Vulpix Pokémon GO is a Fire-type Pokémon from the Kanto region that evolves into Ninetales using 50 Vulpix Candy. Vulpix will appear more frequently in the wild during the Pokémon GO Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers event, giving players another opportunity to hunt Shiny Vulpix and collect Candy for Ninetales.
Vulpix Pokémon GO should not be confused with Alolan Vulpix. Regular Vulpix is a Fire-type Pokémon that evolves into Fire-type Ninetales, while Alolan Vulpix is an Ice-type Pokémon that evolves into Alolan Ninetales.
This Vulpix Pokémon GO guide covers how to get Vulpix, Shiny Vulpix availability, evolution requirements, the best moveset, weaknesses, Arctic Embers appearances and whether Ninetales is worth building.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Details
| Vulpix details | Information |
|---|---|
| Pokédex number | #0037 |
| Name | Vulpix |
| Category | Fox Pokémon |
| Generation | Generation I |
| Original region | Kanto |
| Type | Fire |
| Evolution | Ninetales |
| Evolution cost | 50 Vulpix Candy |
| Shiny available | Yes |
| Maximum CP | 998 |
| Best general moveset | Quick Attack and Weather Ball Fire |
| Buddy distance | 3 km |
| Arctic Embers method | Wild encounters |
| Regional form | Alolan Vulpix |
Vulpix is known as the Fox Pokémon. It begins life with a single white tail that divides into six curled tails as it grows.
How to Get Vulpix in Pokémon GO
Vulpix Pokémon GO can appear as a standard wild encounter whenever it is included in the current seasonal spawn pool.
Vulpix may also become available through:
- Event wild encounters
- Field Research
- Timed Research
- Special Research
- Eggs
- One-star raids
- GO Battle League encounters
- Team GO Rocket encounters
- Trades
- Costumed event encounters
Vulpix availability changes throughout the year.
As a Fire-type Pokémon, Vulpix receives a weather boost during sunny or clear weather.
Weather-boosted Vulpix may appear at a higher level than ordinary wild encounters, potentially reducing the Candy and Stardust needed after evolution.
Vulpix During Pokémon GO Arctic Embers
Vulpix Pokémon GO is included among the standard wild encounters during the Summer Marathon: Arctic Embers event.
Arctic Embers runs from Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. until Monday, August 10, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
| Arctic Embers Vulpix details | Information |
|---|---|
| Event begins | August 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. |
| Event ends | August 10, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. |
| Encounter method | Wild |
| Available throughout event | Yes |
| Shiny available | Yes |
| Increased shiny chance announced | No |
Vulpix is part of the general Arctic Embers wild pool rather than the alternating daily schedule.
The alternating Pokémon are:
- Ponyta and Snover on August 4, 6, 8 and 10
- Slugma and Vanillite on August 5, 7, 9 and 10
Vulpix can therefore appear throughout the event instead of being restricted to selected dates.
Can Vulpix Be Shiny in Pokémon GO?
Yes, Vulpix can be shiny in Pokémon GO.
Normal Vulpix has an orange body with brown feet and orange tails. Shiny Vulpix changes to a pale yellow or golden body.
Shiny Vulpix can evolve into Shiny Ninetales.
The shiny status remains after evolution.
Players may encounter Shiny Vulpix through any eligible method where its shiny form is active, including:
- Wild encounters
- Research encounters
- Eggs
- Raids
- Team GO Rocket encounters
- Costumed encounters
- Trades
Each eligible Vulpix encounter provides a separate shiny check.
Is Shiny Vulpix Boosted During Arctic Embers?
An increased Shiny Vulpix chance has not been announced for Arctic Embers.
The event specifically confirms increased shiny chances for:
- Ponyta
- Slugma
- Snover
- Vanillite
Vulpix is confirmed as a wild event encounter, but it is not included in the announced increased-shiny group.
Players will still receive more opportunities to check Vulpix because of its event availability. More encounters can improve the practical chance of eventually finding a shiny, but that does not mean its individual shiny rate has been increased.
How to Find Shiny Vulpix During Arctic Embers
Players hunting Shiny Vulpix during Arctic Embers should try to increase the number of wild encounters they check.
Useful methods include:
- Walking through areas with several spawn points
- Visiting parks and town centres
- Using Incense while moving
- Placing Lure Modules on nearby PokéStops
- Checking the Nearby screen
- Playing during sunny weather
- Using an active Fire-type Mega Evolution
- Checking every Vulpix before leaving an area
Players do not need to catch every Vulpix to check whether it is shiny.
Opening the encounter is enough to reveal its shiny status.
