Pokemon Scarlet and Violet kicked off the franchise’s ninth generation on the Nintendo Switch, but there will likely be more titles as part of the generation in the future. Nonetheless, Scarlet and Violet introduced plenty of new Pocket Monsters of different types. This includes the Fairy typing, which saw eight new additions to the roster so far, and more will likely be introduced in the DLCs.
But which new Fairy-type creatures are the best of their kind in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? It may depend on who is asked, but some Fairy-type Pocket Monsters have seen an outsized use in battles, particularly in the VGC.
For Pokemon fans making their first forays into the Generation IX games, it doesn’t hurt to rank the worst to best options before the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLCs make their debut later this year.
Note: This ranking is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer
Ranking All New Pokemon Generation IX Fairy-Types So Far
8) Fidough
Although it technically has a higher IV stat total (312) than Tinkatink (297) in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Fidough has the issue of being a mono Fairy-type creature. Meanwhile, Tinkatink has the benefit of nullifying a few of its weaknesses thanks to its partial Steel typing.
Regardless, Fidough is quite adorable and has some limited uses in battle early on in a player’s Paldean adventures. Although it doesn’t have a particularly great learnset by leveling up, it can improve upon its battle effectiveness by learning moves from TMs, including Dazzling Gleam, Play Rough, and Psychic Fangs.
7) Tinkatink
As far as Fairy-type creatures go in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Tinkatink is one of the best and can be caught early in the game. It has a fairly unique Fairy/Steel typing and ultimately evolves into Tinkatuff and Tinkaton. Tinkatink doesn’t have the IV spread total that Fidough has, but its type combination picks up the slack.
Tinktatink’s learnset in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is surprisingly well-rounded for a creature that hasn’t evolved yet, including moves like Brutal Swing, Play Rough, and even Flash Cannon. However, it’s still best to evolve Tinkatink early on to maximize its battle capabilities.
6) Tinkatuff
Tinkatuff is Tinkatink’s first evolution in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, though the similarities between the two are quite numerous. Aside from having a higher IV stat total of 380 points, Tinkatuff is essentially just a higher-stat iteration of Tinkatink with a few more learnable TM moves.
Nonetheless, trainers should be able to use Tinkatuff in a solid role, thanks to its Fairy/Steel typing until they evolve it into Tinkaton. This maximizes the creature’s battle capabilities, even if it falls short of some other Fairy-type picks in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
5) Dachsbun
With an increased IV total of 477, Dachsbun has much more to offer compared to Fidough despite remaining a mono Fairy-type post-evolution. Its best stat in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet tends to be its Defense, making it great at dealing with physical attackers, especially Dark and Fighting-type foes that pop up often in the VGC.
With its high Defense stats and ability to use many different move types, thanks to its broad TM learnset, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players shouldn’t sleep on Dachsbun completely just because it’s one of the earliest Pocket Monsters they can obtain.
4) Tinkaton
Tinkatink and Tinkatuff’s final evolution has plenty to offer in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet even if it isn’t the top Fairy-type of Generation IX. It has a great collection of potential abilities like Mold Breaker, Own Tempo, and the Hidden Ability Pickpocket. It also benefits from a solid 506-point IV stat total.
Combining quality Speed, Special Defense, and HP stats, Tinkaton isn’t a huge damage dealer in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Be that as it may, it can still hit hard on occasion, thanks to access to moves like Play Rough, Steel Beam, and Stone Edge to give it good type coverage. This is especially true when it’s battling Fire-types that can give it trouble.
3) Scream Tail
The first Fairy-type Paradox Species on this list is Pokemon Scarlet’s version of Jigglypuff from the distant past, Scream Tail. Thanks to the ability Protosynthesis, harsh sunlight and Booster Energy can enhance Scream Tail’s best stat by 30%. This improvement jumps to 50% when its highest stat is Speed.
With high HP, Special Defense, and Speed IVs, trainers can build Scream Tail in quite a few ways. Furthermore, its status as a Fairy/Psychic-type creature can make it a nightmare to deal with for many Dark, Poison, and Fighting-type opponents it faces.
2) Iron Valiant
Out of all of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s new Fairy-type inclusions, Iron Valiant sports the highest IV stat total of the bunch. The futuristic version of Gallade has a great Fairy/Fighting type combination and excels in offense, thanks to its high base Attack, Special Attack, and Speed stats.
Like other Paradox Species, Iron Valiant also benefits from the ability Protosynthesis, which can increase its best stat by 30% (50% if the best stat is Speed) simply by being in harsh sunlight or by activating its Booster Energy held item, which is highly advised.
1) Flutter Mane
Any trainer examining competitive VGC has a difficult time disputing Flutter Mane’s top spot in the pantheon of new Gen 9 Fairy-type creatures. It was one of the most used picks in the recent North American International Championships, and there are multiple reasons why this was the case.
In addition to a quality 570-point IV stat spread leaning toward Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, Flutter Mane is one of the few Ghost/Fairy-type creatures in the series to this point. Access to moves like Phantom Force and Trick Room can also make the creature incredibly difficult to pin down.
If that wasn’t enough, Flutter Mane still benefits from the Protosynthesis ability and has access to great moves like Moonblast, Calm Mind, Shadow Ball, Substitute, Perish Song, Pain Split, and Wish. Its IV spread also allows trainers to EV train Flutter Mane to become one of the best special attackers in Generation IX.
Edited by
Rachel Syiemlieh
