This review is one I’ve been excited to do for a while, but for whatever reason I just haven’t found the right words for it, possibly in part due to there being quite a wide range of emotional response for things here. We’re going from a nice enough design I think ticks a lot of the right boxes but doesn’t stand out too much in my view, but then on to something truly masterful.

Vulpix starts off simple but effective, a cute little fiery fox which is fairly standard, but the plume of six tails looks great in its art and really offers a lot for a subdued mystical vibe. It’s a pretty standard and unsubtle lifting of the concepts of kitsune, and that may pale as a concept nowadays but it’s still a fundamentally very solid and cute design. Its movepool including a pleasant handful of Ghost, Psychic, and even a few Dark moves rather than just the requisite Fire and Normal does a lot to elevate a Pokemon that would otherwise risk verging on bland to have a mystical and ominous side to it that is only expanded upon with evolution.

Ninetales does the only decent thing for a Pokemon with that name and evolves to now have, in a move some may find shocking or disturbing, nine tails. It takes on a golden hue which I don’t like quite as much as Vulpix’s red-orange, but it works as the idea of a Fire Pokemon evolving into a warmer flame colour is very fitting and in line with this evolutionary family being a calmer take on Fire type Pokemon which are often branded more with aesthetics that denote explosive power and wild, sometimes rugged temperaments. It’s forgoing all that for stoicism, will-o-the-wisps and ominous curses from its tail which really commits to the kitsune basis and lets it stand out among Fire types. I will say though that I find it kind of lacking in how its fur and tails flow. At its best it’s looks great in a piece of art but often in sprites and models it comes off as “clumpy” and not as mystical looking as it tries to be. I do appreciate the concept but sadly I think despite the nice theory of it, Ninetales just falls a little short in practice.

Alolan Vulpix is a pretty simple change from its original form but one I find absolutely adorable. Becoming more of an arctic fox in adapting to the cold, this is the second of the suddenly Ice type regional form families and despite our strong start this one is even better still. The beautiful snow white colouration and the extra styling of the fur on its head and tail to have more of a “floof” to them do a phenomenal job of making it look cuter, more mystical, and more adapted to the cold. The slightly darker fur on Alolan Vulpix’s paws both mirrors the colour contrast of its Kantonian form and also gives a look of something like snow boots here, and tufts of fur insulating its ears are another nice touch. To top it all off, the colours in Alolan Vulpix’s eyes give an almost moonlit aurora vibe that really just completes the beautiful snowy aesthetic. I don’t think it’s at all a stretch to say this is one of the cutest Pokemon ever made. Another thing I particularly love is the small lore detail of Alolan Vulpix having an old Alolan folk name of Keokeo. That kind of little worldbuilding is just so nice and I’m surprised more regional forms don’t do this. Overall, it’s a simple iteration on a simple concept just executed flawlessly.

Alolan Ninetales, to put it simply, is a resplendent design. Its wispier fur gives it a really ethereal flair that exceeds its original, its colour scheme of icy pale blues fading into white at extremities is masterful, and it exhibits a serene personality that inspires wonder. On top of that Alolan Ninetales has a unique Ice/Fairy type combination rather than plain old monotype and the prevailing colours of pale pastel blues and pinks in all its best attacks and the aesthetics of the types themselves just warms my gay little heart. Alolan Ninetales is also just a fantastically fun Pokemon to use as a pioneer of Aurora Veil, a move that feels like it was basically made for Alolan Ninetales to have a cool niche in conjunction with Snow Warning. Aurora aesthetics are something I really love so this goes a long way in making me appreciate Alolan Ninetales. This is one of my absolute all-time favourite Pokemon and it’s above and beyond everything I could want out of it. This is going to be one of only a handful of Pokemon that completely break the rating scale and I have to class it as an all-time great.

Kantonian Final Verdict: 6/10 – a solid design that stands out among classic Fire types, but it’s still a little too plain and doesn’t quite deliver
Alolan Final Verdict: 11/10 – a full blown masterpiece of design, flawless and beautifully realised