||
 Empoleon WaterSteel | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Piplup (Lake Verity Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Empoleon builds →Hydro Pump 2x100-118%KO Earthquake 2x58-68% Rock Slide 2x43-51% | ||
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Oreburgh City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Omastar builds →Hydro Pump 2x104-123%KO Ancient Power 2x53-62% Mud Shot 2x33-38% | ||
 Golduck Water | C | |
Obtain MethodCelestic Town Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Golduck builds →Hydro Pump 2x88-103%KO Dig 2x44-52% | ||
 Kingler Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Kingler builds →Crabhammer 2x122-143%KO Dig 2x65-77% Rock Slide 2x61-72% | ||
 Floatzel Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Floatzel builds →Waterfall 2x81-96% Dig 2x54-64% Rock Tomb 2x34-40% | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Torterra builds →Earthquake 2x104-123%KO Stone Edge 2x69-82% | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x93-109%KO Stone Edge 2x62-73% | ||
 Armaldo RockBug | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Anorith (Oreburgh City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Armaldo builds →Stone Edge 2x118-139%KO Earthquake 2x78-93% Water Pulse 2x23-28% | ||
 Azumarill Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Azurill (Great Marsh Surfing) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Azumarill builds →Hydro Pump 2x61-72% Dig 2x31-36% Rollout 2x12-15% | ||
Ninetales Evolutions
Ninetales evolved from Vulpix's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Vulpix eggs (average hatch time). The evolution from Vulpix pushed Ninetales to 505 total stats. HP saw the largest single gain at +35. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Ninetales to get Vulpix eggs easily using 131 partners from the Field egg group. Notable egg moves include Disable, Energy Ball, Extrasensory and 8 more.
DP Ninetales Best Moveset
Incoming Fire attacks become free power boosts through AbilityFlash Fire, and 100 Speed gets Ninetales acting before most of the field. 81 Sp. Atk is workable for special Fire attacks but not overwhelming, and the moveset needs hazards cleared since Fire typing eats 25% from MoveStealth Rock per switch.
Best Build
Ninetales best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Nasty Plot
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding's the move. Disable and Energy Ball give Ninetales options it can't learn any other way, and Normal and Dark coverage and more already covers a decent range on top of Overheat and Flare Blitz. The egg moves push it further.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
29 of 33 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Its nine tails are said to be imbued with a mystic power. It can live for a thousand years.
Ninetales Diamond & Pearl Guide
In Diamond & Pearl, Ninetales plays as a pivot. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move. Flamethrower is the primary attack.
In Diamond & Pearl, Ninetales pairs best with Gengar, Crobat, and Forretress. Gengar has Decent synergy and covers what Ninetales can't handle on its own.
Yes. Alolan Ninetales is a regional variant with different typing and a reworked stat spread. Introduced in Gen 7. Plays completely differently from the original.
In Diamond & Pearl, Timid is the go-to nature for Ninetales. That's +Speed / -Attack. Pair it with 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the pivot role.
Game Availability
Available since Red & Blue, Ninetales appears in 21 games spanning 9 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Ninetales.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List