Sp. Def and Speed carry most of Vulpix's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
These Pokémon live in packs in the snowy mountains and defend themselves with icy breath. I suspect this species changed its form to adapt to the frigid climate.
Water, Ground, and Rock moves hit Vulpix for super-effective damage. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Vulpix's special bulk (base 65 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 |
Excadrill can KO Vulpix with Earthquake (241-284%). Hippowdon threatens a KO with Earthquake (171-201%).
 Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Vulpix View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x241-284%KO Rapid Spin41-48% | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Vulpix View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x171-201%KO | ||
 Toxapex PoisonWater | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureBold Moves View Toxapex builds →
| ||
 Garganacl Rock | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityPurifyingsalt ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Garganacl builds →
| ||
 Swampert WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Vulpix View Swampert builds →Earthquake 2x229-270%KO Flip Turn 2x138-162%KO Knock Off49-58% | ||
Vulpix doesn't evolve by leveling. You'll need an evolution item to push it forward to Ninetales. The evolved forms gain up to 206 total stats over Vulpix. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Vulpix easily with 278 breeding partners from the Ground egg group.
max HP and Sp. Def EVs and Calm nature turn Vulpix into a wall that doesn't fold easily. Focus Sash brings a guaranteed survive from full HP for the long game, and the moveset handles sustain. Drought fills in the gaps.
Best Build
Vulpix best EVs are Sp. Def and HP
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Memento
- Healing Wish
- Baton Pass
- Hypnosis
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Weather Ball
- Disable
- Encore
Recommended Teammates
Support Moveset
- Pain Split
- Quick Attack
- Roar
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.
Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.
Bulky Support Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
- Protect
Bulky Support Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Level-up moves are just the starting point for Vulpix. TMs unlock Normal and Psychic coverage and more and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Overheat and Flare Blitz into something with actual range.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
A solid spread overall. Vulpix gets Fire Blast and Flamethrower for same-type damage alongside Normal and Ghost coverage and more. It won't blow anyone away, but it doesn't leave you stuck either.
Without breeding, Vulpix misses out on Baby-Doll Eyes and Disable. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Overheat and Flare Blitz, with coverage across 7 types rounding things out.
Without breeding, Vulpix misses out on Baby-Doll Eyes and Flail. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Overheat and Flare Blitz, with coverage across 7 types rounding things out.
No wild encounters for Vulpix in Scarlet & Violet. It's available in Blue, Yellow, or Omega Ruby and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
decent spawn rates for Vulpix across 1 locations in mid-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Best Locations to Catch Vulpix in Legends: Arceus
A handful of locations for Vulpix with moderate rates across endgame routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Best Locations to Catch Vulpix in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
You can find Vulpix through 4 walking encounters at Lv. 58-63. The list is sorted by game progression, so the earliest accessible spots show up first.
Easy grab on Vulpix with high spawn rates across 21 locations in early-game routes. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations to Catch Vulpix in Sword & Shield
Before you go hunting for Vulpix, check which of the 21 spots belong to your version. Sword and Shield each have different walking encounters at Lv. 7-47.
Multiple options from Vulpix: Ninetales using a Fire Stone and Alolan Ninetales using a Ice Stone. Each branch takes the 299 BST base in a different direction.
You can run Vulpix through the first few routes without issues. 299 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Ninetales as fast as you can.
You won't have trouble finding Vulpix. It's been around since Scarlet & Violet and appears in 21 games total. Latest appearances: Yellow and Red & Blue.
Vulpix has an Alolan form that swaps the typing and reshuffles the stats. Introduced in Gen 7. Worth checking if the original version doesn't fit your team.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Vulpix has appeared in 21 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves