The next mainline Pokemon games are Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and they promise to mark a new era for the franchise. Already, gamers have been introduced to the starters, who are Sprigatito the Grass-Type starter, Fuecoco the Fire-Type starter, and Quaxly the Water-Type starter, and they have gotten a glimpse of the legendaries, who are Koraidon and Miraidon. Although the region has yet to be uncovered, hints in the game's reveal trailer suggest that it may be inspired by Spain, which would mean gamers can expect a distinctly Mediterranean setting.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will expand the franchise's Pokedex, and already gamers are speculating on what the new generation will bring. High on the wishlist of most Pokemon fans is a new Eevee evolution, also known as an Eeveelution, as they always showcase the different Pokemon Types in creative ways. Signs suggest that there may not be new Eeveelutions, however, and this is a bad move from Game Freak and The Pokemon Company, as the inclusion of new Eevee evolutions is an easy way to please gamers.
Eevee and its Evolutions
Eevee is a Normal type Pokemon, and on its own, it is not too impressive or competitive, although it is a pretty adorable creature. What sets Eevee apart from the average Pokemon is that it is capable of several evolutions, and Pokemon has used Eevee to show off new Pokemon Types, as well as new methods of evolving Pokemon. Its first three evolutions were introduced in Red and Blue and were Vaporeon, Flareon, and Jolteon, which were Water-Type, Fire-Type, and Electric-Type Pokemon, respectively.
Several more Eeveelutions have been added since, bringing the total number of Eevee evolutions up to eight. Umbreon the Dark-Type and Espeon the Psychic-Type were introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver, while Leafeon the Grass-Type and Glaceon the Ice-Type were introduced in Diamond and Pearl. It is always exciting when new Eeveelutions arrive, though it has been a long time since that has happened. The last time gamers got new Eevee evolutions was with Pokemon X and Y which debuted Sylveon to celebrate the new Fairy type.
Since then a few Pokemon generations have passed, and the series has made the jump from the 3DS to the Nintendo Switch, yet no new Eeveelutions have come. Some gamers have looked towards Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in hopes that it may expand Eevee's evolutions, as there are still several Types that have yet to be used. However, things do not look hopeful.
Will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Have New Eeveelutions?
Like prior Pokemon releases, Scarlet and Violet will bring plenty of new Pokemon for players to collect. Some will be entirely new species, while others will be new evolutions, and a few will be regional variants. Early leaks suggest that there will be no Eeveelutions, unfortunately. On July 12 of this year, a now-deleted Twitter account posted alleged images of some gym leaders from the upcoming game. The same account also posted several other details about Scarlet and Violet, claiming that Pokemon will time travel (though the player will not), there will be DLC, and there will be three cities and nine towns in the region. They also claimed that Joltik, Milotic, Wailord, Metagross, Jynx, and Golurk will not be in the game and that there would be no new Eeveelutions.
The mysterious leak was later backed up by Riddler Khu, a leaker who had previously correctly leaked the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pokedex months before the game's release. This lends the leak more credence, although nothing is officially confirmed yet. It would potentially be a bad move for The Pokemon Company and Game Freak to not feature new Eeveelutions in Scarlet and Violet, as they have always been fan favorites, and there are still several Types worth experimenting with.
The Untapped Potential of Eeveelutions
Eevee has a staggering amount of evolutions, but there are ten unused Eeveelutions left, and some of them are highly requested in the Pokemon community. One of the most requested Eeveelutions is the Dragon-Type, which has the potential to be one of the most powerful Eevee evolutions. It is difficult to imagine the cute, quadrupedal creature morphing into a dragon, though plenty of fan art has shown that it is possible. Gamers have also wondered why there has never been a Poison-Type Eeveelution or a Ghost-Type Eeveelution despite the popularity of these types. Having a Poison-Type would help to balance out the introduction of the Fairy-Type Sylveon in X and Y, while the fan art of Ghost-Type Eeveelutions has shown the amazing directions the design could go.
If the next region does turn out to be inspired by Spain, the Fighting-Type would have been a good fit for an Eeveelution, as the Pokemon could have followed a bullfighting theme and taken a bull-like form when it evolved. The new region could also introduce a new mechanic for evolving Eevee, which could encourage players to interact with their Pokemon in a novel way. There has been speculation that a new Eeveelution could be used in Scarlet and Violet to introduce a new Type. However, this is very unlikely to be the case, as in the reveal trailer, a ring of colors can be seen in the middle of the city. The ring is divided into eighteen segments, and the symbols for the Types are also visible, suggesting that Scarlet and Violet will only have eighteen Types.
After so many years without a new Eeveelution, a new inclusion would certainly be a crowd-pleaser, and it would go a long way to making Scarlet and Violet feel special. However, it seems like fans will not be getting any this time around. While this is likely not a deal-breaker for anyone, it is disappointing, and a potential misstep from The Pokemon Company. Though several Eeveelutions exist already, there is always room for more, especially when fans are always clamoring for them.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release on November 18, 2022 on Nintendo Switch.