Why Ninetales is the Best Pokémon

Ninetales stands out as the best Pokémon due to its elegant design, versatile strategic capabilities, rich lore, and unique combination of power and beauty. Its Drought ability fundamentally changes the battlefield, powering up Fire-type attacks and enabling devastating Solar Beams. Its access to moves like Nasty Plot and its viability as a Special Attacker, coupled with its captivating backstory steeped in myth and legend, make it an exceptional choice. Ninetales isn’t just a strong Pokémon; it embodies the spirit of the series, blending aesthetic appeal with tactical depth, making it a timeless fan favorite and the pinnacle of Pokémon design.

The Fiery Fox: An In-Depth Look

Ninetales has captivated trainers since the first generation of Pokémon. Its beautiful, fox-like appearance, complete with nine flowing tails, immediately sets it apart. But its beauty is more than skin deep; Ninetales boasts a potent combination of abilities and moves that make it a formidable opponent in both casual and competitive play. Let’s delve into the reasons why this Fire-type is truly exceptional.

Beauty and Power: A Rare Combination

Many Pokémon are powerful, and many are aesthetically pleasing. Ninetales manages to be both, creating a compelling package that appeals to a wide range of players. Its design draws heavily from Japanese folklore, specifically the kitsune, mythical foxes known for their intelligence, long lifespans, and magical abilities. This cultural resonance gives Ninetales a depth and intrigue that many other Pokémon lack. This integration of culture is precisely the sort of thing explored at places such as the Games Learning Society.

The Drought Ability: Changing the Game

Ninetales’ signature ability, Drought, is a game-changer. Upon entering the battlefield, Drought summons intense sunlight, boosting the power of Fire-type moves by 50% and allowing Solar Beam to be used in a single turn. This has huge implications for team composition and strategy.

• Boosting Fire-Type Attacks: The immediate power increase makes Ninetales’ own Fire-type moves devastating. Moves like Flamethrower, Fire Blast, and Overheat become incredibly potent, turning Ninetales into a powerful special attacker.

• Enabling Solar Beam: The ability to use Solar Beam in one turn removes its usual drawback, allowing Ninetales to counter Water, Rock, and Ground-type Pokémon that would otherwise pose a threat.

• Synergy with Sun Teams: Drought makes Ninetales a cornerstone of “Sun teams,” teams built around benefiting from sunny weather. Other Pokémon with abilities or moves that synergize with sunlight, such as Chlorophyll users (who gain increased speed) or Pokémon with the move Growth (which gets a double stat boost) can thrive alongside Ninetales.

Versatile Attacking Options

Ninetales isn’t just a one-trick pony. It has a wide range of attacking options, making it difficult for opponents to predict its moveset.

• Nasty Plot: This move sharply raises Ninetales’ Special Attack stat, turning it into a fearsome wallbreaker. With a boosted Special Attack, even resisted hits can deal significant damage.

• Choice Specs: Equipping Ninetales with Choice Specs further amplifies its Special Attack, making it an immediate threat. This strategy sacrifices versatility for raw power, making every attack count.

• Coverage Moves: Ninetales also has access to a variety of coverage moves, allowing it to hit Pokémon that resist Fire-type attacks. Solar Beam covers Water, Rock, and Ground types, while moves like Hidden Power (Ice, Ground, etc.) can target specific threats.

Defensive Utility and Support

While primarily an attacker, Ninetales has some defensive utility and support options as well.

• Will-O-Wisp: This move inflicts a burn on the target, halving their physical attack and dealing damage over time. It’s a great way to cripple physical attackers.

• Confuse Ray: Confusing opponents can disrupt their strategies and potentially lead to them hurting themselves in confusion.

• Hypnosis: Although somewhat unreliable due to its accuracy, Hypnosis can put an opponent to sleep, giving Ninetales or its teammates a free turn.

Mythological Significance and Design

Ninetales is not merely a creature of stats and moves; it’s imbued with rich lore drawn from Japanese mythology. The inspiration from the kitsune brings a layer of mystique and cultural relevance that resonates with players who appreciate the narrative and world-building aspects of the Pokémon universe.

• The Nine Tails: Each of Ninetales’ tails is said to possess a different mystical power. This adds to the sense of wonder and makes Ninetales feel like a creature of immense power and ancient wisdom.

• Longevity and Intelligence: According to lore, Ninetales can live for 1,000 years and can understand human speech. This paints a picture of a wise and intelligent being, further enhancing its appeal.

Alolan Ninetales: A Snowy Variant

The introduction of Alolan Ninetales, a Ice/Fairy-type variant from the Alola region, added another layer of complexity and appeal to the Ninetales lineage. Alolan Ninetales has its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, making it a distinct and valuable Pokémon.

• Snow Warning: Alolan Ninetales’ ability, Snow Warning, summons hail upon entering the battlefield. This can benefit Ice-type Pokémon on its team and disrupt weather-based strategies from opponents.

