Not so much for their attacks as it is just to exist. This would be why many ice-types, particularly those that have the ability Snow Warning, seem to emit auras of cold around themselves as well. A constant barrage of heat, such as from fire, can therefore easily overwhelm an ice-type because it’s difficult to process that much energy at once.
(Also, I stand corrected by my last post. Only fire is this sort of a problem for ice-types. Steel and rock fall under the same category as fighting.)
Vulpix
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 37
Entry: A small, fox-like pokémon known for its beautiful tails, of which it has six when fully grown. While young, this pokémon’s fire abilities are mediocre at best, and its strongest move, Fire Blast, is roughly as potent as a charmeleon’s Flamethrower. However, in rare cases, vulpix may be born with the passive ability Drought, which allows it to subconsciously call down intense sunlight to strengthen any fire-type move used in its presence. Incidentally, this small, fox-like creature shares the aforementioned ability with the legendary behemoth of the earth, Groudon, a beast known for nearly destroying the world beneath the unrelenting sunlight it called forth. …Which is to say that the pokémon world is a bizarre and terrifying thing sometimes.Ninetales
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Fire
Official Registration #: 38
Entry: The evolved form of vulpix, via exposure to fire stone. The legend that a ninetales will lay a thousand-year curse on you if you touch one of its tails is exactly that: a legend and therefore not true. What is true, however, is the fact that ninetales are generally sensitive about their tails and will set you on fire if you so much as accidentally brush up against one.
Vulpix (Alola form)
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Ice
Official Registration #: 37
Entry: This adorable cousin to the common vulpix, known by native Alolans as keokeo, is popular in the region not only for its cute appearance but also its practicality. When the weather is warmer than it likes, Alolan vulpix will fan its cloud-like tails and create ice crystals from them, effectively serving as a living air conditioner for its immediate surroundings. However, although it may be tempting to venture into its native habitat on the slopes of Mount Lanakila to catch one, a trainer should be warned that this is a dangerous idea, largely because of the vulpix themselves. Attempting to catch an Alolan vulpix may incur the wrath of other vulpix (which typically freeze intruders solid) but also the ninetales that always lurks near vulpix kits (which will freeze intruders solid before throwing them off the mountain). On the positive side, if your goal was to catch a vulpix in order to cool yourself off on hot Alolan summer afternoons, at least you’ll have that.
Ninetales (Alola form)
The Fox Pokémon
Type: Ice/Fairy
Official Registration #: 38
Entry: The evolved form of Alolan vulpix, by exposure to ice stone. This beautiful Alolan cousin to the common ninetales was once worshipped by native Alolans due to its rarity, ethereal nature, and tendency to dwell only on the peak of Mount Lanakila, the tallest and most sacred site in all of Alola. To this day, it acts as a guardian of Mount Lanakila by guiding wayward souls down the snowy slopes … purely because that’s the only way to get them to leave faster. In other words, this is yet another pokémon after the author’s own heart.
Sandshrew
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Ground
Official Registration #: 27
Entry: A pangolin-like pokémon native to dry grasslands and deserts. This pokémon possesses a rough, sandy hide capable of soaking up moisture from the dirt around it as it digs its burrows. Because of the consistency of its hide—along with its unique, sponge-like ability—sandshrew don’t need to drink much water and, in fact, shy away from it in all its forms as much as possible. Except, of course, in Alola, where sandshrew have adapted to become ice and steel types for reasons that surely make sense in a region that hosts plenty of other habitats a sandshrew can congregate in.Sandslash
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Ground
Official Registration #: 28
Entry: The evolved form of sandshrew, by battle experience. This pokémon is covered in sharp spikes, which are actually hardened sections of its hide. These spikes serve a largely defensive purpose: when threatened, a sandshrew will curl into a ball, forcing its spikes to stand on end and discourage physical attacks. In rare cases, a sandslash may be able to spin and move while in this position, thus crashing into enemies and obstacles. Such sandslash have also been noted to be faster, slightly bluer, and somehow “cooler” than other members of its species.
Sandshrew (Alola form)
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Ice/Steel
Official Registration #: 27
Entry: A shrew-like pokémon native to the snowy mountains of Alola’s Ula’ula Island. It’s known primarily for its icy, hard-as-steel carapace … and secondarily for the Alolan tradition of shoving this pokémon across icy fields to see who can send their sandshrew sliding the farthest. Alolans call this sport Extreme Curling; the rest of the world calls it pokémon cruelty.
