Evolving Eevee into Espeon: A Comprehensive Guide to Avoiding Sylveon

The key to evolving Eevee into the Psychic-type Espeon and specifically avoiding the Fairy-type Sylveon revolves around the relationship you build with your Eevee and excluding Fairy-type moves from its moveset. You need to achieve a high friendship level (typically referred to as high friendship or high happiness) during the daytime and make sure your Eevee does not know any Fairy-type moves. If these conditions are met, your Eevee will evolve into Espeon.

Understanding the Evolution Mechanics

Eevee’s evolution into Espeon is one of the more intricate in the Pokémon world, hinging on the concept of friendship. This differs from simple level-ups or using evolution stones. Building a strong bond with your Eevee is paramount. However, the introduction of Sylveon in later generations added a layer of complexity. Sylveon also relies on friendship but is prioritized if Eevee knows a Fairy-type move. Therefore, excluding Fairy-type moves is just as crucial as reaching high friendship.

Raising Eevee’s Friendship

Raising Eevee’s friendship level requires consistent positive interactions. Think of it as building a trusting relationship with your virtual Pokémon companion.

Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Keep Eevee in your party: Simply having Eevee in your active party while you explore the game world gradually increases its friendship.

• Walk a certain amount of steps with your Eevee: In games that feature overworld following of Pokemon, having Eevee walk with you will raise its friendship.

• Battles: In some games, battling with Eevee, especially against stronger opponents, can boost its friendship. Remember to avoid letting it faint, as that can negatively impact your bond.

• Treats and food: Using items like berries and special treats designed to increase friendship is a quick and efficient way to raise friendship. Check the item descriptions carefully to identify those with friendship-boosting effects.

• Massages: Certain locations in Pokémon games offer massage services for Pokémon. These massages significantly increase friendship. Look for massage therapists in towns or specific facilities.

• Vitamins: Using vitamins like Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and HP Up will raise friendship.

• Avoid certain actions: Actions such as letting Eevee faint frequently in battle, using bitter medicines (like Energy Powder, Energy Root, or Revival Herb) on it, or trading it away will negatively impact its friendship.

The Importance of Daytime

Eevee’s evolution into Espeon is specifically tied to daytime. While the exact definition of “daytime” can vary slightly between Pokémon games, it generally refers to the hours when the in-game world is bright and sunny. Make sure that, after its friendship level is high enough, your Eevee gains a level during the day to evolve into Espeon.

The Fairy-Type Move Exclusion

This is arguably the most critical part of the process to avoid Sylveon. Ensure that Eevee does not know any Fairy-type moves when it levels up with high friendship during the day. If Eevee knows a Fairy-type move (such as Baby-Doll Eyes, which it learns naturally), it will always evolve into Sylveon, regardless of the time of day. Use the Move Deleter, which is available in most Pokémon games, to remove any Fairy-type moves from Eevee’s moveset.

Verifying Friendship Level

Knowing when your Eevee has reached a high enough friendship level is essential. Luckily, Pokémon games provide several ways to check your Pokémon’s friendship.

• Friendship Checker: Many games feature an NPC, often referred to as a Friendship Checker or Happiness Rater, who can assess your Pokémon’s friendship level. Their dialogue will give you clues about how close you are. Look for phrases like “You two must be great friends!” or similar positive indicators.

• Pokémon Refresh/Pokémon Amie/Pokémon Camp: In games with these features, interacting with your Pokémon will often reveal visual cues about its friendship. Hearts appearing when you pet or feed Eevee are a sign of high friendship.

• Hidden Values: Some players use external tools or game guides to access the numerical friendship value (which is a hidden stat in the game). However, the in-game methods are usually sufficient.

Leveling Up for Evolution

Once you have verified that Eevee has high friendship and does not know any Fairy-type moves, the final step is to level it up during the daytime. You can accomplish this through battles, Rare Candies (although these don’t contribute to friendship), or any other method of gaining experience. As soon as Eevee levels up, it will evolve into Espeon.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your Eevee isn’t evolving into Espeon, consider these troubleshooting steps:

1. Double-check the time: Make sure it is actually daytime in the game.

2. Confirm high friendship: Revisit the Friendship Checker to verify that your Eevee’s friendship is truly high enough.

3. Move Deleter: Absolutely make sure your Eevee does not have any Fairy-type moves.

4. Avoid external factors: If you are using mods or external tools, they could be interfering with the evolution process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the exact friendship value required for Eevee to evolve into Espeon?

The required friendship value is typically 220 out of 255. While you usually don’t see this numerical value in the game, achieving “high friendship” as indicated by the Friendship Checker should suffice.

2. Does holding a Soothe Bell increase friendship faster?

Yes, the Soothe Bell is a held item that increases the rate at which friendship grows. Equip your Eevee with it to expedite the process.

3. Can I evolve Eevee into Espeon in Pokémon GO?

Yes, in Pokémon GO, you can evolve Eevee into Espeon by walking it as your buddy for 10 km and then evolving it during the daytime. You must have earned two candy from walking Eevee as your buddy for it to work.

4. What happens if I level up Eevee at night with high friendship?

If you level up Eevee at night with high friendship and without a Fairy-type move, it will evolve into Umbreon, the Dark-type evolution.

5. Does trading Eevee reset its friendship level?

Yes, trading Eevee will reset its friendship level to the base value. You’ll need to start the friendship-building process again from scratch after trading.

6. Can a shiny Eevee evolve into Espeon?

Yes, a shiny Eevee can evolve into Espeon, following the same requirements of high friendship, daytime level-up, and no Fairy-type moves. The resulting Espeon will also be shiny.

7. What are some good locations to raise Eevee’s friendship early in the game?

Look for towns with NPCs that offer massages or locations with abundant berries to feed Eevee. Keeping Eevee in your party and battling frequently also helps.

8. I accidentally taught my Eevee a Fairy-type move. Can I still get Espeon?

Yes, you can still get Espeon. Visit the Move Deleter in a Pokémon Center or other designated location and have them remove the Fairy-type move from Eevee’s moveset. Then, proceed with raising friendship and leveling up during the day.

9. Do Rare Candies affect friendship negatively?

No, Rare Candies do not negatively impact friendship. They are a safe way to level up your Eevee once its friendship is high enough. However, they also don’t increase friendship.

10. In which Pokémon games can I evolve Eevee into Espeon?

Eevee can evolve into Espeon in any game from Pokémon Gold and Silver onwards, provided that the game includes a day/night cycle and the friendship mechanic.

11. What happens if my system clock is incorrect?

An incorrect system clock can affect the in-game time, preventing Eevee from evolving at the correct time of day. Make sure your device’s clock is accurately set.

12. If Eevee is holding an Everstone, will it prevent the evolution?

Yes, an Everstone will prevent Eevee from evolving, regardless of its friendship level or the time of day. Remove the Everstone before attempting to evolve it.

13. Is there a one-time name trick in Pokémon GO to guarantee Espeon?

Yes, in Pokémon GO, you can use the nickname “Sakura” on Eevee to guarantee its evolution into Espeon. This trick only works once. Afterwards, you must use the walking buddy method.

14. Can abilities or natures affect Eevee’s evolution?

No, Eevee’s abilities and nature do not influence whether it evolves into Espeon, Umbreon, or Sylveon. The determining factors are friendship level, time of day, and knowledge of Fairy-type moves.

15. If I level up Eevee during the day, but it learns a Fairy-type move during that level up, what happens?

Eevee will learn the Fairy-type move before the game checks for evolution. This means that the game will see that Eevee knows a Fairy-type move, and Eevee will evolve into Sylveon, regardless of when that move was learned during the leveling process.