As a Pokémon fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the types! They’re really the heart of battling – they determine what moves work best against which Pokémon. There are 18 different types in the main games, from classics like Fire and Water to newer ones like Fairy. Each type tends to have Pokémon with similar strengths and weaknesses, and they usually play a certain role in battle. Knowing how each type stacks up against the others – what they’re good at, what they struggle with – is key to building a strong team and figuring out the best moves to use. It’s what makes battling so strategic and fun!
Bug
Bug Pokémon are commonly among the first you find in each region, and many evolve rapidly, allowing players to see Pokémon grow and learn new moves early on. They’re particularly effective against Grass, Psychic, and Dark-type Pokémon, but their attacks aren’t very strong against Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Steel, Fire, and Fairy types. Bug Pokémon struggle against Flying, Rock, and Fire attacks, but are strong against Fighting, Ground, and Grass. Special moves like U-turn, X-Scissor, and Quiver Dance make Bug Pokémon useful team players, allowing them to switch quickly or become powerful attackers after a bit of setup.
Ice
Ice-type attacks are valuable because they’re super effective against Flying, Ground, Grass, and Dragon-type Pokémon, making them useful in many battles. While Ice-type Pokémon are strong offensively and have access to powerful moves like Ice Beam and Blizzard, they’re defensively weak. They only resist Ice-type attacks but are vulnerable to Fire, Fighting, Rock, and Steel. Many Ice-type Pokémon focus on attacking rather than defending. Some Pokémon combine Ice with other types like Water, Dark, or Ground to create unique strategies and roles.
Rock
Rock-type attacks are very effective against Fire, Ice, Flying, and Bug Pokémon, which is why moves like Rock Slide and Stone Edge are commonly used. Rock-type Pokémon are generally very durable, with high Defense stats, and often set up hazards like Stealth Rock to damage opponents when they switch Pokémon. While they resist Normal, Fire, Poison, and Flying attacks, they are vulnerable to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. Rock-type Pokémon also get a boost to their Special Defense during sandstorms, making them tougher against special attacks.
Normal
Normal-type attacks generally do regular damage to most Pokémon, but they aren’t very effective against anything and can’t hit Ghost types. Normal-type Pokémon are only weak to Fighting-type moves, but they’re immune to Ghost-type attacks, which can be a strategic advantage. Many Normal-type Pokémon can learn a wide range of moves, including elemental punches, Shadow Ball, and Flamethrower, letting them catch opponents off guard. This type also includes Pokémon that can use powerful priority moves like Extreme Speed, as well as helpful moves like Belly Drum, Recover, and status-changing techniques.
Poison
Poison-type attacks are very strong against Grass and Fairy Pokémon, especially since the Fairy type was added to the game. These attacks aren’t very effective against Poison, Ground, Rock, and Ghost types, and they can’t damage Steel types at all. On the defensive side, Poison-type Pokémon are strong against Fighting, Poison, Bug, Grass, and Fairy attacks, but they’re weak to Ground and Psychic attacks. This allows them to switch into battle safely against certain physical attackers and those that inflict status conditions. Many Poison-type Pokémon focus on inflicting poison and badly poisoned status with moves like Toxic, Sludge Bomb, and Toxic Spikes, and they often use strategies to trap opponents or stall for time.
Grass
Grass-type attacks are particularly strong against Water, Ground, and Rock Pokémon, making them useful against many common, durable Pokémon of those types. Grass-types are naturally resistant to Water, Electric, Grass, and Ground attacks, but they are weak against Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug. This type excels at both healing and disrupting opponents, with moves like Giga Drain, Synthesis, Leech Seed, Sleep Powder, and Spore allowing them to stay in the fight and control the battle’s tempo. Many Grass-type Pokémon also work well with the Grassy Terrain, which can heal them and boost the power of their Grass-type moves.
