Vulpix is such a simple yet elegant Pokémon.

I’ve seen many a generic fox character in games I’ve played, yet Vulpix always stands out from the crowd. Anatomically speaking, it doesn’t stray far from real-world foxes. But similar to what I said in my Beedrill review, it’s a surprisingly unique design.

A warm color scheme of reds and light browns is both visually pleasing to look at, as well as complimentary to Vulpix’s Fire typing. I love the bright red tails, and especially the tuft of hair on its head. Were it not for the hairpiece, the tails would appear garish and out of place.

Also, I think it’s perfect that Vulpix’s fur is colored to form “booties” on its feet. It amps up the cuteness factor in my book.

With rounded features and precious eyes, Vulpix has an adorable appearance. However, its cute demeanor is not to be mistaken. Vulpix’s six tails immediately give away its ties to powerful and magical kitsunes. Even its fire-breathing abilities connect to more specific legends. Simply put, Vulpix is a cartoony version of a classic Japanese myth.

Overall, Vulpix is a straightforward representation of its source material, but that’s not a bad thing. I think the execution of its design is excellent!

When Vulpix evolves into Ninetales, it follows kitsune lore even tighter than its predecessor. Specifically, it’s a kyūbi no kitsune, a magical 1,000-year-old fox that gained a shimmering gold coat of fur. Just like the legend, it has amazing intelligence and can possess the minds of humans. The full extent of its powers are mysterious, as Pokédex entries avoid saying anything outside of its tails bestowing its long lifespan.

Out of all of Ninetales’ Pokédex entries, I’d love for the games to expand on the flavor text from Yellow and Sapphire. They mention old myths of Ninetales being the result of nine saints or wizards fusing together. Where did these legends come from? How did Ninetales give humans the impression it was tied to holy or magical people? Are there actually people comprising this beast?

There’s no denying that Ninetales’ design is extremely simplistic. Its color scheme is practically monochromatic, with only orange-tipped tails and red eyes to break it up. There are only a couple tufts of fur to suggest that Ninetales even has any at all. The rest of its body consists of perfectly smooth lines. These could be taken as negative points, but I don’t actually feel they detract from Ninetales overall. I don’t mind that Ninetales takes a minimalist approach.

I reckon my opinion on the matter is affected by other fox or doglike characters I consider “too generic” in comparison.

(In order of appearance: Monster Legends’ Wolfkami and Neopets’ Lupe and Gerlert)

I have no idea why Ninetales is an exception to my standards. It could easily fall under the list above, but for me it doesn’t.

It’s not always easy to explain why a character looks great. Sometimes, simplicity just works.

In a complete twist to its typing, this Ice Vulpix has adapted to the frigid temperatures of Alola’s Mount Lanakila.

Alolan Vulpix’s design doesn’t immediately jump out at me, but I still think it’s decent. It has a lovely combination of stark white and icy blues on its fur and eyes. Its hairpiece and tail fit nicely with its Winter theme by appearing covered with fresh-fallen snow. I also enjoy the fluffy shape of the fur inside its ears; it catches my attention better than regular Vulpix’s tiny triangle-shaped tufts.

Unfortunately, the Pokédex doesn’t give a whole lot to talk about with Alolan Vulpix. It only mentions its freezing breath (which comes as no surprise from an Ice-type Pokémon), and that older people used to call it “Keokeo” – which, if this forum is to be trusted, is Hawaiian for “Spotless white.”

Basically, Alolan Vulpix is just a white, ice-breathing kitsune. It’s cute that this Vulpix is the opposite of traditional fire-breathing kitsunes, but that’s sadly all I have to commentate about. Alolan Vulpix’s design begins and ends with the thought, “What if we took a classic Japanese myth and just reversed it?”

Still, I enjoy Alolan Vulpix’s visual design. I think it’s a decent character, even if its concept and looks are bare-bones for an alternate form.

Without a doubt, this Ninetales has fluffy fur! Whereas regular Ninetales’ fur is hinted by a couple visual hints around its body, the Alolan variant has long fur trailing everywhere.

It was actually difficult for me to write this part of the article. When I first saw Alolan Ninetales, one of my first thoughts was, “Yep, that sure is a fluffy Ninetales with ice powers.” I was initially going to write off Alolan Ninetales as “just okay” in this review.

But then I realized that I actually like this Ninetales over the original. When I place both designs side-by-side, my eyes are drawn to the Alolan form. I enjoy its fur being so wavy and wispy. Having it be so long and flowing makes it feel more noble and even ethereal, which is fitting for a mythical kitsune.

I wish its body was still white with blue accents, rather than the other way around. But that’s merely a nitpick that doesn’t detract from the design overall.

Interestingly, Alolan Ninetales is now Ice-Fairy. There’s no exact explanation in the Pokédex as to why, though. At the time of writing this article, I can’t just grab a quick answer through Bulbapedia, either. Generally, the topic of fairies can be broader than it seems on the surface.

Then again, I might be overthinking this. Fairies and the Fairy typing tend to reference mystical and powerful entities. The nine-tailed fox is a classic youkai that’s tied to a lot of Japan’s folklore. It’s not too great a stretch, then, to take those two points and connect them together into the same concept. Ghosts don’t have to be the only spiritual monsters, after all!

Alolan Ninetales is another one of those simple alternate forms, but in this case it’s a compliment. Its design is clean, and varied just enough that it stands apart from its normal counterpart.