Is Ninetales Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Fire Stone on Vulpix. AbilityFlash Fire absorbs Fire attacks entirely. Fast with good special Attack. HGSS has a shallow Fire roster, so Ninetales fills a gap others can't. Handles Jasmine and Pryce through Fire coverage.
Vulpix has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Vulpix resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Vulpix trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Chuck's team.
Ninetales resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Clair's team hits Ninetales's weaknesses hard.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Ninetales resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Ninetales trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Will's team.
Ninetales resists most of Koga's coverage and hits back hard.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Ninetales has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Lance's team hits Ninetales's weaknesses hard.
Catch Vulpix
Catch Vulpix on Route 36 (walking, Lv 13, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Bugsy
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- TUTORNormalHeadbuttPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 15Ilex Forest
- LV 24FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- After Clair
- TM79DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Sold by the TM clerk on 3F of the Celadon Department Store
- LV 44PsychicExtrasensoryPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 30
- LV 47FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5
Evolve Vulpix to Ninetales
Vulpix evolves into Ninetales with a Fire Stone. You can receive the Fire Stone from an NPC in Route 36. 1 other location is also available.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 19)
- LV 19DarkNasty PlotPower —Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM35FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
- After Clair
- TM79DarkDark PulsePower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Sold by the TM clerk on 3F of the Celadon Department Store
How to Get Ninetales in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Ninetales has no wild encounters. A Fire Stone on the SoulSilver Vulpix evolves it, which means HeartGold players have to trade a Vulpix in before they can even start the line. The stone does the rest once you have the fox.
Wild Ninetales may be holding when caught:
Rawst Berry (always) It may be used or held by a Pokemon to recover from a burn.Catch Vulpix at any of these 5 spots to eventually evolve into Ninetales.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
- 1Catch Vulpix
- 2Evolve NinetalesUse Fire Stone
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8How to Obtain Ninetales in HGSS
Vulpix is your first catch on the way to Ninetales. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 13-24 across 10 total spots in the chain.
How to Get Shiny Ninetales in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Ninetales needs a Fire Stone, so breed a Vulpix Masuda-style and evolve it once it shines. Compare Shiny Ninetales odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Ninetales Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
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 | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
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 HeartGold & SoulSilver 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
 Rampardos Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Cranidos (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Rampardos builds →Head Smash 2x223-263%KO Earthquake 2x100-117%KO Surf 2x35-41% | ||
 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% | ||
 Gyarados Water | S | |
Obtain MethodLake Of Rage Good Rod Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Gyarados builds →Aqua Tail 2x105-124%KO Earthquake 2x78-93% Stone Edge 2x78-93% | ||
 Suicune Water | A | |
Obtain MethodBurned Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Suicune builds →Surf 2x67-80% Dig 2x42-49% | ||
 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 (Pewter 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 (Goldenrod City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x79-93% Dig 2x36-43% | ||
 Golduck Water | C | |
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Golduck builds →Hydro Pump 2x88-103%KO Dig 2x44-52% | ||
 Tentacruel WaterPoison | B | |
Obtain MethodCherrygrove City Surfing | ||
 Omastar RockWater | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Omanyte (Pewter City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Omastar builds →Hydro Pump 2x104-123%KO Ancient Power 2x53-62% Mud Shot 2x33-38% | ||
 Tyranitar RockDark | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Tyranitar builds →Stone Edge 2x126-148%KO Earthquake 2x84-99% Surf 2x47-55% | ||
 Slowbro WaterPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodSlowpoke Well Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Slowbro builds →Surf 2x74-87% Earthquake 2x52-61% | ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Mudkip (Silph Co Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x105-124%KO Waterfall 2x84-99% Stone Edge 2x70-83% | ||
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 9 more.
HGSS Ninetales Best Moveset
Incoming Fire attacks become free power boosts through AbilityFlash Fire, and 100 Speed outruns most threats. The moveset fires special Fire attacks from 81 Sp. Atk and takes special hits at 100 Sp. Def. Good matchup against other Fire types, thin against physical attackers.
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 coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Flare Blitz and Fire Blast. 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
All 21 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
Some legends claim that each of its nine tails has its own unique type of special mystical power.
Its nine beautiful tails are filled with a wondrous energy that could keep it alive for 1,000 years.
Ninetales HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Ninetales plays as a pivot. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move. Flamethrower is the primary attack.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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 HeartGold & SoulSilver, 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
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