Eevee is a favorite for many Pokemon players, so fans were chomping at the bit when Build-A-Bear announced it would be releasing the first three evolutions, Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon, at the top of the year. Flareon, Eevee's fire-type evolution, has been available since January 2020.
The website currently has online-exclusive bundle deals for the Eevee plushies at around $65. The bundles come with the pre-stuffed plushie, a sleeper (pajamas), a themed cape, and an electronic voice box that will emit one of the Pokemon's signature sounds when activated (installed in the plushie's paw). The base Eevee bundle also comes with a Build-a-Bear exclusive Pokemon TCG Card.
Eevee fans will love Build-a-Bear's designs for their beloved Pokemon. The three versions of Eevee currently available — Eevee, Flareon, and Jolteon — appear very well designed. Their ears are appropriately perky, and their eyes and mouths hold that permanent joyous expression that draws in every child to this particular species. Even in pictures, Eevee looks cuddly, with caramel-colored fur complemented by longer cream fur on its mane. Eevee's blue Pokeball sleeper and blue-fur-trimmed Pokemon cape bring out the character's warmth, making it a perfect companion for nap time.
Flareon is similarly bright and perky, and Build-a-Bear showed attention to detail in the curled candle-like hair poof on its head and the heatwave scalloping of its ears. Its mouth is stitched in Flareon's signature smirk. The red Pokeball pajamas and orange-trimmed flame cape offered in the bundle complete the look nicely.
Jolteon is appropriately, electrically jagged, with pointy bits sticking out everywhere. The "tail" is bright yellow, zig-zaggy, and sticks right out of Jolteon's back like static-charged fur. It's unclear if the hair on top of its head was supposed to be a crown, but undoubtedly that's what plushie Jolteon's trainers will see it as. It's really difficult to put a realistic static charge in a plush toy, so Build-a-Bear has compensated beautifully by aiming for an overall clean-cut and pointy design.
It is not clear yet when Vaporeon will be available, but undoubtedly it will also receive its own online-exclusive bundle, with the voice box, pajamas, and cape. If Flareon was released for spring, and Jolteon for summer, Vaporeon will undoubtedly be a fall or winter release. Assuming the price pattern for the Eevee bundles remains around $65 a pop, an Eeveeholic should set aside at least $260 to obtain the whole collection.
The only downside right now is that the website asks that customers wait "up to 10 days for order processing." When the whole world is reeling from the effects of COVID-19, that is not surprising at all. Toy stores everywhere have had to close, so online-exclusive deals are the way to go. Build-a-Bear is not the only retailer that has been experiencing slowdowns in production and delivery due to the 2020 pandemic, and it's are doing what it can to get the toys out to its customers as quickly as possible.
In the end, when it comes to being a Pokemon trainer, all that matters is having Pokemon and caring for them. Bored children young and old will be able to do just that, as soon as the postman stops by their house.
Pokemon Eevee, Flareon, and Jolteon plushies are available now. Vaporeon's release date is TBD.