Bill, what exactly is the deal with lop-eared Eevees? In particular, I’ve heard that you shouldn’t evolve them into Vaporeon because the ear structure will cause issues. Is this true?

Actually, no. A lop-ear vaporeon’s ear can still drain just as a normal vaporeon’s ear will.

However, that doesn’t mean that lop-ear in eevee isn’t a cause for concern. While water can drain rather easily from a vaporeon’s ear (Note: It might not for eevee, however, so please be careful about letting your lop-eared eevee swim), bacteria is an entirely different story, and lop-ear is a prime breeding ground for microorganisms due to the fact that the opening is held against the head (thus providing warm, moist shelter). This means that all members of the eevee family except flareon are highly susceptible to ear infections, so eevee with lop-ear must be checked regularly for any issues.

As a note, the reason why flareon is exempt here is because it possesses the capability of raising its body temperature (and withstanding higher temperatures) than is viable for most strains of bacteria that would cause infection in its cousins and preevolution. For this reason, flareon is actually resistant to most ailments, simply by virtue of simulating an intensely high fever for a short period of time.

For all others, especially the fragile leafeon and the normally aquatic vaporeon, it’s important to keep your pokémon’s ears clean, check inside their ears regularly for any signs of dirt or pus, and keep an eye on your eevee or eeveelution for signs of infection (lack of coordination or balance, fever, pain, difficulty hearing, and so forth).

Why are some eeveelutions more canine, some more feline, some more vulpine, etc.? It’s certainly more interesting than having them all be the same but recolored for type, but why did nature do that one?

In most cases, it’s a product of adaptive evolution. Each eeveelution possesses the traits it has because those better equip it for the specific niche it serves. For example, the more “feline” vaporeon looks the way it does because it’s meant to have a certain sense of agility as it glides through the water and chases after fish. By contrast, the more “canine” jolteon possesses dog-like traits because their hunting-style is more dog-like (and also because their thinner muzzle makes it easier for them to sniff out and dig out the eggs that form a staple of their diets). Additionally, the more “vulpine” flareon actually looks the way it does for a combination of both: as it hunts for small rodents on its own, it needs both agility and sharper senses. That and its puffier coat, which some say also make it look vulpine, is better at keeping its body from overheating, as strange as that is to say.

Alternatively, in certain cases, certain traits were simply bred into the species—meaning, breeders carefully controlled the parentage of eevee to ensure that they possess certain traits upon evolution, as in the case of the more cat-like espeon, the more dog-and-rabbit-like sylveon, and the more fox-like umbreon. (Of course, it’s worth it to note that fox-like adaptations have always benefited umbreon in the wild as well, so breeders didn’t exactly have to do much to get a more vulpine umbreon.)

As for leafeon and glaceon, they’re a bit of both too. They’re both vulpine, yes, but leafeon was bred to be that way, whereas glaceon essentially adapted to be that way on its own (as their fox-like characteristics make it easier for them to fish).

Hi, Bill! So a few years ago I adopted a Flareon that was abandoned at my local Pokemon Center. Apparently the previous owner abandoned her after she, as an Eevee, found a fire stone meant for a Vulpix. He apparently degraded her often (I’m told he really wanted an Umbreon). But she has quickly become family to me and my longtime partner, Rye (a Manectric). But she is still very uncertain about herself and her abilities, especially in battles. How can I help her become more confident?

Keep battling with her. I know that seems like unhelpful advice, but the best thing you can possibly do to nurture her confidence is continue to train with her while at the same time giving her positive reinforcement. Have her spar every day (either with Rye or in battles against other friendly trainers), and couple this with focused move practice. Every time she successfully executes a move, say encouraging words to her, and after every battle she fought hard in, even the ones she didn’t win, give her a treat. Most importantly, if she struggles to use a move or loses a battle, speak to her softly and reassure her that she did her best. If she allows it, show some affection as well.

It’s important that you push her (gently, of course) to keep trying. The more she battles and trains and the more she hears you encouraging her, the easier it will be for her to feel both confident and comfortable in her abilities.

Best of luck!

