Generation I
In Generation I, the Eevee obtained at the Celadon Mansion could easily become a helpful partner to the player's own starter Pokémon, especially considering the high Special stat of 110 shared by the three then-known evolutions, and the ability to cover for the weaknesses of the starters' final forms. With relatively few Pokémon of each respective type available until late in the games, Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon could be considered a staple to complete the game.
One may notice that only Eevee and its evolved forms from Generation I have the distinctive ruff-like collar. The Eeveelutions released afterward do not possess this feature. Likewise, all Eeveelutions from this generation evolve via exposing Eevee to an evolutionary stone, unlike future generations.
Eevee
- Main article: Eevee
Since its debut, Eevee has been considered a popular Pokémon, appearing in many teams as a core Pokémon. It is the rival's starter Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow as well as the starter Pokémon for both Michael in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness and the Hero/Heroine in Pokémon Conquest.
Vaporeon
- Main article: Vaporeon
Vaporeon, the first of the Eeveelutions in National Pokédex order, is a Water-type Pokémon. Like most other Pokémon of its type, its highest stat is its HP. Evolving from an Eevee that is exposed to a Water Stone, Vaporeon now has the ability to use the HM move Surf, among other powerful Water-type moves, to take down its foes. This is particularly advantageous, considering its relatively high Special stat (and later Special Attack stat) of 110.
Among Vaporeon's special abilities are the moves Acid Armor, which raises its low Defense stats, and the lesser-known Aurora Beam, which lowers the opponent's Attack. Vaporeon's Water Absorb also helps it by recovering HP any time it is hit by a Water-type attack.
Jolteon
- Main article: Jolteon
Jolteon is the second of the Eeveelutions, and is an Electric-type Pokémon. Much like Vaporeon exemplifies the Water type's generally high HP, Jolteon exhibits its type's extraordinary Speed. Like Vaporeon, its Special Attack (formerly Special) is its second-highest stat, making it a good choice as an Electric type in games prior to Generation IV.
Like Vaporeon, Jolteon has an Ability that heals it when it is hit by attacks of its own type, Volt Absorb, as well as several moves that are rare and nearly exclusive to it. Among these is Pin Missile, a move once praised as the best way to take down a Psychic type in Generation I.
Flareon
- Main article: Flareon
The final member of Generation I's Eeveelution trio is Flareon, a Fire-type Pokémon, evolving from Eevee when it is exposed to a Fire Stone. Flareon's highest stat is its Attack. However, this high Attack is not without its drawbacks: many of the moves that Flareon learns are special moves, and since, unlike Vaporeon and Jolteon, Flareon fell on the other side of the Special split, its formerly formidable Special became its Special Defense; its Special Attack is somewhat lower. Before Generation VI, it was only capable of learning two moderately low powered physical STAB moves, Fire Fang and Flame Charge. As of Generation VI, Flareon gains the move Flare Blitz through leveling up.
Its Ability, Flash Fire, gives it a great boost if a Fire-type move is used on it. The ability to resist against the mostly-Special Water type's powerful moves also gives it a slight advantage.
Generation II
The addition of two additional evolutions in Generation II did much to boost Eevee's popularity, as well as give it a reputation of continued versatility. With yet another Eevee available relatively early on in the game, the new evolutions of Espeon and Umbreon were easily obtained; in fact, it now became possible, even, to get multiple Eevee with just one game, rather than requiring at least two coordinated games to get all three evolutions as was the case in Generation I, due to the introduction of breeding.
Generation II Eeveelutions are obtained when Eevee is leveled up with high friendship at certain times of the day. Due to this, and the lack of a clock in certain Generation III games, Eevee cannot evolve into Espeon or Umbreon in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Each of the Kimono Girls now owns one Eeveelution.
Espeon
- Main article: Espeon
As a Psychic type, Espeon is well known for a common trait among Pokémon which share its type: a rather high Special Attack and somewhat high Speed. It also has high Special Defense, another common trait among Psychic types. Taking advantage of the time and friendship features introduced in Generation II, Espeon evolves from Eevee when it is raised to maximum friendship and gains a level during the daytime.
Espeon takes advantage of the wide amount of special moves available. With its Ability, Synchronize, it can easily discourage the use of status moves that give it a status condition, as that condition would then come back at the Pokémon attacking it. With its Dream World Ability, Magic Bounce, it can even protect itself and its team from indirect damage through entry hazards. It, alongside Umbreon, is the starter Pokémon for Pokémon Colosseum.
