Unlocking the Moonlight: Evolving Eevee into Umbreon in Pokémon Sword
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So, you’re aiming to add the sleek, dark-type Umbreon to your Pokémon Sword team? Excellent choice! This guide will illuminate the path to evolving your Eevee into this nocturnal beauty. It’s simpler than you might think, but understanding the nuances is key.
The crucial ingredients are friendship and time of day. To evolve Eevee into Umbreon in Pokémon Sword, you need to raise its Friendship to a high level and then level it up during the night. There are no specific levels required, no special moves to teach, and no held items needed. If your Eevee isn’t evolving upon leveling up at night, its Friendship stat simply isn’t high enough. Let’s dive into the details.
Raising Eevee’s Friendship
Friendship, also known as happiness, is a hidden stat that represents how much your Pokémon likes you. Here’s how to boost it:
- Keep Eevee in your party: Simply having Eevee in your party will slowly increase its Friendship as you explore.
- Battle together: Using Eevee in battles, especially against tougher opponents, will help it warm up to you. Just try not to let it faint!
- Cook Curry: Making Curry for Eevee at your campsite is an excellent way to boost its friendship. Use berries that Eevee likes and aim for a high-quality curry! Experiment with different berries to discover Eevee’s favorites.
- Play with Eevee: Interact with Eevee at your campsite. Playing with it and talking to it will steadily increase Friendship.
- Give Eevee items (carefully): Berries that heal HP or status conditions can increase Friendship when given to Eevee. Be careful though! Herbs can negatively affect friendship.
- Avoid fainting: Letting Eevee faint in battle decreases its Friendship. Try to keep it healthy and protected.
- Luxury Ball: Catching Eevee in a Luxury Ball will give it a small, but permanent boost to friendship gains.
- Soothe Bell: Equip a Soothe Bell and your friendship gains will increase more rapidly. This item is found early in the game and will serve you well.
Checking Eevee’s Friendship Level
You can check Eevee’s Friendship level by visiting the Friendship Checker in Hammerlocke. He’s located in the house to the right of the Pokémon Center. His dialogue will give you a clue about Eevee’s happiness:
- “It’s suspicious of you. It doesn’t seem to want to come closer.” – Very low Friendship.
- “It’s not very used to you. It seems to be wary.” – Low Friendship.
- “It’s a little friendlier… but it needs more time to warm up to you.” – Moderate Friendship.
- “You’re quite good friends. I am a bit jealous!” – Good Friendship.
- “You two get along great! Being together must be very enjoyable!” – High Friendship (sufficient for evolution).
- “It absolutely loves you! I can tell you cherish it!” – Maximum Friendship.
Aim for the “You two get along great!” message or higher to ensure the evolution triggers.
The Nighttime Level Up
Once you’ve confirmed that Eevee’s Friendship is high enough, the next step is to level it up at night. The game considers it to be night between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM in-game time. You can level up Eevee by battling, using a Rare Candy, or using an EXP. Candy.
Important Note: Make absolutely sure that Eevee does not know a Fairy-type move before leveling it up. If it does, it will evolve into Sylveon instead. If Eevee knows a Fairy-type move, visit the move deleter in any Pokemon Center and have him remove the move.
Avoiding Evolution Errors
- Check the time: Ensure it is indeed nighttime in the game before leveling up.
- Fairy-Type Moves: As stated before, double-check that Eevee doesn’t know any Fairy-type moves.
- Let’s Go Eevee Save Data: If you received a special Eevee in Pokémon Sword because you had save data from “Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!”, it cannot evolve.
FAQs: Evolving Eevee into Umbreon
Here are some frequently asked questions to address any lingering doubts and offer additional insights.
1. What level does Eevee need to be to evolve into Umbreon?
There’s no specific level requirement. Eevee will evolve into Umbreon as long as its Friendship is high enough and it levels up at night.
2. How do I quickly increase Eevee’s Friendship in Pokémon Sword?
Cooking curry, battling, giving it berries, and keeping it in your party are all good strategies. The Soothe Bell item and Luxury Ball can also help.
3. How do I know if it’s nighttime in Pokémon Sword?
The game time is visible on your Switch’s clock. Remember that in-game night is typically between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
4. Can I use Rare Candies to evolve Eevee into Umbreon?
Yes, you can! If Eevee has high enough Friendship, using a Rare Candy at night will trigger the evolution. EXP. Candies also work.
5. What happens if I level up Eevee during the day with high Friendship?
If you level up Eevee during the day with high Friendship and it does not know a Fairy-type move, it will evolve into Espeon instead of Umbreon.
6. What if Eevee has max Friendship and I level it up in a cave?
The evolution will still proceed based on the time of day in the game. If it’s nighttime (according to your Switch’s clock), it will evolve into Umbreon.
7. Does holding an Everstone prevent Eevee from evolving?
Yes, holding an Everstone will prevent Eevee from evolving, regardless of its Friendship or the time of day.
8. Are there any alternative methods to get Umbreon without evolving Eevee?
Yes, you can find Umbreon in the Wild Area, specifically in the Lake of Outrage, during a sandstorm. However, it’s a random encounter and might take some time to find.
9. Can I use the “name trick” to guarantee an Umbreon evolution?
The name trick is primarily a Pokémon GO feature and does not work in Pokémon Sword.
10. Is there a way to reset Eevee’s Friendship if I accidentally lower it?
The best way to “reset” Eevee’s Friendship is to continue doing activities that increase it, such as battling alongside it, feeding it berries, and playing with it at the campsite.
11. Can I evolve multiple Eevees into Umbreon in Pokémon Sword?
Yes, you can evolve as many Eevees into Umbreon as you want, provided you meet the Friendship and time of day requirements for each one.
12. What’s the difference between Friendship and Affection in Pokémon Sword?
While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Friendship is the hidden stat that influences evolutions like Umbreon. Affection is more related to the Pokémon Camp and how your Pokémon interacts with you there.
13. How does weather affect the evolution of Eevee?
Weather does not directly affect Eevee’s evolution into Umbreon. The only factors are Friendship, time of day, and the absence of Fairy-type moves.
14. Can a traded Eevee evolve into Umbreon?
Yes, a traded Eevee can evolve into Umbreon as long as its Friendship is high enough with its new trainer and it levels up at night.
15. Does the location where I level up Eevee affect its evolution?
No, the location does not matter. As long as it’s nighttime in the game, leveling up Eevee anywhere with sufficient Friendship will trigger the evolution.
Final Thoughts
Evolving Eevee into Umbreon in Pokémon Sword is a rewarding experience. By understanding the importance of Friendship and paying attention to the time of day, you’ll soon have this elegant dark-type Pokémon gracing your team. Remember to check out resources like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org for more insights into the educational aspects of gaming. Happy training!