My Eevee recently evolved into a Flareon without my permission. (I don’t even know where he found a Fire stone) How do you care for a flareon without him burning down my house? I’ve never had a fire-type before.

Ah yes. Eevee can be quite tricky like that, especially if they’re particularly keen on one of their evolved forms.

That having been said, caring for a flareon is rather straightforward, anonymous. Use the exact same techniques as you had when your flareon was an eevee, just with minor alterations. For one, you will likely need more of everything: more food, more time spent training, larger toys, and so forth. Your eevee has spontaneously grown from a precocious, foot-tall ball of fur to an equally precocious, three-feet-tall ball of fur, and thus, you’ll want to accommodate accordingly.

The other change you’ll need to make is, of course, fireproofing everything. You may need to keep your flareon outside for the first few weeks. As eevee are not fire-types, yours has likely never wielded fire before now and will likely need some time to learn how. Giving him a safe environment away from your valuables and flammables would be the best way to do this. Just be sure that this safe area might also be shielded from the rain. (Perhaps consider giving him a place on a sheltered porch or building a specialized dog house on stilts or a platform to keep him out of the rain and away from yard flooding during rain.) Once he shows a reasonable amount of control over his new abilities, reintroduce him to your home carefully, but consider investing in fireproofing sheets (specialized, plastic-like sheets for new pet fire-type owners) to cover your furniture.

Best of luck, anonymous!

I always wondered if the eeveelutions are considered omnivores what specifically do their diets consist of? And does it differ on the specific eeveelution?

Eevee and its evolutions lean more toward (for the most part) carnivorous lifestyles, actually. While, like most pokémon, they can eat nuts, berries, grains, root vegetables, and so forth, much of their diet should be meat and protein of some kind.

That having been said, the answer to your second question depends. In captivity, the eevee family can actually be fed the exact same diet, regardless of what evolution each individual takes, with no real consequences so long as their trainer keeps in mind that they should be fed a balance of foods.

In the wild however, absolutely, it depends on the evolution.

Eevee tend to have the most balanced diet (as one would expect) and will eat whatever it can find in its immediate environment.

Flareon often stick to slower animals and pokémon, and its favored food sources tend to be small mammals. It will also display the unusual behavior of roasting their food with the intention of cooking it before eating. (Trainers should be aware that tamed flareon also display this behavior and should only be fed in fireproof environments.)

Vaporeon, being aquatic pokémon, will eat mostly seafood, including fish, amphibians, turtles, jellyfish, and aquatic mammals (such as seals). It tends to avoid shellfish, likely due to the difficulty in getting them open, but it will also hunt for larger meat sources (such as walruses, dolphins, and even sharks) in packs.

Jolteon, being faster and gifted with electrical attacks, often hunt for birds and forage for eggs. It’s also the one eeveelution that prefers pokémon meat over animal meat, as bird pokémon tend to be larger targets than their animal “counterparts.”

Espeon and Leafeon both tend to eat more of a herbivorous diet than their cousins. This does not mean that they are strictly herbivorous; simply that they forage more often than the others. Espeon tends to hunt for insects and other animals with lesser cognitive functions thanks to its psychic abilities. Leafeon, meanwhile, avoids insects (due to its plant biology) and consumes largely rodents, rabbits, frogs, and anything else it can find in its forest habitat. (Leafeon also photosynthesizes whenever a food source isn’t readily available.)

Umbreon, meanwhile, is much more of a carnivore than its cousins in that its diet consists almost entirely of meat. As a nocturnal, forest-dwelling pokémon in nature, it will often hunt for small, ground-dwelling pokémon and animals, particularly diurnal ones. It has no qualms raiding the nests of sleeping prey, in other words.

Glaceon will often consume whatever it can find in its colder, more arctic environment—usually seafood (for polar glaceon) or rabbits (for mountainous). Glaceon may also share territory with vaporeon, sometimes even hunting alongside them to take down larger prey (such as seals and even walruses).

Finally, Sylveon, like eevee, will eat whatever it can find in its environment but typically chooses prey it can lure into dark corners of its habitat and then devour.

My Vaporeon is acting different, she collects the softest things she can find and puts it to her bed and my Flareon is very protective over Vaporeon. They are both female, this seems like they are expecting but how can two females biologically make a baby? Those are the only two Pokémon I have.

