Vulpix is a small, quadruped, fox-like Pokémon. It has red-brown pelt with a cream-colored underbelly. It has brown eyes, large, pointed ears with dark brown insides, and a triangular dark brown nose. Its paws are slightly darker than the rest of its pelt and have light brown paw pads. On top of its head are three curled locks of orange fur with bangs, and it has six orange tails with curled tips. However, Vulpix is born with only a single, white tail. The tails grow hot as it approaches evolution.
Vulpix is capable of manipulating fire to such precision as to create floating wisps of flame. These wisps are sometimes mistaken for ghosts by humans, but Vulpix uses them to assist in catching prey. Inside its body is a flame that never goes out. When the temperature outside increases, it will expel flames from its mouths to prevent its body from overheating. Vulpix is known to feign injury to escape from opponents too powerful for it to defeat. Vulpix can be found most commonly in grassy plains.
In the Alola region, Vulpix has adapted to snowy mountain peak and developed a snowy white pelt. It has pale blue paws, blue eyes, and dark blue insides its ears. Its snout is more pronounced and pointed than that of non-Alolan Vulpix. The locks of hair on its head and its six tails are curlier and have a wispy appearance. Alolan Vulpix is believed to have arrived in the region at the same time as humans, but moved to the snow-capped mountain to avoid other Pokémon. It can be found in small packs, called skulks, that are led and protected by Ninetales. Alolan Vulpix can expel breath as cold as -58°F (-50°C), which is capable of freezing anything. While it is not suited to warmer environments, its tail can produce ice to lower the surrounding temperature if needed. An old, local name for this Pokémon is "Keokeo", referring to its white pelt.
In the main series
A Vulpix
Egg in the anime
An Alolan Vulpix Egg in the anime
Major appearances
Brock had a Vulpix that he obtained from Suzie in Kanto in Pokémon Fashion Flash, which also marked the species' debut. In Beauty and the Breeder, he returned it to her.
Alolan Vulpix debuted in Racing to a Big Event!, where it hatched from an Egg that Lillie primarily took care of. She gave the Egg the nickname "Snowy", and kept that name for the Vulpix that hatched from it. Despite her fear of Pokémon, Lillie caught Snowy in Getting to Know You!. She was commonly seen outside of her Poké Ball.
Other
A Vulpix appeared in Mewtwo Strikes Back, where it was cloned from Brock's Vulpix and participated in the battle between the original Pokémon and the cloned Pokémon. It reappeared in Mewtwo Returns.
A Vulpix appeared in Love, Pokémon Style, under the ownership of Macy. It is her main Pokémon, though Macy doesn't use it in battle. Vulpix found itself captured by Team Rocket, but it was soon rescued by Ash.
A Vulpix appeared in May's Egg-Cellent Adventure!, where it hatched from an Egg.
Samson Oak owns a Vulpix that appeared in Getting to Know You!. It hatched from the Egg that was given to Delia by Professor Oak so it could be delivered to Samson in Alola to New Adventure!.
An Alolan Vulpix appeared in a flashback in Getting a Jump on the Competition!, under the ownership of Cerah. By the events of that episode, it had evolved into an Alolan Ninetales.
Minor appearances
A Vulpix appeared in the English-dubbed version of The Ultimate Test.
A Vulpix appeared in Pikachu Re-Volts, where it was among the Pokémon controlled by Cassidy and Butch at Mandarin Island North.
Two Vulpix appeared in a flashback in Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?, one each under the ownership of Ralph and Emily.
A Vulpix appeared in The Power of One.
Two wild Vulpix appeared in Pikachu's Rescue Adventure. One of them helped the Trainers' Pokémon and Elekid save the Exeggcute nests and Togepi during a storm.
A Vulpix appeared in Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, under the ownership of an elderly woman.
A Trainer's Vulpix appeared in You're a Star, Larvitar!.
A Vulpix appeared in the opening sequence of Jirachi: Wish Maker.
A Coordinator's Vulpix appeared in Disguise Da Limit.
Multiple Vulpix appeared in the opening sequence of Destiny Deoxys.
A Vulpix appeared in PK13.
A Vulpix appeared in the opening sequence of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
A Coordinator's Vulpix appeared in The Saffron Con.
A Coordinator's Vulpix appeared in What I Did for Love!.
A Vulpix appeared in Not on MY Watch Ya Don't!. It was among the many Pokémon that were hypnotized and kidnapped by Team Rocket.
A Vulpix appeared in Staging a Heroes' Welcome!, under the ownership of a Coordinator competing in the Wallace Cup.
A Coordinator's Vulpix appeared in Old Rivals, New Tricks!, where it was participating in the Sandalstraw Town Pokémon Contest.
A Vulpix appeared in Mewtwo's flashback in Genesect and the Legend Awakened.