Sandslash (Alola form)
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Ice/Steel
Official Registration #: 28
Entry: The evolved form of Alolan sandshrew, by exposure to ice stone. When this blue pokémon curls itself into a ball, its steel spikes point outward, which allow it to destroy anything in its path as it rolls down the icy slopes of its home at high speeds, and the author knows what you’re thinking, but for the last time, sandslash is a pangolin-like pokémon, not an alien hedgehog.
Snorunt
The Snow Hat Pokémon
Type: Ice
Official Registration #: 361
Entry: Despite the fact that this childlike pokémon is much more comfortable in regions with heavy snow, it was curiously first discovered in the Hoenn region, specifically in the lower chambers of Shoal Cave. Given the general warmth of the seawater in that region, the presence of snorunt—and, in fact, the frigid environment of the cavern it lives in—has baffled researchers since its initial discovery. However, the author would also like to remind the research community that this is the same region whose legendary pantheon includes a giant sentient block of never-melt ice, so honestly, the fact that there is a chamber that has been iced over and sealed off from the outside world for centuries should come as a surprise to absolutely no one.Glalie
The Face Pokémon
Type: Ice
Official Registration #: 362
Entry: The evolved form of snorunt, by battle experience. Through the process of evolution, a snorunt gains a shell of rock, which in turn collects a thick hide of ice thanks to the instantaneous freezing of the moisture in the air immediately surrounding it. The resulting pokémon is a creature that not only has the ability to instantly freeze anything surrounding it but also appears to be a giant, floating, disembodied head. Yet despite its intimidating powers and appearance, it’s actually quite gentle, largely because it retains the shyness of its pre-evolved form. Despite this, it is still not recommended to come into physical contact with a glalie, largely because—thanks to its ability to instantaneously freeze anything within immediate vicinity of it—skin-to-shell contact has the same effect as licking a metal pole in the dead of winter (not that the author has done either).Froslass
The Snow Land Pokémon
Type: Ice/Ghost
Official Registration #: 478
Entry: The evolved form of female snorunt, by exposure to dawn stone. Sinnohan legends warn about froslass. According to regional folklore, travelers lost on snowy mountains may encounter what appears to be a beautiful woman beckoning to them. If one goes to this woman, they will quickly find a wild froslass instead, who will immediately freeze them and drag them to her lair. Whether or not this is true is still a matter of debate, but it is known that tamed froslass do have a habit of staring at their trainers oddly and growing unsettlingly quiet whenever it snows. The author reassures his readers, however, that there have been no cases of a tamed froslass kidnapping their trainers and stealing them away to frozen wastelands … that he knows of, anyway.Stop scaring the readers. You know that only happened six times in recorded history. —LH
Mega Glalie
The Face Pokémon
Type: Ice
Official Registration #: 362+
Entry: The advanced form of glalie, via glalitite. The most common question the author has ever gotten concerning this mega evolution is whether or not it’s ethical to use, considering the fact that the mere act of mega evolving does actual, bodily harm to the pokémon. While the author has no adequate answer on the subject (as it’s a bit of an internal debate among pokémon researchers), if it makes readers feel any better, when the subject is a giant, sentient ball of ice that barely possesses a nervous system of any sort undergoing a temporary physical change that completely restores a pokémon’s form upon wearing off as if nothing had ever happened, bodily harm tends to be somewhat irrelevant. Also, seeing as glalie seem to enjoy it for reasons that are not entirely beyond comprehension if you have any experience with certain parts of the internet, it is perhaps best not to think about this question at all.
Snover
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 459
Entry: Although this short pokémon strongly resembles a snow-covered tree throughout the year, it is actually highly responsive to the seasons. For one, it migrates: in the warmer months, it migrates to the top of its mountainous habitat to live in the colder climes, whereas during the colder months, it migrates to the food-rich foothills to breed. Likewise, during the spring, just before it makes its journey up the mountain, it sprouts berries the texture of frozen treats all over its belly and chest. … The author highly suggests that you do not put too much thought into the second trait.Abomasnow
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 460
Entry: The evolved form of snover, by battle experience. These giant snow monsters are known for their reclusiveness and protectiveness towards their own kind. To protect themselves and their newborn snover, they whip up giant blizzards to conceal their location. In that way, their snover may get up and migrate up their mountainous territory in peace. Travelers who wander through these abomasnow-induced blizzards may stumble across what appear to be moving parts of forests. On the negative side, this greatly increases those travelers’ chances of getting horribly lost within the dizzying, bitter-cold storm.On the positive side, such a sight is incredible to behold if the traveler is on the right combination of psychoactive substaActually, never mind.