Not to be overly blunt, anonymous, but sometimes, two pokémon of the same gender mate. This is especially true in cases where only two pokémon of the same family or egg group are present (as they then view each other as the only potential mates available), but it can happen even if other choices are available, depending on the individual’s preference. Interestingly enough, it’s also possible for such a pair to engage in “expectant” behaviors—including one becoming protective over the other and the the other creating a nest suitable for an egg—even if it’s impossible for a fertilized egg to exist.

In short, even though your vaporeon and flareon are both female and thus cannot produce a fertilized egg together, it’s very likely that they’ve become a mated pair anyway, due to their closeness and bond as your only two pokémon.

Congratulations, anonymous!

Hi Bill! I have a primarily fire-type team, which causes a lot of problems since everyone tends to be a little ‘hot-headed.’ I just adopted a quilava, and my vulpix, growlithe and flareon have been picking on him a lot. They’ve started a LOT of fires, and now they’re dragging the rest of the team into things… let’s just say a certain vaporeon got fed up with the bickering and I had to rush someone to the pokemon center last week. Any suggestions?

You may wish to consider spending a bit more time training each of them every day. For your vulpix, growlithe, and flareon, this is a great way to release pent-up aggression in a constructive manner, especially if you also train them to focus their negative energies into their attacks. You may also consider some team building exercises, such as double-battling or joint-training. This can be done either by pairing your other pokémon with your quilava (which will help him integrate into your team) or with each other (which will help reinforce what it means to be on a team in the first place). Finally, see if you can communicate how destructive behavior—including bullying and literally destroying your home with fire—is affecting not only your quilava but your family as a whole. It’s possible that if you speak clearly but firmly like a loving parent, your pokémon will understand.

If all else fails, training will of course help your quilava to get stronger, and it can learn the rock-type move Rollout naturally, just before evolution. Just as a thought.

I sent an ask a while back about my scyther, and it seems like the situation’s getting worse… just when I was at the point where I could leave her alone with flareon, I stepped out for a few minutes and he was literally trying to attack her! He’s a bit feisty but not to this point, and I honestly don’t think she provoked her because she’s normally very well behaved… what should I do?

Yes, this would be why it’s important to keep a close eye on pokémon that seem to have a tense relationship. One thing I’d forgotten to mention in the previous answer (for which I apologize) is that sometimes, it’s not a matter of type but rather an issue with team dynamics.

Now that you’re aware that your flareon hosts a level of hostility towards your scyther, your next step is to determine why. This could be for any number of reasons. Does your flareon act this way towards all bug-types or just your scyther? Was your flareon raised by someone else who had a scyther, or did you catch him in an area with a high population of wild scyther? Did the amount of time you spend with your flareon change when you got your scyther, or did you change its living arrangements? (Did it used to be an outdoor flareon until you had to make room for your scyther, or vice-versa?) Do his teammates treat him differently now that your scyther is part of the team? The answer to any of these questions could be the reason behind your flareon’s behavior—or it could be something completely different. Keep an eye on your flareon for a few days to see if you can spot any clues that point to any specific reason.

It’s only after you can discern what the issue actually is that you can work towards resolving the matter. Without knowing why your flareon is reacting this way, it’s difficult to recommend a particular course of action because each situation requires something completely different. For example, if your flareon’s behavior stems from a past trauma, that requires a specific form of therapy (perhaps even exposure therapy), but if he’s simply jealous, then it may be as simple as reassuring him you haven’t replaced him. It could even be that your scyther accidentally provoked your flareon, at which point it would require mediation between the two. Or the reason behind your flareon’s behavior could, again, be none of these things, which would mean you would need a completely different strategy.

The point is, try to figure out why your flareon is acting this way through observing him first, and then you’ll be able to work towards a peaceful solution.

I caught my scyther a few days ago, and she isn’t very much trouble but she’s scared of my flareon to the point where they refuse to be in the same room. How can I help them get along?

