Sneasel is a bipedal Pokémon that resembles both cats and weasels. It is primarily bluish black with three bright red feathers for its tail and a single one on its left ear. The ear feather is shorter on the female than on the male. The other ear is short and pointed, and it has narrow red eyes. On its forehead and chest are yellow, oval markings. It has red eyes with black eyelash-like markings on the edges. It has long limbs with two large, retractable claws on its hands and feet.
Sneasel is a notoriously vicious Pokémon, which is perfectly capable of using its claws to do substantial damage. The claws are also used for climbing trees in boreal or sub-alpine forests. Sneasel steals eggs from unattended Pidgey nests. Sneasel has been known to form pairs to hunt. One will lure the parents away from the nest, while the other steals the eggs. Its former signature move, Beat Up, allows it to call on its teammates to attack its opponent.
A Sneasel appeared in Sliding Into Seventh!, under the ownership of Candice. It was used in her Gymbattle against Ash, where it battled Grotle and lost being at a type advantage.
A Sneasel appeared in The Power of Us, under the ownership of a Pokémon hunter. It and a Houndoom joined their Trainers on a search for Zeraora, but targeted a Teddiursa and Ditto instead. This forced Zeraora to intervene, followed by Ash and his friends, eventually leaving Sneasel defeated.
Sneasel's most predominant role is as one of Silver's Pokémon. He first appeared in Who Gives a Hoothoot?. It is his first Pokémon as he was the Pokémon that he used during his training under the Masked Man, and the only one seen with him in flashbacks of his childhood prior to being kidnapped. He is a dexterous and crafty fighter that fully utilizes his speed and attacks of both the Dark type and the Ice type. After many years, he evolved into a Weavile in Lance's hidden Whirl Islands chamber.
Much later, in My, My, My Mimic, a Sneasel is shown being captured by Carr, who wanted to ambush Red and Blue. However, it is frozen and beaten by the newly arrived Lorelei.
Sneasel scales trees by punching its hooked claws into the bark. This Pokémon seeks out unguarded nests and steals eggs for food while the parents are away.
Sneasel scales trees by punching its hooked claws into the bark. This Pokémon seeks out unguarded nests and steals eggs for food while the parents are away.
Sneasel can be seen as a parallel to Gligar. Both of them are dual-types, have the same base stat total, evolve into Pokémon thatwere introduced in Generation IV, and do so by leveling up at night while holding itemsbothcontaining the word razor.
Sneasel has the highest Speed of all unevolved Pokémon.
Origin
Sneasel may be based on the kamaitachi, a type of yōkai often represented as weasel demons with sickles on their front legs and sometimes understood as the cause of mysterious cuts on the skin, especially in cold weather. It also shares some traits with cats and weasels. Its eye markings are similar to that of ones in Egyptian style, possibly Horus's.
Name origin
Sneasel is a combination of sneaky and weasel. It may also derive from sneeze, an action associated with having a cold or being cold, referring to its Ice type. Sneasel may have derived from the Scottish word sneesl, meaning to begin to rain or snow, hence the Ice type.
Nyula may be a combination of 潜入 sennyū (sneaking in) and 鼬 yū (weasel, an alternate reading of itachi). Alternatively, it may be a combination of new and 野良 nora (stray, as in a stray cat, as strays are usually violent and tricky). Nyu itself may be a combination of ニャー nya (the sound a cat makes) and 鼬 yū.
Quick Claw (2%)
Grip Claw (50%)
For other sprites and images, please see Sneasel images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
