Mid-stage Pokemon like Vulpix rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Ninetales, which is where the real potential kicks in. Only weak to Water, Ground, and Rock. Known as the Fox Pokemon.
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.
After long years in the ever-snowcapped mountains of Alola, this Vulpix has gained power over ice.
If you observe its curly hairs through a microscope, you’ll see small ice particles springing up.
Vulpix Weakness
AvgWater, Ground, and Rock-type 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.
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.
How to Evolve
Breed Vulpix easily with 138 breeding partners from the Ground egg group. Pass egg moves like Baby-Doll Eyes, Flail, Flame Charge and 4 more to offspring.
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Vulpix with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Max Defense and Speed EVs and Bold nature maximize that, and Drought handles the rest.
Best Build
Best Vulpix Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Flamethrower
- Toxic
- Protect
Recommended Teammates
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.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
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
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.
Vulpix is meant to evolve into Ninetales. At 299 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Watch for Starmie (Water), Golem (Ground), and Aerodactyl (Rock) when using Vulpix. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB.
Vulpix can evolve into Ninetales and Alolan Ninetales depending on the method. Vulpix is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.
Drought is what you want on Vulpix. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Flash Fire) work on paper but Drought is what makes Vulpix worth using.
At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Vulpix is a special attacker with base 50 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Vulpix appears in 21 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Vulpix has appeared in 21 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A