However, catching Vulpix provides Candy, Stardust, XP and possible Candy XL.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Evolution
Vulpix Pokémon GO evolves into Ninetales using 50 Vulpix Candy.
| Vulpix evolution requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vulpix Candy | 50 |
| Evolution item | None |
| Buddy requirement | None |
| Walking requirement | None |
| Time requirement | None |
| Evolution | Ninetales |
Vulpix does not require a Fire Stone in Pokémon GO.
The main-series evolution item is replaced by a simple Candy requirement.
Players can evolve Vulpix at any time of day without making it their Buddy.
How to Evolve Vulpix Into Ninetales
To evolve Vulpix Pokémon GO into Ninetales:
- Open the Vulpix selected for evolution.
- Check that at least 50 Vulpix Candy is available.
- Check its shiny status and appraisal.
- Select Evolve.
- Confirm the evolution.
Regular Fire-type Vulpix will evolve into regular Fire-type Ninetales.
It cannot evolve into Alolan Ninetales.
Only Alolan Vulpix can evolve into Alolan Ninetales.
Is Vulpix Candy Shared With Alolan Vulpix?
Yes. Regular Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix use the same Vulpix Candy.
Candy earned from either form can be used to evolve or power up:
- Vulpix
- Ninetales
- Alolan Vulpix
- Alolan Ninetales
This makes Arctic Embers particularly useful because both forms are included among the event’s standard wild encounters.
Even when players catch the form they are not currently building, the Candy can still be used for the other form.
How to Get Vulpix Candy
Players can earn Vulpix Candy by:
- Catching Vulpix
- Catching Alolan Vulpix
- Using Pinap Berries
- Using Silver Pinap Berries
- Hatching either Vulpix form
- Walking Vulpix or Ninetales as a Buddy
- Transferring spare Vulpix
- Trading Vulpix
- Completing Research encounters
- Using Rare Candy
Players still needing both Ninetales forms should collect at least 100 Vulpix Candy.
That provides enough Candy to evolve:
- One regular Vulpix into Ninetales
- One Alolan Vulpix into Alolan Ninetales
Additional Candy will be needed for power-ups and second Charged Attacks.
Best Mega Evolution for Catching Vulpix
An active Fire-type Mega Evolution can provide additional Candy from Vulpix catches.
Useful choices include:
- Mega Charizard X
- Mega Charizard Y
- Mega Houndoom
- Mega Blaziken
- Mega Camerupt
Primal Groudon can also provide Fire-type catch benefits when its Primal Reversion is active.
A higher Mega Level can improve Candy and Candy XL rewards.
During Arctic Embers, a Fire-type Mega may also support Candy gains from other Fire Pokémon such as:
- Ponyta
- Growlithe
- Slugma
Players focusing mainly on the Ice side of the event may prefer an Ice-type Mega instead.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Best Moveset
The best Vulpix Pokémon GO moveset for general attacking is:
- Fast Attack: Quick Attack
- Charged Attack: Weather Ball Fire
Current battle data lists Quick Attack and Weather Ball Fire as Vulpix’s strongest general damage combination.
| Vulpix use | Recommended moveset |
|---|---|
| General attacking | Quick Attack and Weather Ball Fire |
| Fire-type damage | Ember and Weather Ball Fire |
| Trainer Battles | Quick Attack, Weather Ball Fire and Body Slam |
| Team GO Rocket | Quick Attack and Weather Ball Fire |
Quick Attack generates energy quickly and allows Vulpix to reach its Charged Attacks sooner.
Ember receives the same-type attack bonus from Vulpix’s Fire typing.
Weather Ball Fire is Vulpix’s most important Charged Attack because it is inexpensive and can be used frequently.
Vulpix itself is not a raid investment. Players should normally evolve it into Ninetales before spending significant Stardust.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Weaknesses
Vulpix Pokémon GO is weak against:
- Ground
- Rock
- Water
As a pure Fire-type Pokémon, Vulpix does not have a double weakness.
Strong Vulpix counters include Pokémon using powerful Ground, Rock or Water attacks.
Possible counters include:
- Primal Kyogre
- Mega Swampert
- Kyogre
- Primal Groudon
- Mega Garchomp
- Garchomp
- Rhyperior
- Rampardos
- Terrakion
- Tyrantrum
The best counter depends on the battle format and the attacks available to each Pokémon.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Resistances
Vulpix resists attacks from:
- Bug
- Fairy
- Fire
- Grass
- Ice
- Steel
Damage taken when Vulpix is hit by each type:
Weak to
Resists
Based on Fire typing. Abilities may modify these matchups.
These resistances can help Vulpix against several common attack types.
However, Vulpix has low overall stats and may still take substantial damage from strong neutral attacks.
Regular Ninetales retains the same pure Fire typing, weaknesses and resistances.
