Pokémon Types Explained: The Hidden Logic Behind Type Matchups

Fellow Pokémon explorers —

It's me, Ruin Maniac Beau, and I've been pondering …

In another essay, I explained the reason why Pokémon Natures increase and decrease certain stats by 10%. This time, I'm going to be tackling another great mystery within the pocket monster universe …

Pokémon Types — those 18 distinct properties that apply to every Pokémon and their moves, and allow for VGC to exist. You might have heard about them. You might even know the entire type chart by heart. But have you ever wondered …

Why is Psychic super-effective against Poison?

Or perhaps …

How come Fairy is not very effective against Fire?

I have, and in this essay, I aim to make a rigorous attempt to unveil the enigma behind each of the 18 properties and explain why I believe Game Freak decided to map Type effectiveness in the way they did. Some conclusions will be obvious, others … not so much.

The task won't be easy, and I shall, once again, need to borrow some of Sage's psychic powers to help me understand the biology at play under each Type.

A few notes:

• The Types are in a standard order, which doesn't really follow a defined sequence, except for displaying the four classical elements at the start and the most recent additions towards the end.
• When introducing a Type, I'll indicate the current number of Pokémon that represent it. (I'll update these numbers as more Pokémon are introduced in future generations.)
• In terms of matchups, I'll discuss the super-effective, the not-very-effective, and the no-effect, all from the offensive point of view for clarity. I won't cover neutral matchups because there's not much to say about them. In fact, I'm sure most were defined solely for game balancing purposes.
• After explaining each Type's matchups, I'll briefly go over some of its competitive aspects, like its strengths and weaknesses, and any special mechanic it benefits from.
• Fun fact: The Pokémon gifs representing the Types are the first pure or mono-type Pokémon of each one according to their Pokédex entry number.

🐰 1. Normal

The Normal Type alludes to the real world, the ordinary, and the familiar. There are 153 Normal-type Pokémon, and they are generally based on real-life animals, such as cats, dogs, birds, and rodents. Normal doesn't win many ring fights or beauty contests within the Pokémon community, but it's one of the 18 Types, and without it, Pokémon wouldn't be the same.

🟢 Normal is super-effective against …

• Nothing, because there's nothing extraordinary about the ordinary.

🟠 Normal is not very effective against …

• Rock, because they are solid and sharp, and any attempt to hit one using an average fist will only result in bruises.
• Steel, because for the exact same reason, except we add broken bones to the list of outcomes.

🔴 Normal has no effect on …

• Ghost, because they represent the unreal and the afterlife, and therefore can't be touched, petted, or rubbed by someone from the other end.

Normal-types don't tend to be a first choice in battle, but they can be interesting as a dual-type to grant the Pokémon one immunity. One quirk is that Normal-types tend to have higher stats and a better move pool as a way to compensate for their normality, which ironically makes them abnormal.

🔥 2. Fire

The Fire Type alludes to one of the four classical elements: fire, earth, air, and water. There are 97 Fire-type Pokémon, and they are generally creatures that can withstand high temperatures, such as desert inhabitants, volcano dwellers, and dragons. The most iconic Fire-type Pokémon is probably Charizard, at least Game Freak believes so, granting it not one but two (!!!) Mega Evolutions.

🟢 Fire is super-effective against …

• Grass, because vegetation catches fire and gets pulverised.
• Ice, because water frozen into a solid state thaws when heated.
• Bug, because insects and other land arthropods are attracted to light and combust at the touch of it.
• Steel, because all metal variations melt upon contact with fire, which destroys their rigid composition.

🟠 Fire is not very effective against …

• Fire, because additive flames only intensify the heat, and heat is no threat to Fire-types — you heard it here first.
• Water, because it absorbs heat from the flames. Water can also help to suffocate the flames by creating steam, which displaces oxygen and interrupts the chemical reaction that sustains the fire.
• Rock, because minerals have a high thermal mass and can readily store or absorb heat. Picture a campfire — stones are placed around it to impede the fire from spreading and causing forest fires.
• Dragon, because, according to various mythologies, dragons have scales that act as fire-resistant armor that thickens and strengthens with age. Also, some dragons can breathe fire, making them somewhat … used to it, to say the least.

Fire is a surprisingly balanced Type with a positive matchup against two formidable Types, and significantly better defences than one might expect. Fire-types also have the benefit of the harsh sunlight condition, which powers their Fire-type moves and weakens Water-type attacks.

