Stats & Training
Nothing fancy in Ninetales's spread. It leans mixed with Sp. Def out front. And you'll get 2 Sp. Def and Speed EVs per KO for it. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
Ninetales casts a sinister light from its bright red eyes to gain total control over its foe’s mind. This Pokémon is said to live for a thousand years.
Legend has it that Ninetales came into being when nine wizards possessing sacred powers merged into one. This Pokémon is highly intelligent—it can understand human speech.
Ninetales Weakness
Type-wise, Ninetales takes extra damage from Water, Ground, and Rock. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. 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 |
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Excadrill can KO Ninetales with Earthquake (122-144%). Gastrodon deals 55-65% with Scald.
Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemLeftovers NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x122-144%KO Rapid Spin21-24% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
Gastrodon WaterGround | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityStormdrain ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Gastrodon builds →Scald 2x55-65% | ||
Greninja WaterDark | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityProtean ItemAssault Vest NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse35-41% Scald 2x71-83% Blizzard16-19% | ||
Landorus Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Ninetales View Landorus builds →Focus Blast45-53% Earthquake 2x112-131%KO | ||
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Evolution
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 200 partners from the Ground egg group. Notable egg moves include Captivate, Disable, Extrasensory and 11 more.
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Ninetales Best Moveset
the remaining moves keeps opponents guessing about Ninetales's real targets. Heatrock provides extra utility while max HP and Speed EVs and Timid nature handle the stat profile. Drought ties it together.
Best Build
Ninetales best EVs are HP and Speed
Doubles Bulky Support Moveset
- Heat Wave
- Protect
- Solar Beam
- Will O Wisp
Recommended Teammates
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Fire Blast
- Solar Beam
- Flamethrower
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Breeding's the move. Captivate and Disable give Ninetales options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 7 types already covers a decent range on top of Overheat and Flare Blitz. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Ninetales in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Can't catch Ninetales directly. Start with Vulpix at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 2-stage line from Vulpix to Ninetales is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Ninetales in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Vulpix is your first catch on the way to Ninetales. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 15-38 across 14 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch VulpixMt. Pyre - Area 5Omega RubyGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 5Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 6Omega RubyGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 6Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 7Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 7Omega RubyGrass Lv.15 Cave5%EarlyHorde battleMt. Pyre - Area 5Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMt. Pyre - Area 5Omega RubyGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMt. Pyre - Area 6Omega RubyGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMt. Pyre - Area 6Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMt. Pyre - Area 7Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMt. Pyre - Area 7Omega RubyGrass Lv.29-31 Cave8%MidMirage Spots - Area 2Alpha SapphireGrass Lv.36-386%LateMirage Spots - Area 2Omega RubyGrass Lv.36-386%Late
Step 2Ninetales ✓
Ninetales Guide
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Ninetales looks average on paper at 505 BST. But Drought is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. B-Tier pivot on our tier list. Heat Wave with Heatrock is the standard set.
Ninetales gets Drought and Flash Fire. But Drought is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Ninetales is a special attacker with base 81 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the pivot role.
For Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the core moveset is Heat Wave, Protect, Solarbeam, and Will O Wisp. Heat Wave leads at 20% usage. This set covers the pivot role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Available since Red & Blue, Ninetales appears in 21 games spanning 10 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.
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