Ghost
Ghost-type attacks are very effective against Psychic and Ghost Pokémon, but have no effect on Normal types, leading to unique strategic advantages in battles. Ghost Pokémon are completely immune to Normal and Fighting moves, resist Poison and Bug, and are vulnerable to other Ghost and Dark attacks. This makes them strong defensively against many common physical attacks. Many Ghost Pokémon combine good attack power with moves that disrupt opponents, like Will-O-Wisp, Hex, and Destiny Bond, or control the battlefield with hazards and item manipulation. Beyond gameplay, Ghost-types are central to the game’s atmosphere, often appearing in haunted areas, important story events, and featuring special evolution requirements like trades or specific conditions.
Psychic
Psychic-type attacks work really well against Fighting and Poison-type Pokémon, but are less effective against Steel and Psychic types. They can’t deal any damage to Dark-type Pokémon. Psychic-type Pokémon are strong against Fighting and Psychic attacks, but are vulnerable to Bug, Ghost, and Dark moves, which often determine how they perform in battles. In the past, Psychic-types were incredibly powerful, but the addition of Dark and Steel types, along with changes to how battles work, helped to balance things out. Many Psychic Pokémon have high Special Attack and Special Defense, and they can learn a wide range of moves – including powerful attacks like Psychic and Psyshock, stat-boosting moves like Calm Mind, and utility moves like Teleport – allowing them to be effective both offensively and defensively.
Fighting
As a fan, I’ve always loved Fighting-types because they’re great at hitting a lot of Pokémon for super effective damage – especially those tough Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, and Steel types! They do struggle against Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug, and Fairy, and can’t touch Ghosts, so smart players have to build their teams carefully to cover those weaknesses. On the defensive side, Fighting-types are pretty vulnerable to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy attacks, but they can take a hit from Bug, Rock, and Dark. That makes them really useful for switching in against certain threats. Plus, a lot of Fighting Pokémon are just powerhouses! They usually have amazing Attack stats and moves like Close Combat, Drain Punch, and Mach Punch, letting them either dish out tons of damage or stick around and take a beating.
Dark
Dark-type attacks are particularly strong against Psychic and Ghost Pokémon, making them a key counter to those types. However, Fighting, Dark, and Fairy types resist these attacks. Dark-type Pokémon themselves are vulnerable to Fighting, Bug, and Fairy attacks, but they are strong against Ghost and Dark, and completely unaffected by Psychic moves – a major defensive advantage. Originally created to balance the power of Psychic types, Dark has become essential in competitive battling, with moves like Knock Off, Crunch, and Sucker Punch being widely used. Many Dark-type Pokémon can also disrupt opponents with moves like Taunt and Foul Play, or by trapping them, making it difficult for opponents to build solid defenses or support strategies.
Fire
Fire-type attacks are particularly strong against Grass, Ice, Bug, and Steel Pokémon. Popular moves like Flamethrower and Fire Blast are known for their consistent power. Fire-type Pokémon are resistant to Fire, Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, and Fairy attacks, but they’re weak against Water, Ground, and Rock. Stealth Rock is a particularly troublesome attack for them, often impacting how trainers build their teams. Many Fire-type Pokémon thrive in sunny weather, which strengthens their attacks and can even power up certain moves instantly. These Pokémon are often fast and focus on dealing high damage, effectively countering Steel and Grass-type teams, and they often have extra moves that cover their weaknesses, like Ground or Fighting attacks.
Flying
Flying-type attacks are very effective against Grass, Fighting, and Bug Pokémon, but less effective against Electric, Rock, and Steel. This influences which Pokémon Flying-type attackers target. Flying-type Pokémon are completely unaffected by Ground moves and resist attacks from Grass, Fighting, and Bug types. However, they are vulnerable to Electric, Ice, and Rock attacks, making Rock-type hazards particularly dangerous. Many Flying-type Pokémon are valuable support Pokémon, using moves like Defog, Tailwind, Roost, and U-turn to help their team. Flying is often combined with other types – such as Water, Fire, Dragon, or Dark – to create diverse and strategically complex Pokémon.