Vulpix Pokémon GO Stats
Vulpix has the following base stats:
| Vulpix stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack | 96 |
| Defence | 109 |
| Stamina | 116 |
| Maximum CP | 998 |
Vulpix’s low maximum CP reflects its position as an unevolved Pokémon.
It should not receive significant raid investment.
The primary reasons to catch Vulpix Pokémon GO are:
- Shiny hunting
- Ninetales evolution
- Vulpix Candy
- Pokédex completion
- PvP IV collection
- Costumed variants
- Shadow Vulpix
- Event collection challenges
Current Pokémon GO databases list Vulpix with a maximum CP of 998 at Level 50.
Vulpix Perfect IV CP
A perfect Vulpix has 15 Attack, 15 Defence and 15 Stamina IVs.
The exact CP depends on its level and encounter method.
Research encounters are normally caught at Level 15, while raid and Egg encounters are normally Level 20 without a weather boost.
Wild Vulpix can appear at a wider range of levels.
Players should check:
- Three-star Vulpix
- Perfect Vulpix
- Shiny Vulpix
- Low-Attack PvP Vulpix
- Shadow Vulpix
- Costumed Vulpix
- Large and tiny Vulpix
A lower appraisal does not automatically make a Vulpix useless.
Low Attack with high Defence and Stamina can be preferable for some Great League formats.
Which Vulpix Should You Evolve?
The best Vulpix Pokémon GO candidate depends on how Ninetales will be used.
| Intended use | Vulpix to prioritise |
|---|---|
| Great League | Low Attack with high Defence and Stamina |
| Ultra League | Suitable PvP IV combination |
| Collection | Shiny Vulpix |
| Perfect collection | 15/15/15 Vulpix |
| Lower power-up cost | Lucky Vulpix |
| Shadow battles | Strong Shadow Vulpix |
| Living Pokédex | Spare Vulpix and Ninetales |
| Costume collection | Eligible costumed Vulpix |
Players should avoid automatically evolving their first shiny.
Some may prefer to keep Shiny Vulpix unevolved until they obtain a second one for Shiny Ninetales.
Ninetales Pokémon GO Best Moveset
Ninetales is a pure Fire-type Pokémon.
A strong Ninetales moveset for Trainer Battles is:
- Fast Attack: Fire Spin
- Charged Attack: Weather Ball Fire
- Charged Attack: Overheat
| Ninetales use | Recommended moveset |
|---|---|
| General Fire damage | Fire Spin and Weather Ball Fire |
| Trainer Battles | Fire Spin, Weather Ball Fire and Overheat |
| Higher closing damage | Fire Spin and Overheat |
| Team GO Rocket | Fire Spin and Weather Ball Fire |
Weather Ball Fire provides quick and efficient damage.
Overheat deals significantly more damage but lowers Ninetales’ Attack after use in Trainer Battles.
The Attack reduction does not affect ordinary raid damage in the same way, but Ninetales is not a leading Fire raid attacker.
Is Ninetales Good in Pokémon GO?
Regular Ninetales has more value in PvP than in raids.
Its advantages include:
- Fast access to Weather Ball Fire
- Useful defensive bulk
- Several resistances
- Great League potential
- Ultra League potential in selected formats
- Straightforward evolution
- No evolution item
Its disadvantages include:
- Modest Attack
- Competition from stronger Fire Pokémon
- Weakness to common Water, Ground and Rock attacks
- Limited raid damage
- Expensive Ultra League power-ups
Ninetales is most useful in Great League and limited cups where Fire coverage is valuable.
Is Ninetales Good in Great League?
Ninetales can be useful in Great League.
A common moveset includes:
- Fire Spin
- Weather Ball Fire
- Overheat
Ninetales can pressure:
- Bug Pokémon
- Grass Pokémon
- Ice Pokémon
- Steel Pokémon
Weather Ball Fire allows Ninetales to apply consistent shield pressure.
Overheat provides a powerful finishing attack, although players must account for the Attack reduction after it is used.
Ninetales struggles against:
- Water Pokémon
- Ground Pokémon
- Rock Pokémon
- Dragon Pokémon that resist Fire
- Bulky neutral opponents
Players should pair Ninetales with teammates that cover Water, Ground and Rock weaknesses.
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Is Ninetales Good in Ultra League?
Ninetales can be used in Ultra League, but it may require Candy XL and a substantial Stardust investment.
Its usefulness depends on the active format and current move balance.
Regular Ninetales is more likely to find a role in restricted Ultra League cups than become a leading open Ultra League choice.
Players should check current PvP rankings before investing heavily.
A strong Great League Ninetales is generally a cheaper and safer project.
Is Ninetales Good for Raids?
Ninetales is not a leading Fire-type raid attacker.