Mega Abomasnow
The Frost Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ice
Official Registration #: 460+
Entry: The advanced form of abomasnow, via abomasite. Upon mega evolution, abomasnow not only gains a considerable boost in its ability to command ice and a special ability that calls down hail storms but also a fearsome, quadrupedal appearance and the predilection of defending its mountain territories by charging downhill towards intruders. In other words, abomasnow mega evolves into the living nightmare of anyone unfortunate enough to have played SkiFree.
My apologies, @ronnoc32122. I hadn’t seen this ask when I responded to another ask concerning ghost-type starters. If I had, I would have responded sooner. In any case, when it comes to ghost-type options, you may wish to revisit that post here: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/167247146514/bill-my-daughter-has-always-loved-ghost-type
From there, allow me to address your options for ice-types, as that’s a considerably shorter list. Considering your interest in water- and ghost-types, you may wish to look into options that overlap. For example, spheal is a very basic, easy-to-train pokémon that shares both the water and ice type, and because it’s both highly mobile and a native of tropical regions, it can adapt to inland battling in practically any climate. Lapras is a pokémon that meets similar criteria (water/ice, native to tropical regions, easy to train, extremely friendly), but despite being a formidable battler and an excellent partner, its inability to travel over land may make it less of an ideal partner in most regions besides ones where you’ll encounter plenty of water. (If you live in the Hoenn or Alola regions, however, I would highly recommend giving lapras a try!)
Alternatively, a few pokémon also evolve into ice-types or are ice-types that evolve into partial water- or ghost-types, namely seel, female snorunt, and shellder. Of these, snorunt tend to be the most popular, as they’re highly mobile and friendly, and they’re particularly powerful once they evolve into froslass. (Of course, even if you can’t find a dawn stone on your travels, keep in mind that snorunt’s other evolution, glalie, is still a fantastic partner.)
If, however, you don’t mind working with pokémon that aren’t partly water- or ghost-types, then this opens up your options a bit more. For example, you might also be able to consider cubchoo or vanillite, both of which are fantastically popular among ice trainers. (Cubchoo is cute but evolves into the powerful beartic, and vanillite is the first stage of a powerful three-stage evolution line that’s often underestimated by trainers.) Additionally, if you live in Alola, you may be able to get your hands on Alolan vulpix (a pure ice-type that evolves into the ethereal ice/fairy ninetales) or Alolan sandshrew (a sturdy ice/steel). Vulpix especially is highly intelligent and easy to train, but sandshrew is often seen as a stalwart partner capable of taking hits.
Meanwhile, those who live in Johto and Sinnoh have easier access to sneasel (mischievous and fickle but highly intelligent and loyal once you earn its trust) or smoochum (extremely intelligent but a bit difficult to train due to her lacking defensive capabilities). Swinub is also an excellent choice for those looking for a sturdy and easy-to-train pokémon (although it will eat you out of house and home, as a fair warning).
Really, just about the only ice-type pokémon I wouldn’t recommend is cryogonal, partly because it doesn’t thrive well outside of extremely cold environments and partly because it also often generates extremely cold environments in its surrounding area … which often doesn’t make one well-liked among trainers, wild pokémon, or neighbors.
As for water-types, that is a considerably longer list, which I may not be able to cover completely, I’m afraid. I can, however, say that all regions offer a traditional water-type starter. (Kanto has squirtle, Johto totodile, Hoenn mudkip, and so forth.) These are specially bred to be starters for new trainers, and thus, they often are perfectly balanced in terms of battling abilities, extremely intelligent and easy to train, and lacking in any sort of drawback that would make them excessively dangerous to handle. Above all other pokémon, I would recommend one of these as a starter.
Beyond that, though, the water type is a highly diverse classification of pokémon, and oftentimes, it comes down to what you look for in a partner and what’s most readily available to your region. (At least with ice-types, you will likely need to seek a breeder either way, as ice-types often live in areas too remote for a non-trainer to access.) For example, if you’re looking for an easy-to-train starter, pokémon such as marill, poliwag, buizel, panpour, and wingull are all wonderful choices. For strong pokémon, consider staryu, chinchou, frillish (also a partial-ghost), mareanie, or (if you have the patient for it) magikarp. And if you’re looking for unusual but reliable choices, consider bidoof (which evolves into the water-type bibarel) or lotad.
(As a note, I could also recommend a number of other pokémon, such as alolmomola, but oftentimes, the strongest water-types are strictly aquatic in nature and may be difficult to train on land. I only suggest magikarp because its Splash ability is far more versatile than one would initially assume, and using it for mobility may help it to evolve faster. Just be sure to treat it with an incredible amount of affection if you try this because otherwise, you may be on the receiving end of Twister shortly after your magikarp’s evolution.)