Umbreon
- Main article: Umbreon
Umbreon is the second of the two Generation II Eeveelutions, a Dark-type Pokémon. Somewhat uniquely, it was the only pure Dark-type in the generation it was introduced in, and was the only Eeveelution at that time whose highest stat was one of its defenses. With its two highest stats in Special Defense and Defense, respectively, and its two lowest in the respective offensive stats, Umbreon is much more often used to cause status problems than damage. Umbreon evolves from Eevee when it gains a level during the nighttime with maximum friendship.
Like Espeon, Umbreon has the Ability Synchronize, causing other Pokémon that attempt to use its defensive, status-causing strategy against it to suffer as well. It, alongside Espeon, is the starter Pokémon for Pokémon Colosseum.
Generation IV
Though no new Eeveelutions were seen in Generation III, possibly because of the unavailability of Eevee in Hoenn, Generation IV added another pair of new Eeveelutions, Leafeon and Glaceon. Unlike their evolutionary cousins, they were not available early on in their debut game, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. However, they are available early on in Pokémon Platinum, where Eevee is available before the player has received the third Badge.
Generation IV Eeveelutions are obtained by leveling Eevee up in certain areas, another departure from the methods of evolution in previous generations.
Leafeon
- Main article: Leafeon
A Pokémon often theorized and hoped for over the history of the franchise, Leafeon, was finally the realization of the Grass-type evolution of Eevee. Like Flareon, Leafeon has a relatively high Attack stat, however, its strongest stat is in Defense. Unlike Flareon, it has a diverse movepool, with the rare Leaf Blade counted among its STAB moves. As with the Generation II Eeveelutions, Leafeon takes on a new manner of evolution: when an Eevee is leveled up where a large, mossy rock lies, it will evolve into this Pokémon.
Leafeon has the Abilities Leaf Guard and Chlorophyll. Teamed up with a Flareon, which also gets bonuses from sunny weather, these Abilities can be used advantageously, despite the vulnerability to a Fire-type move.
Glaceon
- Main article: Glaceon
Glaceon is an Ice-type evolution of Eevee. Like Espeon, its highest stat is its Special Attack; unlike Espeon, however, it has a higher defense, a common trait among other Ice types. Similarly to Flareon's problem with physical moves, it has a relatively small movepool to work with regarding special moves. Glaceon evolves from Eevee when it is leveled up where an ice-covered rock lies.
Like Leafeon, Glaceon's special Abilities, Snow Cloak and Ice Body, have to do with the weather, making it more evasive in hailstorms or healing during them. It is the only Eeveelution to learn one of the two countering moves, with Mirror Coat being one of its moves.
Generation VI
Eeveelutions once again skip a Generation and introduce a new evolution in Generation VI: Sylveon.
Sylveon
- Main article: Sylveon
Sylveon is a Fairy-type evolution of Eevee. Like Umbreon, its highest stat is its Special Defense. Like with Vaporeon and Jolteon, its second highest stat is Special Attack. This is advantageous for Sylveon because most Fairy-type moves are special. As with some Eeveelutions showcasing their types' best stats, Special Defense and Special Attack are relatively high among Fairy-type Pokémon. It evolves when leveled up with a Fairy-type move and at least two Affection hearts in Pokémon-Amie. It debuted in the Pikachu short Eevee & Friends, joining its evolutionary relatives.
Its Ability Cute Charm causes the opponent Pokémon infatuation on contact, and its Hidden Ability Pixilate changes Normal-type moves into Fairy-type moves.
In the anime, the Eeveelutions have been featured together in several episodes, most specifically in The Battling Eevee Brothers under the possession of the Eevee brothers, which focused on the three Generation I Eeveelutions, as well as Eevee itself, and Trouble's Brewing under the possession of Sakura and the Kimono Girls, which focused on the five Eeveelutions there were as of Generation II, although Sakura's Espeon was still an Eevee during this episode. The seven Eeveelutions as of Generation IV were first featured together with an Eevee as a small cameo at the beginning of Giratina and the Sky Warrior. In the Pikachu short Eevee & Friends, it featured Eevee with all eight of its Eeveelutions as of Generation VI.
Several important characters have owned Eevee which have gone on to evolve; other Eeveelutions have also been featured separately from their cousins.
Gary's Umbreon
Gary Oak owns an Umbreon that he caught as an Eevee sometime before Ash returned to Kanto from the Orange Archipelago in A Tent Situation. It debut in the next episode and later evolved prior to Power Play!. It is one of his main Pokémon, having appeared nearly every time he himself has, and being quite skilled in battle.
Sakura's Espeon
Sakura, one of the five Kimono Girls, is the owner of an Espeon that debut as an Eevee in Trouble's Brewing and later evolved prior to Espeon, Not Included, while the rest of her sisters own the other four Eeveelutions that were known in Generation II.