💧 3. Water

The Water Type is the second Type, which alludes to one of the four classical elements. Water is the most popular Type with a pool (pun intended) comprised of 176 representatives. These are creatures that thrive in aquatic environments, such as oceans, lakes, and swamps.

🟢 Water is super-effective against …

• Fire, because water extinguishes fire.
• Ground, because the earth can only absorb so much water, and if that limit is reached, flooding will occur, destroying the land and drowning organisms.
• Rock, because a constant flow of water gradually erodes soil, rock, and land.

🟠 Water is not very effective against …

• Water, because its molecules easily bond together, and because bathing a fish is useless besides keeping it alive, which defeats the purpose.
• Grass, because plant life relies on water to sustain its life. What's the first thing you do when someone brings you a flower bouquet?
• Dragon, because according to some mythologies, some dragons can swim underwater. In Chinese cosmology, dragons are primarily nimble water deities.

Water is an incredibly balanced Type, giving trainers the option to build them defensively, offensively, or both. What's more, it's not unusual for Water-types to gain access to Ice-type moves — the same can't be said for Ice.

⚡ 4. Electric

The Electric Type is the third Type, which pays homage to the four classical elements — air, in this case. There are 87 Electric Pokémon, and design-wise, they have some sort of galvanic characteristic, although it's not uncommon to see them based on objects. They are generally found in the grass and in buildings such as power plants, basements, and hideouts.

🟢 Electric is super-effective against …

• Water, because it contains charged ions and impurities that make it a very good conductor of electricity. Pure water, on the other hand, is a good insulator and a poor conductor, but it doesn't exist in nature.
• Flying, because winged beings fly close to the heavens, making them prone to a lightning strike when under a thundercloud. This is because animals are more conductive than dry air, so they provide an easier path for the lightning to travel through. (Ironically, they could have done the opposite and made Flying-types immune to Electric moves because of the quirk that birds often roost on high-voltage power lines, unbothered by the lack of contact to the ground.)

🟠 Electric is not very effective against …

• Electric, because you're essentially creating a battery that refreshes or recharges your opponent's strengths.
• Grass, because wood is generally considered a good insulator. What's more, plants are able to conduct a very minute quantity of electricity using the tissue within their leaves, while the cuticles can insulate the conductors.
• Dragon, because dragons have scales, and scales are not considered to be good conductors of electricity or heat. Scales are made of keratin, a protein that is also found in human hair and nails, and acts like an insulator.

🔴 Electric has no effect on …

• Ground, because electricity is just electrons wanting to go somewhere, and they prefer a place where there's as much open space as possible for each one of them. Although Game Freak's reasoning is most likely inspired by the fact that a grounding wire is installed in most wiring systems to lead excess electricity to a safe place (the ground).

Electric is a good standalone Type, but as a dual-type, it almost always makes a Pokémon stronger. The ability to hit Water-types for super-effective damage is rare, as Water is only weak to Electric and Grass, and Electric is undoubtedly the better offensive Type between the two.

🌿 5. Grass

The Grass Type is the fourth and final Type inspired by the "earth" element. A total of 146 Pokémon represent this Type, making it the second-most populated. Grass-types are generally based on animals and plant life that thrive in green environments, such as parks, forests, and fields.

🟢 Grass is super-effective against …

• Water, because plants absorb water in order to live and grow.
• Ground, because the roots of plants and trees are known to penetrate soil and consume its nutrients, which can cause the land to lose its fertility over time.
• Rock, because roots contribute to the weathering of rocks both physically (via root wedging) and chemically (by releasing CO2 as a byproduct of respiration).

🟠 Grass is not very effective against …

• Fire, because grass easily ignites and spreads fast.
• Grass, because leaves rubbing against one another merely causes a tickle.
• Poison, because plant life doesn't thrive in toxic environments.
• Flying, because the food source of birds is found in the grass, and because they use trees to roost on and build nests in.
• Bug, because they, too, build their homes around foliage.
• Dragon, because, according to some scriptures, asian dragons represent the balance between the four elements — fire, water, earth, and air — which explains why they also resist Fire, Water, and Grass.
• Steel, because although roots can envelop it, they aren't strong enough to penetrate it.

Grass is a solid mid-ranked Type. Offensively, it hits three formidable Types with super-effective damage. However, it's resisted by seven (!!!), which ties with Bug for the most Types that resist it. Grass-types also have a secondary benefit: an immunity to powder moves like Spore, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, and Rage Powder. Lastly, Grass-types benefit from the harsh sunlight condition, allowing them to land a STAB Solar Beam in one turn as opposed to two.