A Vulpix appeared in a fantasy in Mystery on a Deserted Island!, when Alexa was telling Ash and his friends that it belonged to a Pirate. It was revealed that after the pirate disappeared, Vulpix stayed on the island where the treasure was hidden with the other Pokémon. It was revealed to have evolved into Ninetales afterwards.
A Vulpix appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!.
A Vulpix appeared in SS028.
A Trainer's Vulpix appeared in Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!.
A Trainer's Vulpix appeared in I Choose You!.
A Trainer's Alolan Vulpix appeared in Mimikyu Unmasked!.
Six Trainers' Vulpix appeared in The Power of Us.
A Trainer's Vulpix appeared in Securing the Future!, where it joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its normal form.
Pokédex entries
| Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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| AG150
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Vulpix
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May's Pokédex
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Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon. Before evolving, Vulpix's six part tail can become as hot as a fiery blaze.
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| Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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| SM014
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Vulpix
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Rotom Pokédex
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Vulpix, Alola Form. The Fox Pokémon. An Ice type. Vulpix is covered in white fur and was discovered on Mount Lanakila. Its breath can reach a temperature of 60 below zero, freezing anything it touches. And that Vulpix? It's a Fire type. When carefully groomed, its six tails can be extremely beautiful.
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In Pokémon Origins
A Vulpix appeared in File 2: Cubone at the Pokémon House in Lavender Town.
In Pokémon Generations
A Vulpix appeared in Ecruteak City in The Reawakening, during a flashback about the creation of the legendary beasts.
In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga
Kiaraway, a Fire-type Pokémon Trainer, owns a female Vulpix. She is one of his most used Pokémon, first appearing with Cyndaquil in Vulpix and Cyndaquil. She is good friends with Coconut.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Bill owns a Vulpix, which debuted in Hitmonlee, Baby! (One More Time). He uses it as a guard for his house. It reappeared at the Pokémon Association while Bill was talking about the Gym Leaders in Sunkern Treasure. In Slugging It Out With Slugma, it reappeared a second time while Bill was talking to Professor Oak, but it and Bill's Exeggcute kept being a nuisance during the conversation.
Flannery owns a Vulpix that debuted in Bravo, Vibrava. She used it to battle Shelly's Ludicolo. Although it ended up getting defeated, it managed to disable Ludicolo's main attack, Nature Power, by using Grudge just before fainting.
The first Magma Admin Courtney's Ninetales was a Vulpix at one point, and was used in Contests, as shown in a flashback in It All Ends Now III.
In the Pokémon Battle Frontier manga
- Main article: Enta's Vulpix
In Pokémon Battle Frontier, the main character Enta has a Vulpix that is his first Pokémon.
- The beta Pokémon names in Red and Blue listed Vulpix as Foxfire.
- Vulpix can be seen as a parallel to Growlithe. Both are Generation I Pokémon that evolve once via a Fire Stone. Vulpix is exclusive to Pokémon Green, Blue, Silver, LeafGreen, and SoulSilver while Growlithe is to Red, Blue (Japan), Gold, FireRed, and HeartGold. Growlithe has a 75% chance of being male while Vulpix has a 75% of being female, they are both in the Field Egg Group, can have Flash Fire as their Ability, and are yellow when Shiny from Generation III on. Furthermore, both are based primarily on canine-like creatures of Japanese folklore: Vulpix from the kitsune, Growlithe from the shisa.
- Alolan Vulpix can be seen as a parallel to Alolan Sandshrew. Both were initially introduced in Generation I and got Alola Forms in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Both Pokémon are Ice-type with Vulpix being exclusive to Sun and Sandshrew being exclusive to Moon. Furthermore, both Pokémon evolve when exposed to an Ice Stone.
- Vulpix is the only Pokémon with a base stat total of 299.
- Vulpix and Ninetales share their category with Fennekin, Braixen, and Delphox. They are all known as the Fox Pokémon.
- Vulpix has the lowest base HP of all Fire-type Pokémon.
- Alolan Vulpix is the only regional variant with a specific name — Keokeo.
Origin
Vulpix is based on a fox, particularly the kitsune of Japanese legend, which have many tails and can breathe fire. After living a long time, kitsune take on spirit forms, which may explain why Vulpix can learn Ghost-type moves.
Alolan Vulpix seems to be based on the Arctic fox.
Name origin
Vulpix is a combination of vulpes (Latin for fox) and six (referring to its six tails).
The Alolan name Keokeo comes from keʻokeʻo (Hawaiian for white).
Rokon may be a combination of 六 roku (six) and 恨 kon (grudge, from the curse that Ninetales, its evolution, may cast on its foes), kon kon (the sound foxes make), コンロ konro (gas stove), or ko, an alternate reading of 狐 kitsune (fox).
Rawst Berry (100%)
Fire Stone (100%)
Charcoal (5%)
Snowball (5%)
For other sprites and images, please see Vulpix images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