Scyther can sometimes be difficult to reach emotionally because of their proud natures and vastly different social norms. The reason I bring this up is simply because while I would normally say “employ team building exercises,” that might not work in this case. The fact that your scyther refuses to be in the same room as your flareon only makes matters more complicated.

What you should do first is work on getting her to trust you. Since she’s a recent capture, you’ll need to bond with her until she respects you and trusts your decisions. If you can establish yourself as the leader of your team (directing her through battles is usually the quickest way to do this), then she’ll be more willing to listen to you if you tell her she shouldn’t worry about another pokémon under your command. Not only will she take your advice to heart because you’re her leader, but she’ll also be convinced you have control over your flareon too.

But to reinforce this, if you have any other pokémon on your team, introduce them to her first, before you try again with your flareon. Have her work alongside them, and let her watch you command them during battle as well. The more she understands how your team structure works by interacting with the rest of your team and by watching you interact with them, the more she’ll understand that the team structure comes first.

In other words, your main goal is to emphasize that there is a hierarchy and that it works, and you should do this largely just by being a trainer and commanding her and your team through battles. While scyther aren’t exactly hive pokémon (they live in swarms and have swarm leaders, but these work like mammal packs, not insect hives), they respect social structure, even those set by humans, and they think in terms of that and seek out strong leaders as a result. Therefore, if you establish that there’s a social structure within your “swarm,” your scyther will assume that all other members of her new swarm obey you to the letter—or, in other words, she’ll believe that the other members of your swarm are perfectly safe because they can’t attack her without putting the swarm structure at risk.

Once it looks like she’s beginning to trust you and understand that her team is basically her new swarm (you’ll know by watching for any signs of respect from her, such as keeping her eyes on you and bending her knees to make herself look smaller than you), it should be safe to reintroduce her to your flareon. She’ll very likely still be a little bit wary around him, so it’s important that you keep watch over them until they feel more comfortable with each other. It may also help to reintroduce them in a place where there’s plenty of space, rather than indoors. This will give your scyther plenty of room to back away if she still feels too threatened to warm up to your flareon. (Forgive the pun.)

Best of luck, anonymous.

So, I have an Eevee who I would like to evolve into an Umbreon which fits my team best, but after it wouldn’t evolve for a long time with all requirements met, I eventually discovered the Eevee was resisting evolution because he wants to become a Flareon. Is there a way I could at least try to persuade him to become an Umbreon? In the end however, I would never force him if it is something he is that strongly against.

I would hate to tell you this, anonymous, but very likely not, especially if your eevee feels so strongly about a certain evolution that he would resist doing so naturally, despite meeting all of the conditions for it. You could certainly try to outline his options in a tactful manner, but be sure to avoid comparing umbreon to flareon (as this may inadvertently cause him to feel that you would be disappointed in him if he chose not to evolve that way) and emphasize that you would support his evolution, regardless of which form he feels the most comfortable in. If anything, use this opportunity to test the strength of his convictions and ensure that he’s thought his decision all the way through, not because you wish to ensure he’s made the right choice with regards to his evolutionary form but instead because you wish to ensure he’s made the right choice in choosing to evolve at all.

This is because, ultimately, evolution is a permanent thing. While you’ve said you wouldn’t force your eevee to change his mind, this is something I feel is important for trainers to keep in mind generally speaking, as some trainers are not as conscious of their pokémon’s wishes as others. But when you get to the heart of the matter, evolution cannot be reversed, meaning the choice to evolve and the choice of which form to evolve into will affect a pokémon for the rest of their lives. That pokémon must be completely comfortable with both decisions before undergoing the process, or else the process itself will become a traumatic experience, either during or once the realization of what it means settles in. There have been cases of pokémon evolving to the “wrong” evolution (it happens most frequently with members of the oddish line for some reason), only to become far more aggressive once evolved.

So for the sake of your eevee’s sanity, I would suggest trusting his decision if he’s certain of it. If your eevee would be happiest being a flareon and you need an umbreon, there are certainly other options to take as a compromise, including allowing your eevee to evolve and then adopting a second eevee who would be far more open to the idea of filling that niche. Eevee and its evolutions are social pokémon when tamed anyway, so fitting a flareon and an umbreon on the same team can actually produce emotional benefits.