🧊 6. Ice

I don't need to tell you what the Ice Type represents, but something you might not know is that there are only 65 Ice-type Pokémon in existence, making the Ice Type the rarest of them all. These elusive Pokémon concern creatures that thrive in cold habitats such as mountains, caves, and glaciers. They can also be based on human-made objects — Vanillite and family, I'm looking at you.

🟢 Ice is super-effective against …

• Grass, because plant cells can be damaged or even destroyed by frost.
• Ground, because soil heaving is a thing. As the soil gets cold, water molecules freeze and expand. This expansion thrusts the layers of soil upwards. This heave results in damage to surfaces, like sidewalks and roads.
• Flying, because a bird's worst nightmare is a frozen wing.
• Dragon, because, according to fiction, dragons are cold-blooded beasts.

🟠 Ice is not very effective against …

• Fire, because ice melts.
• Water, because Ice is solidified water, and because some marine animals are known to thrive in freezing environments.
• Ice, because they share the same structure and sub-zero temperature.
• Steel, because ice breaks first.

Ice is excellent offensively, but terrible defensively. In Generations 3–8, Ice-types benefited from the weather effect hail by being immune to its 1/16th chip damage after each turn. However, in Generation 9, snow replaced hail, granting Ice-types a major enhancement. Snow has a similar effect on Ice-types as Sandstorm has on Rock-types: it boosts their Defence stat by 50%.

🥊 7. Fighting

The Fighting Type takes inspiration from martial arts. There are 92 registered Fighting-types, and it's not uncommon for these Pokémon to have anthropomorphic (human-like) features. Unlike most of the aforementioned Types, Fighting-types don't congregate in specific environments, although you can find many Fighting-type trainers honing their skills in mountains and caves.

🟢 Fighting is super-effective against …

• Normal, because the average Joe will lose against a professional boxer.
• Ice, because martial artists are known to punch through ice.
• Rock, because of the above.
• Dark, because the ill-intended can't intimidate and hurt something that lives through bravery and takes punches for a living.
• Steel, because martial artists can break some cast iron items, and weightlifters can hoist high-strength steel barbells with relative ease.

🟠 Fighting is not very effective against …

• Poison, some athletes and ring fighters have been known to take steroids, and steroid toxicity is one of the risks. Once poison circulates in your body, little can big muscles and swift moves do to save you.
• Flying, because you can't hit a bird that's … out of reach. Flying-types have the advantage as they can attack from a distance with Special Attacks.
• Psychic, because they can read or foresee your moves.
• Bug, because they can be intimidating and poisonous.
• Fairy, because fighting is inherently violent, and using it against the ambassadors of light and the benign is unfair.

🔴 Fighting has no effect on …

• Ghost, because fighting involves physical contact, and ghosts don't exist in the physical realm, so they can't be touched. Or is that Ghosts can't be fought because they've already been "defeated"?

Where the Fighting Type shines is in the offensive department, where it is able to hit five Types for super-effective damage, including Dark, Steel, and the otherwise hard-to-hit Normal. In terms of Type matchups, Normal is a great example of quality over quantity.

☠️ 8. Poison

The Poison Type is inspired by biological hazards, such as contamination, toxins, radioactivity, and pollution, giving this Type a somewhat negative connotation. There are 96 Poison-types to date, and it's not uncommon to see these creatures packing a stinger or two. Similar to the previous Type, Poison Pokémon can be found in a wide variety of areas, including cities and forests.

🟢 Poison is super-effective against …

• Grass, because toxins include microorganisms that can destroy the molecular composition of plants.
• Fairy, because fairies represent purity, while poison essentially assumes the role of anti-purity. As an example, in Peter Pan, Tinker Bell (a stereotypical fairy) drank poison to save Peter, and it nearly killed her.

🟠 Poison is not very effective against …

• Poison, because you can't corrupt something that's already impure.
• Ground, because the earth and other materials, like boron, sand, and clay, have been used to contain radioactive waste in order to keep it away from humans while the radioactivity decays (e.g., Chernobyl disaster).
• Rock, because essentially all rocks exhibit a low level of natural radioactivity as a result of the decay of radionuclides.
• Ghost, because, although contaminated, no amount of poison will lead them to death as they've sort of … been there, done that.