• Fairy Typing: The addition of the Fairy type gives Alolan Ninetales access to powerful Fairy-type moves like Moonblast, which provides excellent coverage.

• Unique Design: Alolan Ninetales’ elegant, white fur and graceful appearance make it a visually striking Pokémon that is distinctly different from its Fire-type counterpart.

Conclusion: Why Ninetales Remains the Best

Ninetales is more than just a powerful Fire-type Pokémon; it’s an embodiment of elegance, versatility, and mythical significance. Its Drought ability, combined with its potent offensive options and captivating design, makes it a standout Pokémon that has endured the test of time. Whether you’re building a competitive Sun team, exploring the lore of the Pokémon world, or simply appreciating its stunning design, Ninetales is a Pokémon that offers something for everyone. It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of the Pokémon franchise and a prime example of why these creatures continue to capture the hearts and imaginations of players around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ninetales

1. Is Ninetales a good Pokémon?

Yes! Ninetales is an excellent Pokémon, especially in formats where its Drought ability can be leveraged. It’s a strong special attacker with access to powerful Fire-type moves and useful coverage options like Solar Beam. Its strategic value is substantial, making it a worthwhile addition to many teams.

2. Is Ninetales better than Vulpix?

Absolutely. While Vulpix is cute, its stats are far too low to be competitively viable. Ninetales, on the other hand, has significantly higher stats that justify the time spent training it. Ninetales’ movepool also expands to include more powerful and strategic options.

3. Is Ninetales better than Charizard?

It depends on the context. For Sun teams, Ninetales is often preferred due to its Drought ability, freeing up the Mega slot for another Pokémon. Mega Charizard Y also gets Drought, but it occupies the valuable Mega Evolution slot. Without the Sun team strategy, Charizard generally is considered to have more raw power and versatility.

4. Who is better, Ninetales or Arcanine?

For a Sun team, Ninetales is typically better due to its Drought ability, which boosts Fire-type moves and enables one-turn Solar Beams. As a standalone Pokémon, Arcanine is often considered more versatile due to its access to multiple abilities and a wider range of moves across both physical and special categories.

5. How good was Ninetales historically in competitive Pokémon?

Ninetales has seen varying levels of success throughout the different generations of Pokémon. In earlier generations, it was less prominent due to limited movepools and more powerful Pokémon. However, with the introduction of the Drought ability, it gained significant traction as a key component of Sun teams. It has consistently been a niche but viable pick in many competitive formats.

6. Why is Arcanine sometimes considered better than Charizard?

Arcanine boasts a higher physical attack stat and access to powerful physical moves like Close Combat, Wild Charge, and Extreme Speed, which Charizard lacks. While slower, Arcanine has more HP and the Intimidate ability, which reduces the opponent’s Attack stat, adding to its defensive capabilities.

7. Which is stronger, Rapidash or Ninetales?

Ninetales is generally considered stronger. While their Special Attack stats are comparable, Ninetales’ strategic advantage lies in its Drought ability and access to moves like Nasty Plot, which can significantly boost its damage output.

8. What is the best Fire-type Pokémon overall?

The “best” is subjective and depends on the specific format and team composition. However, some of the most powerful Fire-types include Primal Groudon, Moltres, Entei, Blaziken, and Infernape, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

9. Is Ninetales a rare Pokémon card?

Yes, certain Ninetales Pokémon cards, particularly those with special artwork or holographic effects, can be quite rare and valuable, especially in mint condition.

10. Why was Vulpix sometimes banned in certain formats?

In specific formats like Little Cup, Vulpix can be banned because its Drought ability can provide too much support to powerful Pokémon like Bulbasaur, creating an unbalanced and overly dominant archetype in Sun teams.

11. Why is Arcanine stronger than Ninetales in some aspects?

Arcanine generally has higher base stats overall than Ninetales. The base stats for most of the stats is a difference of 50 points.

12. Is Ninetales BREAK rare?

Yes, Ninetales BREAK cards are generally considered rare, especially those from older sets. These cards often feature unique artwork and powerful abilities, making them desirable among collectors.

13. Is Vulpix worth evolving?

Definitely! Vulpix may be weak on its own, but evolving it into Ninetales is absolutely worth it. Ninetales’ improved stats, powerful movepool, and access to the Drought ability make it a formidable Pokémon.

14. What is Ninetales known for in the Pokémon world?

Ninetales is known for its beauty, intelligence, and mythical connection to the kitsune of Japanese folklore. It is said to live for 1,000 years, and each of its nine tails is believed to possess a different mystical power.

15. What are the best counters for Ninetales in Pokémon GO?

The best counters for Ninetales in Pokémon GO include powerful Water, Rock, and Ground-type Pokémon. Mega Evolutions like Mega Swampert, Mega Blastoise, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are excellent choices, along with strong attackers like Rampardos and Kyogre.