In Pokémon Sun and Moon, a new variant of Vulpix and Ninetales are introduced as part of a form called "Alolan," referring to the region Alola featured in the game.

[4] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon.

[2] Once development was complete, Ken Sugimori re-drew the species along with the others in his own artstyle in order to give the game a unified look and finalize any design elements, while also trying to maintain the original artist's unique style.

[23] Ninetales appears in the Pokémon TV series, posing as a woman who seeks to convince the character Brock to stay with her at her former master's mansion due to his resemblance to him.

[24] Paste writers Kevin Slackie and Moises Taveras commented on its "magical" aura and "spiritual energy" that they felt made it "equally impressive and somewhat terrifying."

[10] IGN writer Kristine Steimer also felt that its use of Ghost moves helped set it apart, finding it visually "majestic" and among the original games' best evolutions.

[25] As part of their "Pokémon of the Day" series, IGN staff found its design elegant, remarking their dislike for Arcanine by virtue of how they felt that it received special treatment over Ninetales, particularly in Red and Blue and Gold and Silver.

[24] Comic Book Resource writer Katie Schutze praised its design, feeling that it evoked aspects of the kitsune mythology in more subtle ways.

USA Today writers Cian Maher and Ryan Woodrow praised Ninetales' Alolan design, noting how frequently it appears in "anything Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company ever decide to do.

"[34] Alolan Ninetales' usefulness in competitive Pokémon has been commended, with Inverse writer Jessica Famularo believing it fit well on offensive teams.

[36] Destructoid writer Marcel Hoang suggested it was a powerful Pokémon for use in battling, in particular thanks to its Aurora Veil move and Snow Warning ability.