Anabel's Espeon
Salon Maiden Anabel used an Espeon in Second Time's the Charm! during Ash's rematch with her. It was defeated by Pikachu.
May's Glaceon
May, who is the first main anime character to have owned an Eevee, received hers as an Egg in May's Egg-Cellent Adventure. Eevee hatched in Time Warp Heals All Wounds and later evolved into a Glaceon sometime prior to A Full Course Tag Battle! during a visit to Sinnoh to compete in the Wallace Cup.
Johanna's Umbreon
Johanna has an Umbreon that debuted in Strategy Begins at Home!. It joined Glameow to help train against its Trainer's daughter: Dawn. It later did the same in SS024.
Zoey's Leafeon
Zoey has a Leafeon that debuted in Double-Time Battle Training!. It was used in a practice Double Battle along with Kirlia. It reappeared in Coming Full-Festival Circle!, where it was used in the Battle Stage of the Sinnoh Grand Festival. It faced off against Nando's Kricketune and Lopunny alongside Mismagius and won.
Ursula's Vaporeon and Flareon
Ursula used two Eevee in the Performance Stage of the Sinnoh Grand Festival in Last Call — First Round!. She evolved them into Vaporeon and Flareon as part of the act.
Volkner's Jolteon
Volkner used a Jolteon during his battle against Ash in The Eighth Wonder of the Sinnoh World!. It battled and lost to Infernape. It is the first Eeveelution to be used by a Gym Leader in the anime.
Cynthia's Glaceon
Cynthia used a Glaceon in All for the Love of Meloetta! to freeze part of a river. She and Ash then broke up the ice so it could be used to cool down a sick Meloetta.
Virgil's team
Virgil owns an Eevee and every one of its then-known final forms. They debuted together in Team Eevee and the Pokémon Rescue Squad! where he used them in his mountain rescue duties. He also used them to fight through the Vertress Conference, which he won.
The Pikachu short for Genesect and the Legend Awakened featured every Eevee evolution, including the newly revealed Sylveon.
Valerie's Sylveon
Valerie has a Sylveon that debuted in A Fashionable Battle!. She used it in Fairy-Type Trickery! in Ash's Gym battle, where it battled and lost to Fletchinder.
Serena's Sylveon
Serena caught her Sylveon as an Eevee in A Frolicking Find in the Flowers!. Her Eevee later evolved in Party Dancecapades! during a Tag Battle alongside Ash's Pikachu against Miette's Slurpuff and James's Inkay.
Amelia's Espeon
Amelia has an Espeon that debuted in XY108.
Gallery
Eevee with its evolutions in the anime, excluding Sylveon.
All Eeveelutions together in the PokéTV segment.
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
In the chapter To Evolve or Not to Evolve, That is the Question!, Ash and Mikey fight together against the Eevee brothers so that Mikey and his Eevee may be accepted into the secret fellowship, The Knights of the E Stone. Each of Mikey's brothers owns one of Eevee's evolutions which was known at the time (Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon), and Mikey's Eevee must fight each of its evolutions to prove its worth despite being an unevolved Pokémon.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Vee was featured as a Pokémon Team Rocket experimented on with the use of the "Eevee Bio-Engineering Scheme". This allowed Eevee to freely evolve into any of the Generation I Eeveelutions and then revert back into its original form. After some time under Red's ownership however, Vee evolved into an Espeon, and the ability was eliminated.
Karen's Umbreon, first seen in the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, used to be an Eevee.
The five Kimono Girls debuted in the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc. Each own a different Eeveelution like their game counterparts, and by the end of the chapter, recruited a Leafeon and a Glaceon.
Y in the X & Y arc caught an Eevee which she nicknamed Veevee and eventually evolved into Sylveon. This makes Y the second Pokédex holder to own an Eeveelution.
In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
Bill in The Golden Boys has an Umbreon and Espeon.
In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga
Mitsumi in the manga owns a Glaceon, Leafeon, Espeon and an Eevee who was held hostage by Cyrus for a brief time.
In the Phantom Thief Pokémon 7 manga
Lily in Pokémon 7 owns a Leafeon that was given to her by Nazuna.
In the Pocket Monsters manga
Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon were seen in the Pocket Monsters manga.
Gallery
Eevee in the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Vaporeon in the Pocket Monsters manga
Jolteon in the Pocket Monsters manga
Flareon in the Pocket Monsters manga
Espeon in the Pokémon Adventures manga
Umbreon in the The Golden Boys manga
Leafeon in the Pokémon 7 manga
Glaceon in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga
Sylveon in the Pokémon Adventures manga