Its Attack stat is lower than many dedicated Fire attackers, including:
- Reshiram
- Blacephalon
- Darmanitan
- Chandelure
- Volcarona
- Heatran
- Mega Blaziken
- Mega Charizard Y
Newer players can still use a high-level Ninetales when stronger options are unavailable.
However, it should not receive major Stardust investment purely for raids.
Is Shadow Ninetales Worth Building?
Shadow Ninetales deals more damage than regular Ninetales because of the Shadow Attack bonus.
The trade-offs are:
- Reduced Defence
- Higher power-up costs
- Higher second-attack cost
- Frustration must be removed during an eligible Team GO Rocket event
Shadow Ninetales may have use in selected PvP formats, but players should check its current rankings before investing.
A Shadow Vulpix should not be purified automatically.
Purification changes its stats, level, move access and Shadow status permanently.
Regular Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix Differences
Regular Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix share Candy but have different typings and battle roles.
| Feature | Regular Vulpix | Alolan Vulpix |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fire | Ice |
| Evolution | Ninetales | Alolan Ninetales |
| Evolution cost | 50 Candy | 50 Candy |
| Main PvP role | Fire pressure | Ice and Fairy pressure after evolution |
| Weather boost | Sunny | Snowy |
| Weaknesses | Ground, Rock, Water | Fighting, Fire, Rock, Steel |
| Shiny available | Yes | Yes |
Regular Vulpix cannot evolve into Alolan Ninetales.
Alolan Vulpix cannot evolve into regular Ninetales.
Players should check the Pokémon’s type and appearance before selecting Evolve.
Is Regular or Alolan Ninetales Better?
Alolan Ninetales generally has greater open PvP relevance because its Ice and Fairy typing gives it valuable coverage against Dragon, Dark, Flying, Fighting, Grass and Ground Pokémon.
Regular Ninetales still has value as a Fire-type Great League option.
| Evolution | Main strength |
|---|---|
| Ninetales | Fire-type shield pressure |
| Alolan Ninetales | Ice and Fairy PvP coverage |
The better choice depends on the player’s team.
Because both forms use the same Candy, players should avoid spending all their Vulpix Candy before checking whether they also need Alolan Ninetales.
Can Costumed Vulpix Evolve?
Whether a costumed Vulpix can evolve depends on the specific costume.
Some costumed Pokémon can evolve, while others cannot.
Players should open the costumed Vulpix and check whether an Evolve button appears.
A costumed Vulpix without an evolution option cannot be turned into Ninetales, even when the player has enough Candy.
Players should keep rare costumed Vulpix for collection value regardless of whether they can evolve.
Should You Evolve Vulpix During Arctic Embers?
Players do not need to evolve Vulpix Pokémon GO during Arctic Embers unless an event task requires it.
Waiting until the event ends allows players to compare:
- Shiny Vulpix
- Perfect Vulpix
- Great League IVs
- Ultra League IVs
- Shadow Vulpix
- Alolan Vulpix
- Available Vulpix Candy
Because regular and Alolan Vulpix share Candy, players should review both forms before choosing an evolution.
At least 100 Candy is required to obtain one Ninetales and one Alolan Ninetales.
Best Arctic Embers Vulpix Strategy
Players hunting Vulpix Pokémon GO during Arctic Embers should:
- Check every wild Vulpix
- Catch Vulpix for shared Candy
- Use Pinap Berries when Candy is needed
- Run a Fire-type Mega Evolution
- Check low-Attack catches for PvP
- Keep shiny and perfect Vulpix
- Save enough Candy for both Ninetales forms
- Avoid assuming its shiny chance is boosted
- Compare every catch before evolving
Vulpix is available throughout the event, so players do not need to target a specific alternating-spawn date.
Vulpix Pokédex Description
At the time of birth, it has just one tail. The tail splits from its tip as it grows older.
Vulpix begins life with one white tail. As it grows, the tail separates into six curled tails that become warmer and more colourful.
Is Vulpix Pokémon GO Worth Catching?
Vulpix Pokémon GO is worth catching during Arctic Embers for shiny checks, shared Vulpix Candy and Ninetales PvP candidates.
Its main value comes from:
- Shiny Vulpix availability
- Ninetales evolution
- Great League potential
- Shared Candy with Alolan Vulpix
- Shadow Vulpix availability
- Costumed variants
- Arctic Embers wild appearances
- Easy 50-Candy evolution
Regular Ninetales is not an essential raid attacker, but it can provide useful Fire-type pressure in Great League and restricted cups.
Players should prioritise Shiny Vulpix, perfect Vulpix, strong PvP IVs, rare costumes and valuable Shadow Vulpix before transferring their Arctic Embers catches.
