Ninetales (Pokémon)

Ninetales キュウコン Kyukon

Artwork from FR/LG

Type Species  Fire  Fox Pokémon Ability Exp. at 100 Flash Fire 1,000,000 Pokédex Kanto #038 Johto #128* Hoenn #154 Sinnoh #— Browser Fiore R— Almia R-172 Height Weight 3'07" 43.9 lbs. Pokédex color Footprint Body style Catch rate Yellow 75 Gender ratio 25% male 75% female Egg groups Egg cycles Ground 21 (5355 steps*) EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 1 Speed 1 Exp. 178 External links On Legendary Pokémon Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Smogon Pokédex: Generation I Generation II Generation III Generation IV On Eevee's Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) On Psypoke Pokédex On Pokecharms Pokédex (Gen. III-IV) On Marriland Pokédex (Gen. IV) Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Ninetales (Japanese: キュウコン Kyukon) is a Fire-type Pokémon.

It evolves from Vulpix via Fire Stone.

Biology

Physiology

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 Ghost-type attacks such as Confuse Ray. 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 Psychic-type characteristics, though Ninetales has never officially been described as anything other than a Fire-type. It also seems to hold grudges very easily and will curse humans and Pokémon alike if they touch one of its tails.

Habitat

Grassland Pokémon

Ninetales can be found in grassy plains or in mountainous areas with lots of shade, but they are very rare.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime

Ninetales in the anime.

Major appearances

In Beauty and the Breeder, a friend of Suzy named Zane had a Ninetales and used it in a Pokémon breeding contest.

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.

Minor appearances

Ninetales was first seen in The Battling Eevee Brothers.

The Cinnabar Island Gym Leader, Blaine, used a Ninetales against Ash in their first Gym battle.

In Mewtwo Strikes Back, a Ninetales owned by Neesha was one of the Pokémon that were captured and cloned by Mewtwo. The Ninetales clone is seen again in Mewtwo Returns.

A Ninetales made a cameo appearance in Misty Meets Her Match. This Ninetales belonged to Rudy.

Ninetales also had a cameo during the opening credits of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, taking part in the festival honoring Sir Aaron.

A Ninetales appeared in a flashback in Mutiny in the Bounty! as one of J's captured Pokémon.

Pokédex entries

In the manga

In Pokémon Adventures, Red and Blue both tried catching the same Ninetales. In the scuffle for its Poké Ball, Blue managed to grab it first.

Magma Admin Courtney uses a Ninetales as her main battler.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, the curse that Ninetales can conjure is one of the main points of the plot.

In the TCG

Main article: Ninetales (TCG)

Game data

NPC appearances

• 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

Game locations

In side games

Held items

Game		Held Item(s)
Emerald		Rawst Berry (100%)* (Emerald only)
*This Pokémon can only have this held item if seen in the Battle Frontier and the player's Pokémon uses Thief or Covet.

Stats

Base stats

Pokéthlon stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

Ninetales is capable of learning the following moves in Generation IV.

• Moves in bold are damaging moves to which STAB applies.

By leveling up

By TM/HM

By breeding

By tutoring

Side game data

Pokémon Pinball
	Acquisition: Evolve
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
	Acquisition: Evolve
Pokémon Trozei!
	Rarity: Rare
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: Evolve	Friend Area: Darkness Ridge
Phrases
51%-100% HP	Feel privileged to see the 1,000-year knowledge of our clan!
26%-50% HP	This won't do. I've only half my health remaining.
1%-25% HP	My eyes grow dim... Is this how our 1,000-year legacy ends?
Level Up	Rejoice! My level has gone up!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: -4.5%	IQ Group: G
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Group:  Fire	Poké Assist: ( Fire )	Field Move: (Burn ×4)
"While protecting itself with a ghostly ring of fire, it breaths streams of fire to attack."

Evolution

Unevolved Vulpix  Fire

Fire Stone →

First evolution Ninetales  Fire

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow	Red (Ja)	Green	Back
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal			Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald	FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum	HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back

For other sprites and images, please see Ninetales images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• Ninetales's name was originally spelled as "Nine Tales".
• Ninetales's name is misspelled as "Ninetails" in the Pokémon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color.
• 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.
• In Pokémon Platinum, Ninetales is the one of the few Pokémon not in the Sinnoh Dex, and not introduced in Generation IV, to have a new sprite. Muk, Oddish, Hitmonlee, Meowth, Primeape, and Registeel are the others.
  • Of the 6 Pokémon mentioned above, Registeel is the only Generation III Pokémon. It is also the only legendary Pokémon.
• Despite what numerous Pokédex entries imply, Ninetales cannot learn Revenge.
• Vulpix and Ninetales are the only two Fire-type Pokémon species where females outnumber males.

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 Ghost-type 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).
• Korean: 나인테일 Nainteil
• Chinese (Taiwan and Hong Kong): 九尾 Jio Wei - "Nine tails".

External links

• Cursed, the fanlisting for Ninetales

Notes

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.