Since furries exist in the pokemon universe (I mean some trainers recreationally wear pokemon costumes, you can’t deny they’re fursuiting), which pokemon do you think are the most popular fursonas? My bet is Lucario.

Arcanine, actually. Ninetales of both varieties are a close second.

Not that I would know this first-hand.

Vulpix and Ninetales

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.

Hello! This is the anon who asked about his hostile Alolan ninetales some time back. Glacier is more well behaved now, thanks to your swell advice. I’ve been considering catching my first Pokémon for a little while now, but I’m terrified of how Glacier will react. Are there any other species of Pokémon that my Alolan ninetales will get along comfortably with? Preferably ones that can withstand his ice beam and Snow Warning? Thanks in advance!

Excellent to hear! I’m glad Glacier is connecting with you more, anonymous.

That having been said, usually, pokémon from a ninetales’ (or, well, vulpix’s) natural habitat would be the best partners for them. This goes especially for Alolan ninetales, as they have a tendency to see those not native to their own habitats as intruders and will kindly escort them out.

With that in mind, you may find that Glacier might just get along best with members of the Alolan sandshrew line, as well as other ice-types native to Mount Lanakila, such as snorunt or sneasel. He may also get along with glaceon or crabominable, and if he’s particularly easy-going, you might also have luck with ice-types in general.

If you’d prefer a team with more variation, consider absol or castform (both also native to Mount Lanakila) or canine pokémon (not generally native, but typically appeal to ninetales’ latent but inherent social tendencies).

Of course, it’s also worth keeping in mind that no matter what pokémon you choose, with the right amount of training and the most careful introductions possible, any partner might potentially be a good one for your ninetales. It’s all about patience and understanding the way Glacier interacts with others.

Best of luck!

The post you did about the care of standard and Alolan Vulpixes was such an informative and great post! I was wondering if you would be able to give tips on caring for the standard and Alolan Ninetales as well. Thank you!

Thank you, anonymous, but I must admit I can’t quite offer that much more information on caring for either form of ninetales.

Consider it like this: there are two types of pokémon evolution. Category A is when a pokémon changes drastically, to the point where their bodies differ so greatly from their predecessor that it’s impossible to care for the two in exactly the same way. This would include pokémon such as octillery, dragonite, huntail and gorebyss, most bug-types that undergo a cocoon stage (as well as the larvitar and bagon families, for that matter), and so on and so forth.

Then you have Category B, which consists entirely of pokémon that undergo a change, certainly, but not enough of one that they require an entirely different set of needs. Most pokémon belong to this category, including ninetales.

That having been said, most of the tips you read about in the vulpix entry will also apply to ninetales, with a few minor changes here and there. For example, keep in mind that your ninetales will be larger and more powerful, so be sure to increase the amount of food and water it receives daily. Likewise, scale up your training methods (that is, increase both the intensity and duration of its exercises) to accommodate its new power levels. Keep an eye on Alolan ninetales as well, as its new fairy-typing may require exercises geared towards training its magical potential (that is, add meditation to its regimen). And above all else, set aside time to help your ninetales maintain its tails, but be careful when brushing, as ninetales tend to be sensitive in that area. The idea that they would curse you if you pull one is a myth, but they will use either Flamethrower or Ice Beam on you (or a similar move, anyway) if you pull too hard. This makes grooming especially tricky for owners of Alolan ninetales, as their cloud-like tails tangle easily and trap quite a bit of debris. Just … be careful, readers.

my gabite and my alolan ninetales used to get along fine but now gabite’s scared of him once he evolved D: i really don’t know what happened, whether it was because of the type change or something, but now, she (gabite) won’t go near him! please help!!

It’s possible that it’s the type change, anonymous, although you shouldn’t rule out a number of other possibilities.

Luckily, there’s a handy way of figuring out whether or not it is because of your ninetales’s type change. Have your gabite enter the room shortly after your ninetales leaves it. If she shivers, then she’s reacting to either the cold or residual fairy aura, and thus, it is, without a doubt, a problem with your ninetales’s type. While, yes, your vulpix, as an ice-type, may have triggered a slight drop in temperature of the air immediately surrounding his body before he evolved, keep in mind that ninetales are far stronger and possess a far more intense command over their native elements. As such, it wouldn’t surprise me if your gabite is only just now feeling discomfort or even abject fear of being around your ninetales.

If this is the case, then resolving it may be as simple as sitting down to talk with your gabite and help her acclimate to your ninetales (all while reassuring her that he is, at his heart, still the vulpix she befriended, of course). If it’s the cold that’s bothering her, then you may consider giving her a sweater to help her tolerate his abilities. Many independent artists online knit wonderful sweaters for pokémon in a number of designs, but if you’d prefer something a bit easier to come by, you may be able to find sweaters in your gabite’s size at the local pokémart. The latter aren’t normally sized to fit gabite (whereas sweaters by artists can be custom-created), so be sure to get a sweater for “medium-sized” pokémon.

As I’ve said earlier, however, this is just one possibility, and it’s certainly important to take into consideration other potential causes. For example, if your gabite looks more irritated or panicked than physically uncomfortable, there may have been an argument or even a fight between your ninetales and gabite when you weren’t looking. If that’s the case, then it’s important to serve as a mediator between them. Sit them down and try to communicate with them. Try to figure out how their differences started and work with them to repair the relationship between them. (Alolan ninetales can sometimes be mischievous, so bear that in mind as well.) Have them engage in team building exercises such as double battles in order to get closer. Ensure that you’re treating them as equally as possible to avoid making one or the other jealous.

The main thing is that it’s never a good idea to jump to the conclusion that your pokémon are rejecting each other due to a change in type after evolution. While that’s certainly a common problem, it’s not the only one. Be absolutely sure that it is the reason behind your team’s differences (through testing and observation) before attempting to treat the issue.

Best of luck, anonymous!