Does Everstone Block Stone Evolutions? The Definitive Guide
Absolutely not! The Everstone, while a powerful item for preventing level-based evolution, is powerless against the might of an Evolution Stone. Think of it this way: the Everstone is like a polite suggestion, while a Fire Stone or Water Stone is an undeniable command. When used, these elemental stones will trigger evolution regardless of whether the Pokémon is holding an Everstone. The held Everstone does prevent Pokemon from evolving when leveling up and being traded, but not with evolutionary stones. It’s a key distinction that can save you from accidentally evolving a Pokémon you wanted to keep in its pre-evolution form!
Understanding the Everstone’s True Purpose
The Everstone’s primary function is to prevent evolution that occurs through leveling up or certain trade conditions. It’s ideal for trainers who want to keep a Pokémon in its current form, perhaps to take advantage of its earlier moveset or to simply enjoy its design. This mechanic brings a layer of strategy to Pokémon training, allowing players to customize their team’s abilities and aesthetics. The Everstone also allows trainers the opportunity to use the Eviolite, which raises the Defense and Special Defense of not-fully-evolved Pokemon.
However, the Everstone’s influence is limited. It cannot stop evolutions triggered by items like the Evolution Stones (Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Shiny Stone, Dusk Stone, and Dawn Stone). Once you use an evolutionary stone on a pokemon, it can not be stopped, even if the stone is given early. This means that giving your Eevee an Everstone won’t prevent it from becoming a Flareon if you use a Fire Stone on it. The same holds true for any other Pokémon that evolves via Evolution Stone.
The Breeding Benefits of Everstone
Beyond preventing evolution, the Everstone plays a crucial role in Pokémon breeding. When a parent Pokémon holds an Everstone, it has a 50% chance of passing down its Nature to its offspring. This is invaluable for competitive trainers who want to breed Pokémon with specific Natures that boost certain stats. The Everstone gives the offspring a greater chance of inheriting a beneficial nature.
Nature Inheritance
The Nature of a Pokémon affects the growth rate of its stats, making it a critical factor in battle. By strategically using the Everstone during breeding, you can increase your chances of obtaining Pokémon with the ideal Nature for their role on your team. This is a very useful thing to keep in mind while breeding.
Regional Forms
Also, if a regional variant is holding an Everstone while breeding with the opposite gender or a Ditto, it will produce the original variant of the Pokémon. This is important to consider if you are trying to get a specific regional form.
Avoiding Accidental Evolutions
Understanding the Everstone’s limitations is vital for preventing unwanted evolutions. Always double-check the method of evolution for a particular Pokémon before equipping it with an Everstone. If the Pokémon evolves via an Evolution Stone, the Everstone will be useless.
Understanding Evolution Methods
Certain Pokemon evolve through methods outside of the Everstone’s control, such as:
- Leveling up with high friendship: Eevee evolving into Sylveon
- Trade Evolutions: Kadabra evolving into Alakazam
- Location Based Evolutions: Eevee evolving into Glaceon or Leafeon
The Infamous Kadabra Exception
There is one noteworthy exception to the Everstone’s rules: Kadabra. Starting in Diamond and Pearl, if Kadabra is traded while holding an Everstone, it will still evolve into Alakazam. This oddity is thought to be an intentional feature by the game developers, as Kadabra’s evolution into Alakazam is triggered by trading, not by a specific item or level.
Everstone’s Role in Competitive Battling
The Everstone has uses in competitive play as well. Some Pokemon are preferred in their pre-evolution forms due to the Eviolite, a held item that boosts the Defense and Special Defense of a not-fully-evolved Pokemon. Combining the Everstone to prevent evolution with the Eviolite can make certain Pokémon surprisingly bulky and effective in battle. The Eviolite provides a significant stat boost to certain Pokemon to make them competitively viable.
Strategy
Many trainers use the Everstone and Eviolite combo to give their Pokemon more survivability. With the added defense and special defense, some pre-evolution Pokemon can survive hits they normally would not be able to.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What happens if I give a Pokémon an Everstone and then use an Evolution Stone?
The Pokémon will evolve! The Everstone only prevents evolution triggered by leveling up or trading; it has no effect on evolution stones.
2. Can the Everstone stop trade evolutions?
Generally, yes. However, the Everstone fails to prevent Kadabra from evolving into Alakazam when traded. Also, if either Karrablast or Shelmet holds an Everstone when traded for the other, neither will evolve.
3. Does the Everstone prevent shiny Pokémon from evolving?
No, shininess is unrelated to evolution. A shiny Pokémon holding an Everstone will still remain shiny, regardless of whether it evolves.
4. What if both parents in the Daycare are holding Everstones?
If both parents hold an Everstone, each parent has a 50% chance of passing down its Nature to the offspring.
5. Is there any other way to prevent evolution besides using an Everstone?
Yes, you can manually prevent evolution by pressing the “B” button during the evolution sequence.
6. What is the best use of the Everstone?
The Everstone is most valuable for breeding Pokémon with desired Natures. It’s also useful for preventing evolution to take advantage of early-level movesets or the Eviolite.
7. Can I remove an Everstone after it has been given to a Pokémon?
Yes, you can remove an Everstone at any time by accessing your bag and selecting the item.
8. Does the Everstone affect experience gain?
No, the Everstone only prevents evolution; it doesn’t influence how much experience a Pokémon earns.
9. Are there any downsides to using an Everstone?
The main downside is that you might miss out on the stat boosts and movepool of the evolved form. This is a tradeoff that needs to be considered.
10. Does the Everstone work on Legendary Pokémon?
Yes, the Everstone works on Legendary Pokémon that are capable of evolving, such as Cosmog.
11. Can the Everstone be used in conjunction with other held items?
Yes, the Everstone can be used with any other held item, but the effects of those items will depend on the Pokémon’s stage of evolution.
12. What is the difference between an Everstone and the “B” button method?
The Everstone is a passive method that permanently prevents evolution until removed. Pressing “B” is a manual, temporary method that must be repeated each time the Pokémon attempts to evolve.
13. How do I get an Everstone?
Everstones can be found in various locations throughout the Pokémon games, such as hidden items or rewards for completing certain tasks. Refer to game-specific guides for precise locations.
14. Does the Everstone affect Hidden Abilities?
No, the Everstone does not affect the inheritance of Hidden Abilities during breeding. Hidden Abilities are determined separately.
15. Where can I learn more about Pokémon strategies and breeding?
There are many resources available online, including fan communities, strategy guides, and competitive battling forums. Additionally, exploring the theoretical underpinnings of game-based learning can broaden your understanding of game mechanics and strategies. For example, the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org provides a platform for research and discussion on how games can enhance learning.