🔴 Poison has no effect on …

• Steel, because, although high-intensity radiation can damage metals, it's a very slow and ineffective process. (I'm surprised Game Freak classified this as an immunity rather than a not-very-effective hit.)

The Poison Type does a couple of things well: It only has two weaknesses and gets five resistances, one of which is Fairy, a notorious Type to switch into. Offensively, it has some positives, like being able to hit Fairy-types hard. Sadly, it's immune to Steel, one of the best Types in the game.

🌋 9. Ground

The Ground Type takes inspiration from the earth's crust, soil, and tectonic activity. There are only 90 Ground-type Pokémon in the PokéDex, and respect creatures that thrive in rough and dry locations like mountains, caves, and deserts.

🟢 Ground is super-effective against …

• Fire, because when you cover a flame with enough sediments (sands, silts, and clays), it can close off the oxygen supply and kill the flame.
• Electric, because the earth is so massive with an inexhaustible supply of electrons and holes that it's able to absorb electricity, nullifying the charge.
• Poison, because — as previously mentioned — it's able to bury contaminants such as radioactive waste until they have decayed.
• Rock, because it can crumble when the earth shakes.
• Steel, because for the same reason as above, metallic structures can collapse in a powerful earthquake.

🟠 Ground is not very effective against …

• Grass, because roots can penetrate the soil and deform it.
• Bug, because many insects dig themselves into the ground for protection and nutrients.

🔴 Ground has no effect on …

• Flying, because birds can sense seismic activity, such as P-waves, before humans, and can fly off and keep a safe distance when the disaster strikes.

Ground is one of the best offensive Types: It hits five (!!!) Types for super-effective damage, including four that are relatively hard to hit. Better yet, only three Types take Ground-type attacks, one of which is Bug, which isn't common. The Ground-type is so good that Grass and Flying-types tend to perform better just because they match up well against it.

🪽 10. Flying

The Flying Type represents the heavens, clouds, and the wind. A total of 132 Flying-type Pokémon exist, and they're usually based on winged beings such as birds, moths, and bats. These Pokémon can be found all over the regions.

🟢 Flying is super-effective against …

• Grass, because gusts of wind are known to rip leaves from their branches.
• Fighting, because Flying-types, being off the ground, have the upper hand (pun intended).
• Bug, because insects are a popular food source for many birds.

🟠 Flying is not very effective against …

• Electric, because a peck or a gust isn't going to deter a current.
• Rock, because the fragile anatomy of birds can't break through the sturdiness of rocks.
• Steel, because beaks fail against metals, and no wing attack is going to move an opponent made of 24-carat gold.

Flying's resistances and its immunity to Ground are useful. Offensively, the same can't be said. However, as a secondary Type, it can be useful due to its immunity — it's the reason many Flying-types have done well in VGC over the years.

🔮 11. Psychic

The Psychic Type represents mediums, intelligence, the third eye, and the human condition. There are 134 Psychic-type Pokémon, and it's no surprise that many of them have anthropomorphic features. These Pokémon can be found all over the regions. In the earlier generations, Psychic was an overpowered Type and considered superior as it was reserved for most Legendary and Mythical Pokémon.

🟢 Psychic is super-effective against …

• Fighting, because the mind is known to win over matter through well-thought-out and meticulously crafted strategies.
• Poison, because Psychics have foresight and won't easily accept drinks or food that has been poisoned.

🟠 Psychic is not very effective against …

• Psychic, because they'll only end up reading each other's minds, forming a counteractive cycle that steers neither towards victory.
• Steel, because mental forces can't bypass the strongest of materials. Also, metal music exists, and it can disrupt even the most concentrated meditator.

🔴 Psychic has no effect on …

• Dark, because you can't scheme a master plan when you can't see your opponent, hiding in the shadows, crafting a merciless plan of their own.

Psychic-types are in popular demand because of their elevated stats and versatile move pool — it's why they're commonly used as a dual-type. 2016 Pokémon World Champion Wolfe Glick once mentioned something interesting about this Type:

Psychic is basically just glorified Normal — you barely hit any Pokémon for super-effective damage, and you only get two resistances.

🪲 12. Bug

The Bug Type was inspired by real-life creepy crawlers, particularly insects. There are exactly 100 Bug-type Pokémon, and they can be found in a large variety of habitats, including parks, forests, meadows, deserts, and caves.