Electric
Electric attacks work really well against Water and Flying types, but aren’t very effective against Electric, Grass, and Dragon. They completely miss Ground-type Pokémon. Electric Pokémon are only weak to Ground attacks, but resist Electric, Flying, and Steel, making their defenses fairly simple to understand. Many Electric Pokémon are built to be quick and hit hard with special attacks, using powerful and accurate moves like Thunderbolt and Volt Switch. They also have some riskier, high-power options like Thunder. This type often uses moves like Thunder Wave and Rising Voltage, and benefits from weather and terrain effects, to control speed and increase damage.
Dragon
Dragon-type attacks used to be very powerful, only truly effective against other Dragons and having few weaknesses. However, the introduction of Fairy-type Pokémon completely changed things, making Dragon attacks useless against them. Dragons themselves are strong against Fire, Water, Grass, and Electric, but vulnerable to Ice, other Dragons, and Fairy types. This determines which Pokémon are best used against them in battle. Many Dragon Pokémon are incredibly powerful, often appearing as strong, rare Pokémon with unique and devastating moves like Outrage and Draco Meteor. They also often play important roles in game storylines, serving as the powerful Pokémon used by champions, featured on game covers as legendaries, or as major boss battles that demonstrate complex battle features like weather effects, terrain changes, or different forms.
Ground
Ground-type attacks are very effective against Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, and Steel Pokémon, but they don’t do much damage to Bug or Grass types and completely miss Flying types. Ground-type Pokémon themselves are immune to Electric attacks and take less damage from Poison and Rock. However, they’re vulnerable to Water, Grass, and Ice. This makes them great at defending against Electric and many Rock or Steel attacks. Earthquake is a common and powerful Ground-type move often used in offensive strategies, and it’s even better when paired with moves that cover its weaknesses, like Rock or Ice. Ground-type Pokémon also work well with certain battlefield conditions and abilities, such as sandstorms, or abilities like Levitate and Sand Veil, and benefit from weather boosts.
Water
Water-type attacks are particularly strong against Fire, Ground, and Rock Pokémon, but aren’t very effective against Water, Grass, and Dragon types. This balanced offense makes Water types a good fit for many teams. Water Pokémon are vulnerable to Electric and Grass attacks, but resistant to Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel, giving them plenty of chances to safely enter battles. There are more Water-type Pokémon than any other type, and they fill a variety of roles – from tough defenders and Pokémon that control hazards, to fast attackers and versatile mixed attackers. Water types often work well with rain, as it boosts the power of their moves, improves accuracy, and activates abilities like Swift Swim (which increases speed) and Rain Dish (which boosts defense).
Fairy
Fairy-type attacks are particularly strong against Dragon, Fighting, and Dark-type Pokémon, but not very effective against Fire, Poison, and Steel. This gives Fairy types an advantage over many common offensive Pokémon. Fairy-type Pokémon are strong against Fighting, Bug, and Dark attacks, but weak to Poison and Steel. Importantly, they are completely unaffected by Dragon-type moves, which significantly altered how Dragon types are used in battle. Added to the game relatively recently, the Fairy type quickly became important in competitive battles, offering a strong counter to Dragon and Dark-type strategies. Many Fairy-type Pokémon are best at supporting their team or absorbing damage, using moves like Moonblast, Play Rough, Wish, Aromatherapy, and moves that create screens or terrains to help their allies and keep the team stable.
Steel
Steel-type attacks work really well against Ice, Rock, and Fairy Pokémon, but aren’t very effective against Fire, Water, Electric, and other Steel types. This makes them strong in specific situations. Steel-type Pokémon themselves are vulnerable to Fire, Fighting, and Ground attacks, but they resist a lot of damage from Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Fairy, and Steel moves. They’re also completely immune to Poison! This strong defense lets them stay in battle for a long time, switching in to absorb attacks and provide consistent support for their team. Many Steel-type Pokémon also help by setting up traps like Stealth Rock or Spikes, disrupting opponents with phasing moves, or providing defensive boosts while still posing a threat with their Steel-type attacks.
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2025-11-09 18:47