This fox-like Pokémon is covered with a thick, luxurious golden-white fur, as well as having nine tails, each of which is tipped with orange. They also have a fluffy crest atop their heads and a similar ruff around their necks. Ninetales have gleaming red eyes that are said to give them the power of mind control. They can also live up to one thousand years.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
Ninetales are based on the kitsune of Japanese mythology, giving them abilities to wield Template:Type2 attacks such as Confuse Ray, and the fairly Ghost exclusive Will-O-Wisp. They are also very vengeful Pokémon and have been known to curse those who mistreat them. Ninetales are highly intelligent Pokémon that understand human speech. Many legends surround this Pokémon, one of which stating that Ninetales was born when 9 saints were united and reincarnated as this Pokémon.
Behavior
This Pokémon's extreme intelligence lends to what most consider Template:Type2 characteristics, though Ninetales has never officially been described as anything other than a Template:Type2. It also seems to hold grudges very easily and will curse humans and Pokémon alike if they touch one of its tails.
In Just Waiting On A Friend, a very old Ninetales befriended Brock, who bore a resemblance to her long lost master. This Ninetales created all sorts of illusions, including one of a woman through which it spoke.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ninetales cast a curse on a human that would turn it into a Pokémon, bringing on many natural disasters. The player is blamed for this and travels to the home of Ninetales at the top of Mt. Freeze to learn the truth. Ninetales later appears when Gengar wishes to right what he did to Gardevoir. He gives Gengar the Crest - O - Ninetales and sending him and the player to Murky Cave.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
Ninetales casts a sinister light from its bright red eyes to gain total control over its foe's mind. This Pokémon is said to live for a thousand years.
Legend has it that Ninetales came into being when nine wizards possessing sacred powers merged into one. This Pokémon is highly intelligent - it can understand human speech.
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Despite what many of its Pokédex descriptions say, it cannot learn the move Curse other than by TM03 in Generation II. Even still, due to its typing, Ninetales can only alter its stats with Curse, rather than place one on the target.
Despite what numerous Pokédex entries imply, Ninetales cannot learn Revenge.
Vulpix and Ninetales are the only two Template:Type2 Pokémon species where females outnumber males.
Ninetales has been inconsistently shown with either solid yellow tails or yellow tails with orange tips. The solid yellow tails appear in its original art as well as its Generation I, II, and III sprites while the orange-tipped ones appear in its revamped art, its model in Pokémon Stadium, and its Generation IV sprites.
Origin
Ninetales, like Vulpix, are based on foxes. However, in Japan there are certain legends concerning foxes, or kitsune, as they are known there. One such legend which relates to Ninetales the most is how many-tailed foxes can breathe fire, create illusions, and have extremely long lifespans. After living a long time, these creatures take on spirit forms, which may be the reason why these two related Pokémon can learn Template:Type2 moves.
In particular, Ninetales is based on the 九尾の狐, the nine-tailed fox, which is a fox of advanced age whose fur has turned silver-gold. It is said to have the power of infinite vision.
Name origin
Its name simply refers to the nine tails it has, although "tales" is used in place of "tails", perhaps to reference the many myths in Japan that it is based on. Kyūkon can be taken to mean 旧恨, old grudge, although it is worth noting that the first syllable spells out 九 kyū, nine and kon from the Japanese onomatopoeia konkon - the sound that foxes make. Furthermore, a コンロ konro is a gas burner stove. Also, an alternate reading of the Japanese word for fox, 狐 kitsune, is ko.
In other languages
German: Vulnona - From Vulpes and nona (Latin for "the ninth" with a female ending).
French: Feunard - From feu (fire) and renard (fox).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Rawst Berry (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Ninetales images on Bulbagarden Archives.