🟢 Bug is super-effective against …

• Grass, because bugs are known to eat grass blades and plants.
• Psychic, because a good percentage of us fear bugs. (In fact, all of the Psychic-type weaknesses reflect human fears.)
• Dark, because some bugs can see in the dark, rendering Dark-types unable to ambush them.

🟠 Bug is not very effective against …

• Fire, because, well, bugs don't resist heat well.
• Fighting, because Fighting-types show courage and aren't easily intimidated.
• Poison, because, although some insects are poisonous or venomous, those toxins won't have much effect on a Pokémon that has toxins in its DNA.
• Flying, because bugs don't stand a chance against birds when it comes to size, speed, or brains.
• Ghost, because ghosts don't easily fear, given their familiarity with death — a bug may startle them, but they're never going to give them a heart attack.
• Steel, because bugs are monumentally lighter, and no amount of venomous stingers or pincers is going to get through it.
• Fairy, because fairies guard the forests that bugs thrive in. It's like attacking your own guard dog — you can't bring yourself to do it.

Offensively, the Bug-type doesn't stand out as it can only hit three mid-tier Types with super-effective damage. What's more, it's resisted by a total of seven (!!!), the most of any Type, along with Grass. Defensively, it's only marginally better, which is why competitive players often cite Bug as the worst Type.

🪨 13. Rock

The Rock Type was inspired by solid masses composed of one or more minerals. There are 88 Rock-type Pokémon, most of which reflect creatures that live in the mountains, caves, and deserts. (Is it just me, or do you share the thought that Game Freak should combine Rock and Ground into an "Earth-type"?)

🟢 Rock is super-effective against …

• Fire, because a landslide can easily suffocate a fire.
• Ice, because rocks can be used to break ice.
• Flying, because rocks can hit a bird in the air and send it to the ground. Additionally, consider the following proverb: to kill two birds with one stone.
• Bug, because rocks easily squash bugs.

🟠 Rock is not very effective against …

• Fighting, because martial artists are used to punching through tough surfaces, such as bricks and tree trunks.
• Ground, because … that's where rocks come from.
• Steel, because steel has a firmer molecular composition than rocks.

Competitively, the Rock-type leaves a lot to be desired. It does have one unique attribute that elevates its potential: the sandstorm weather effect, which damages all Pokémon at the end of each turn, except if they're Rock, Ground, or Steel-type. As a bonus, it grants Rock-types a 50% boost (or +1) to their Special Defence stat, helping it overcome some of its shortcomings.

👻 14. Ghost

The Ghost-type is a unique one because it represents the dead or spirits from the afterlife. There are 87 Ghost-type Pokémon, and they can often be found hovering outdoors around cities, cemeteries, and inside caves and abandoned houses.

🟢 Ghost is super-effective against …

• Psychic, because many people fear ghosts and everything that is explicitly linked to death.
• Ghost, because they can see themselves in them, causing them to lament their death or that of the other — their vulnerability stems from empathy.

🟠 Ghost is not very effective against …

• Dark, because the wicked-minded Dark-types aren't easily scared or intimidated, especially not by those that fear them.

🔴 Ghost has no effect on …

• Normal, because ghosts represent an opposite dimension. Just as Ghost-types can't touch Normal-types, normies can't mess with ghosts.

The Ghost-type is similar to Fairy in that they both have one immunity and only two weaknesses. Ghost is also great at hitting things for neutral damage. Most Ghost-type Pokémon may have bad stats, but they're the only Type in the game to have two (!!!) immunities. These things make Ghost one of the best Types in the game.

🐲 15. Dragon

The Dragon-type. A favourite among many Pokémon fans. There are 93 Dragon-type Pokémon, which makes them sit right in the middle of the Type rarity rank. They are rarely found in early routes, and are often reserved for the postgame, hiding deep within caves or gliding over the topmost parts of the region.

🟢 Dragon is super-effective against …

• Dragon, because they tend to have a superiority complex, meaning they possess an attitude of superiority which conceals actual feelings of inferiority and failure. They show up with gravitas, but under those tough scales, they fear those of their own calibre.

🟠 Dragon is not very effective against …

• Steel, because in medieval folklore, knights are known to slay dragons with their double-edged swords made of bronze.

🔴 Dragon has no effect on …

• Fairy, because in ancient folktales, fairies were depicted as being resistant to Dragon magic. Now, if only that were true. I'm afraid the true reason is that the Dragon-type was too overpowered and needed a counter.

