Does Everstone Prevent Stone Evolutions? The Definitive Guide
Yes, an Everstone absolutely prevents a Pokémon from evolving, regardless of the method, including evolution by way of an Evolution Stone like the Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, and so on. If a Pokémon is holding an Everstone, it will not evolve through leveling up, trading (in most cases), or by using any kind of evolution-inducing item. The Everstone’s primary function is to suppress evolution, making it a crucial item for breeders and trainers alike.
Understanding the Everstone’s Functionality
The Everstone is a special item in the Pokémon universe with a very straightforward purpose: to prevent a Pokémon from evolving. This effect overrides all other evolution triggers. Think of it as a master “pause” button on the evolutionary process. Whether your Pokémon is destined to evolve via leveling up, trading, friendship, time of day, location, or through the use of an Evolution Stone, the Everstone will halt the transformation.
This is not just a mechanical rule within the game; it’s a fundamental property of the Everstone woven into the lore. The item possesses a certain inherent quality that interferes with the Pokémon’s natural growth process. It is a valuable item used in breeding because if the parent Pokémon is holding the Everstone during breeding, it has a 50% chance of passing down its nature to the baby Pokémon.
How Everstone Impacts Different Evolution Methods
To further clarify, let’s break down how the Everstone interacts with different evolution triggers:
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Level-Up Evolution: This is the most common type of evolution. Pokémon like Pikachu evolve into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. However, if Pikachu is holding an Everstone, it will simply level up without evolving, regardless of how many levels it gains.
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Evolution Stone Evolution: Using a Fire Stone on a Growlithe would normally result in an Arcanine. With the Everstone, Growlithe will happily accept the stone (in a video game sense, of course) and nothing happens.
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Trade Evolution: Some Pokémon, such as Haunter, evolve when traded. Normally, trading a Haunter causes it to evolve into a Gengar. However, if Haunter is holding an Everstone, it remains a Haunter after the trade, preventing the intended evolution. There are exceptions though, certain generations had glitches where this did not work.
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Friendship/Happiness Evolution: Pokémon like Eevee can evolve into Espeon or Umbreon based on their friendship level and the time of day. An Everstone completely nullifies any potential evolution, leaving Eevee as it is.
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Location-Based Evolution: In some games, certain Pokémon evolve when leveling up in a specific location, like evolving into Leafeon in a forest. Again, the Everstone will prevent the Pokémon from evolving.
Why Use an Everstone?
While preventing evolution might seem counterintuitive at first, there are several reasons why trainers might choose to equip their Pokémon with an Everstone:
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Competitive Battling: Some Pokémon are strategically more useful in their pre-evolved forms due to movesets or specific abilities they possess. Delaying or preventing evolution allows trainers to retain these advantages.
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Aesthetic Preference: Sometimes, trainers simply prefer the appearance of a Pokémon’s earlier form. The Everstone allows them to keep their favorite Pokémon in its desired form indefinitely.
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Breeding Purposes: As mentioned earlier, the Everstone plays a vital role in breeding. By holding an Everstone, a parent Pokémon has a 50% chance of passing down its Nature to the offspring. This is crucial for creating competitive teams with specific stat distributions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about the Everstone and its interaction with the Pokémon world:
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Can a Pokémon holding an Everstone still learn new moves?
Yes. Holding an Everstone only prevents evolution; it doesn’t affect a Pokémon’s ability to learn new moves through leveling up, TMs/TRs, or breeding.
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What happens if both parents hold an Everstone during breeding?
If both parents are holding an Everstone, the offspring will inherit either the mother or father’s Nature, with a 50% chance for each.
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Does the Everstone affect a Pokémon’s stats in any way, other than preventing evolution?
No. The Everstone only prevents evolution. It doesn’t directly affect a Pokémon’s stats, abilities, or moves.
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If I remove the Everstone from a Pokémon, will it immediately evolve if it meets the evolution requirements?
No, it will not immediately evolve. The evolution requirements must be met again after the Everstone is removed. For example, if you had an Everstone on your Pikachu so it would not evolve at level 20, and at level 30 you removed the Everstone, it will not evolve until you give it a Thunder Stone again.
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Does the Everstone work on all Pokémon?
Yes, the Everstone works on virtually all Pokémon that are capable of evolving. There are very few exceptions, and those are usually related to game-specific glitches.
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Can a Pokémon evolve if it’s holding an Everstone and gains enough experience to trigger a secondary evolution requirement?
No. The Everstone prevents all forms of evolution, regardless of the trigger.
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Is there any way to bypass the Everstone’s effect?
Generally, no. The Everstone’s effect is absolute. However, glitches or unintended mechanics can occasionally occur in specific game versions.
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Does the Everstone work on trade evolutions in modern Pokémon games?
Yes, in modern Pokémon games, the Everstone prevents trade evolutions. Trading a Pokémon holding an Everstone will not cause it to evolve (with some exceptions for legacy issues in older games).
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Can a Pokémon breed if it’s holding an Everstone?
Yes, a Pokémon can breed while holding an Everstone. The Everstone doesn’t interfere with the breeding process itself. In fact, as mentioned previously, it is incredibly useful for breeding as it has a 50% chance of passing down it’s nature to the baby Pokémon.
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Does the Everstone affect regional variants or convergent species?
If a regional variant is holding an Everstone while breeding with the opposite genders or a Ditto, it will produce the original variant of the Pokémon.
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Where can I find an Everstone in the Pokémon games?
Everstones can be found in various locations depending on the game. They are often found as held items on wild Pokémon, rewarded for completing in-game tasks, or purchased from specific vendors.
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If a Pokémon eats an Everstone, does it prevent evolution?
This is a fun reference to Ash’s Rowlet from the anime! While played for comedic effect in the series, the in-game mechanics do not support Pokémon “eating” Everstones. If Rowlet swallowed an Everstone in the games, it would have the same effect as holding it.
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Do shiny Pokémon evolve if holding an Everstone?
A Shiny Pokémon will not evolve if holding an Everstone. The stone’s ability to negate evolution is not limited to normal Pokémon. Shiny Pokémon are just like regular Pokémon with a different colour palette.
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Does Everstone affect Pokémon that evolve through unique methods like Alcremie?
Yes, Alcremie’s evolution method involves spinning around a trainer while holding a sweet. However, if Alcremie is holding an Everstone, it won’t evolve, regardless of how long or often you spin.
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Are there educational games for children based on the Everstone, or evolution?
While there aren’t any dedicated games focused solely on Everstone, the entire Pokémon franchise offers valuable lessons in strategy, resource management, and even basic biology and evolution. Furthermore, the Games Learning Society conducts research on the intersection of games and education, exploring how game-based learning can enhance cognitive skills and knowledge retention. You can learn more at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
Hopefully, this guide provides a comprehensive understanding of the Everstone and its impact on evolution in the Pokémon world. Whether you’re a seasoned trainer or a newcomer to the series, the Everstone is a valuable tool to master.