Evolutions

Eevee is best known for being the Pokémon with the most potential evolutions (dubbed "Eeveelutions"), with eight possible evolutionary forms (followed by Tyrogue, with three).^[10] In the first generation of Pokémon games, where Eevee was introduced, it was also the only species to have branched evolutions.^[11] All the Eeveelutions were designed by Atsuko Nishida, except for Jolteon and Flareon, which were designed by Motofumi Fujiwara.^[12]

The term "Eeveelution" was originally coined by fans. It was first used in an official capacity as a pun in the official guide for Pokémon Stadium 2. There's also an eponymous theme deck.^[13]

In the video games

In the Red, Blue, Yellow versions, the player receives one Eevee at the Pokémon Mansion in Celadon City, and they must trade to receive the Pokédex info on the other evolutions (Red, Blue, and Yellow only). In Pokémon Yellow, the player was to receive an Eevee from Professor Oak at the beginning of the game as the player's starter. However, the player's rival decides to take the Eevee before the player can obtain it. Due to this, the player is forced to choose the wild Pikachu that Professor Oak had caught earlier as a starter. The player's rival meanwhile evolves his Eevee into any of the three evolutions available, depending on the outcomes of the player's encounters with him in the early parts of the game. Eevee also appeared on other games such as Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Pokémon Sword and Shield as well as the remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where Eevee can be found in the same areas that it was obtained from the original games.

In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Eevee gained access to upgrade the move Last Resort to its exclusive Z-Move, Extreme Evoboost, while holding its unique Z-Crystal Eevium Z.^[14] In Pokémon Sword and Shield, Eevee received a unique Gigantamax form with access to the unique G-Max Move G-Max Cuddle, which deals damage and infatuates opponents of the opposite gender.^[15]

In 2018, remakes of Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! were released. Unlike in the original Pokémon Yellow game in which Pikachu was the only Pokémon able to walk around with the player outside its Pokéball, in Let's Go, Eevee! the player's partner and starter Pokémon Eevee refuses a Pokéball and stays with the player in the overworld.^[16] The partner Eevee is able to wear accessories and clothes^[17] and "hairstyles"^[18] which are visible in the overworld. Like Pikachu, in Let's Go: Eevee, the partner Eevee refuses to evolve, but is able to learn special moves not available in other games, with eight possible moves each based on one of Eevee's evolutions.^[19] Game developer Junichi Masuda said that Eevee was chosen for the remake because of its popularity in fan art, although Psyduck was also considered before it was decided its colouring was too similar to Pikachu.^[20]

Outside of the main series, Eevee is a photographable Pokémon in Pokémon Snap. In Pokémon Stadium 2, Eevee stars in its own minigame called "Eager Eevee". Players have to run around in circles while Aipom raises and lowers a cover on berries. The object is to be among the first to grab some of the berries.^[21] It also appeared in Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Channel, Pokémon Trozei!, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, My Pokémon Ranch, Pokémon Rumble, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Adventure Team, PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, Pokémon Rumble Blast, Pokémon Conquest,^[22] Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, Pokémon Rumble U, Pokémon Battle Trozei, Pokémon Rumble World, Pokémon Picross, Pokémon Rumble Rush, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, Pokémon Shuffle ,Pokémon Masters EX, Pokkén Tournament, Pokémon Go,^[23] Pokémon Unite^[24] and New Pokémon Snap.^[25]

In the anime

In the anime, Eevee first appeared in The Battling Eevee Brothers. A little boy named Mikey was hiding the Evolution Pokémon from his three older brothers because they wanted him to evolve it. However, when Mikey's Eevee single-handedly defeated Team Rocket, they were able to accept the fact that Mikey wanted to keep his Eevee just the way it is.^[26] Ash's longtime rival Gary Oak uses an Eevee of great quality that eventually evolves into Umbreon. The Kimono Girls who first appeared in the Pokémon Gold and Silver games, make an appearance with their Pokémon (all of which are evolutions of Eevee) in Trouble's Brewing.^[27] The youngest of the Kimono girls had an unevolved Eevee (the only of the sisters to have one) in this episode, though it later evolved into an Espeon later on in the episode "Espeon, Not Included".^[28] May has an Eevee that hatched from an egg, which she used in Pokémon Contests all across the Kanto region. When May traveled to Sinnoh, she took it to Route 217 to evolve into a Glaceon.^[29] In the XY series, Serena also acquired an Eevee of her own which evolved into a Sylveon. In Sun and Moon, Lana herself got a shaggy haired Eevee nicknamed Sandy.

A special Eevee, one which is incapable of evolving, is owned by Chloe Cerise, the childhood friend of Goh, who is Ash Ketchum's companion in the 23rd, 24th, and 25th seasons of the anime. The main reason why it cannot evolve is unknown, but the head of the Eevee Evolution Lab in the episode "To Train or Not to Train!" theorises that it cannot evolve because of its hesitancy of making the important decision.

In the live-action film

Eevee appears briefly in Detective Pikachu, under the ownership of Howard Clifford. It is forced to evolve into Flareon.^[30]

In other media

In Pokémon Adventures, Red is in possession of an Eevee which had been experimented on by Team Rocket. As a result, it could transform back and forth from the three evolutions Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon along with its base form, allowing it greater tactical ability in fighting other Pokémon. Eventually, it evolved into an Espeon, losing its special ability to interchange abilities. In the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the character Mikey (who appeared in the anime episode: "The Battling Eevee Brothers") makes an appearance with his own Eevee and within the chapter that he appears in, Mikey attempts to prove to his brothers that he doesn't need to evolve his Eevee to win battles.

In the crowdsourced social experiment Twitch Plays Pokémon, an Eevee was the source of much frustration when, while trying to evolve it into a Vaporeon to learn the move Surf, the players accidentally used a Fire Stone on it, evolving it into a Flareon. This setback led to Flareon being called the "false prophet" and became one of the most famous moments of the event.^[31]