The Dragon-type is decent, although it used to be better when fairies weren't around. Defensively, it's admirable. Offensively, it's unreliable as it can only hit other Dragon Pokémon for super-effective damage. The true power of the Dragon-type doesn't reside in their typing, but in their stats.

🌙 16. Dark

The Dark-type represents darkness, the shadows, and the unknown. However, in Japan, Dark is あくタイプ (aku-taipu), which translates to "evil" or "wicked", which I find more interesting because it helps to explain many of its Type matchups. There are 89 Dark-type Pokémon, most of which are found at night in obscure areas such as alleys, caves, and forests.

🟢 Dark is super-effective against …

• Psychic, because yet another common human fear is that of the dark or the unknown, not to mention the fear of evil.
• Ghost, because ghosts know that morbid pursuits lead to death. In other words, Ghosts fear Dark-types because they don't want others to end up as them. (Ghost-types — you break my heart!)

🟠 Dark is not very effective against …

• Fighting, because fighters aren't easily intimidated, and fear is a tool that Dark-types heavily rely on.
• Dark, because when two evils meet, they would rather join forces.
• Fairy, because as history and the stories of old have taught us, war never prevails against peace. Good trumps evil.

Dark-type Pokémon could have better defences, but having an immunity compensates for it. Offensively, Dark isn't great, but being resisted by only three Types means that they can hit most Types with neutral damage. Dark-types have one major benefit: immunity to all moves affected by the Prankster ability, one of the best in the game. Here's Mr Glick once again with an amusing observation:

Dark is the perfected version of Normal and Psychic because it doesn't have a lot of interaction with the other Types, but enough to still be valuable.

🩶 17. Steel

The Steel-type represents all metals, rigidity, and, in some cases, technology. There are 85 Steel-type Pokémon as of now, and they can be found in all sorts of environments, such as cities, caves, and deserts.

🟢 Steel is super-effective against …

• Ice, because it shatters it.
• Rock, because of the above.
• Fairy, because, according to folklore and pop culture, fairies have a weakness to iron, which can repel or burn them. It may be that steel hurts fairies because the process by which it is created is symbolic of everything they are not.

🟠 Steel is not very effective against …

• Fire, because Steel is an excellent conductor, leading to instant overheating.
• Water, because Steel can rust and corrode if continuously exposed to saltwater or other corrosive liquids over time.
• Electric, because — again — Steel is a bad insulator, allowing the electricity to permeate it and paralyse it.
• Steel, because even steel can't penetrate itself.

The Steel-type is considered by many VGC players to be the best Type. It has three weaknesses, a whopping 10 (!!!) resistances, and an immunity?! On top of that, it hits three (!!!) Types for super-effective damage and is resisted by four (!!!).

🧚 18. Fairy

The Fairy Type represents light, goodness, and magic. It's the most recent Type and was introduced in Generation 6 with Pokémon X and Y. Currently, there are only 74 Fairy-type Pokémon, making this Type the second rarest of them all. They can primarily be found in forests and flower fields.

🟢 Fairy is super-effective against …

• Fighting, because fairies are benevolent beings that bring peace to violence.
• Dragon, because certain mythologies state that fairies could dominate (or tame) dragons with their magic.
• Dark, because good trumps evil.

🟠 Fairy is not very effective against …

• Fire, because fairies originate from fairy tales, and when books are burnt, their identity disappears. It could also be that fairies live in forests, which are prone to fires. A third reason could be that a forged iron represents man's mastery over fire, which enables him to shape nature to his will.
• Poison, because poison represents corruption and destruction, meaning no amount of reason and purity is going to change it — you can't save a lost cause.
• Steel, because — as previously cited — steel irritates and repels fairies, making it impossible for them to land a good hit onto Steel-types.

The Fairy-type does a lot of things well. It only has two weaknesses, none of which are common offensively. It also resists three while being immune to Dragon. Offensively, it hits three for super-effective damage while only three Types can resist it. Fairy has an incredible spread against the rest of the Types, which explains why it's so popular in the VGC metagame.

Phew, that was a lot to take in! If you survived my Chatter, you now know the reasons behind each Type's effectiveness. (Again, these are not the official explanations but merely my silly interpretations. The officials do not exist and likely never will. It's been more than 28 years, and Game Freak's still hasn't spilled the beans.)

Have a different interpretation of any of the Types? Care to share which one you would be as a Pokémon? I'm all ears!

Until next time,
B