If all else fails, eevee evolves into the ice-type glaceon and the water-type vaporeon. I’m just saying.
Best of luck, good reader!
Absolutely, especially if your pokémon isn’t native to Alola. Luckily, what this actually entails can be as simple as providing plenty of shade, preferably indoors, with air conditioning if you can afford it. (A fan will work just as well if you can’t. So would a kiddie pool full of water that your pokemon freezes.) Moreover, keep your pokémon well hydrated, and educate yourself on the signs of heat exhaustion. (Nausea, lethargy, and confusion being the topmost signs. If your ice-type is mammalian in nature, they may also run a fever.) When your pokémon start exhibiting signs of danger, bring them into a cool, shady area and provide plenty of water as they rest. If any of those symptoms worsen, take them to the pokémon center immediately.
That having been said, there’s a chance that your amaura will fare better than most ice-types because of its rock typing and natural hidden ability (Refrigerate tends to cool the air around the pokémon that possess it), but most definitely keep an eye on her for the next few days for any sign of discomfort or exhaustion.
Best of luck, anonymous!
Typically, warm-blooded ice-types are best bathed in cold water, but it also depends on the pokémon’s preferences. Because they’re warm-blooded, they have better thermoregulation than cold-blooded (both biologically speaking and “as in, their blood is literally ice”), which means they may be able to tolerate higher temperatures. Spheal and dewgong with the ability Thick Fat, for example, may prefer lukewarm water, and perhaps as a holdover from their fire-type ancestors, some Alolan vulpix prefer warm baths. Start off with a cold bath for your pokémon, then increase the temperature if they indicate to you (through shivering, splashing about, or pawing at the faucet) that it’s too cold. Keep adjusting until you find your pokémon’s preference.
Also, keep in mind that some ice-types should not be bathed, even if they’re furry, unless they absolutely need it (either because they’re filthy, covered in a toxic substance, or already too sick to bathe themselves). For example, members of the sneasel line self-groom and should be left alone, and the swinub line, being part ground, should be given a dust bath instead.
Absolutely! Case in point: Alolan vulpix and sandshrew. The key is creating a comfortable atmosphere for them to spend a lot of their time in. A cool home with plenty of air flow (fans are sufficient if air conditioning isn’t feasible for you) will be enough, and be sure they have access to plentiful sources of cold water for hydration. Be aware of their health as well and never force them to train under hot sunlight if you can.
There are, of course, a few pokémon who are literally made of ice, such as vanillite, bergmite, and so forth, and these cases may be more sensitive to cold than mammalian ice-types such as snorunt, spheal, and Alolan vulpix. However, even these are trainable even in tropical climates, so long as their trainers keep an eye on their conditions. If your literal ice pokémon looks lethargic and wet, bring it into a cool place immediately and allow it to rest within a refrigerator or cold bath. (Granted, it should also be noted that literal ice pokémon are harder to come by in tropical regions to begin with, but the point is that if you happened to receive one in a trade or from a breeder, it’s still possible to raise them so long as you’re careful.)
Crabrawler
The Boxing Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Official Registration #: 739
Entry: Confusingly enough, although this coconut crab-like pokémon resembles krabby and corphish on a superficial level, it’s actually a fighting-type, not a water-type. While most researchers will tell you that it’s because its elemental weakness and resistance distribution resembles that of a pure fighting-type and not of a water or even water/fighting pokémon, seasoned pokémon ethologists will also offer the observation that crabrawler resembles a fighting-type in terms of behavior, including its technique of defending itself fiercely with its boxing glove-like claws, its willingness to train its physical traits by punching trees, and its zest for fighting literally anything and everything that crosses its path.
Crabominable
The Woolly Crab Pokémon
Type: Fighting/Ice
Official Registration #: 740
Entry: The evolved form of crabrawler, by battle experience, when trained in an exceptionally cold environment. The exact circumstances of this pokémon’s evolution have not only resulted in a significant boost in power but also in temper. Consequently, it will lash out at anything within reach, even going so far as to use its own claws as projectiles. To be fair, from what this author has observed, it’s not entirely unusual for someone native to a tropical island to respond to extreme cold with extreme anger.
I’m not so sure someone who doesn’t have much of a tolerance for heat should be commenting on someone else’s tolerance for cold. —LH
What? I can tolerate heat just fine. —Bill
You once described Fallarbor Town as “a nice little hamlet nestled on the slopes of Mount Doom.” —LH
Well, it is. —Bill
The Pokédex According to Bill 