Tag: Umbreon

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! Perhaps you can help me with something of a problem? Although, in regard to the Aspiring Dark Rookie Trainer’s father, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. I run a ranch north of Tohjo Falls, and the Eevee family is kind of our signature. While my partners (a male Jolteon and female Umbreon) are only responsible for a handful of the Eevee produced, about 70% of the pups are evolving into Umbreon, even outside normal conditions. Some of my…less pleased clients are threatening to sue. Thoughts?

Hmm. It’s extremely rare, but there are cases in which eevee that are comfortable and raised in a fairly safe and consistent environment (meaning, there are no particular controllable factors that would affect their evolution present) will be “locked” genetically. That is to say, if one or both parents are eeveelutions, one parent will pass down genes that will essentially choose which evolution an eevee will undergo pre-birth.

There are ways to counter this, however. Usually, the introduction of another environmental factor will knock their pups’ genetics “off balance” so to speak, just enough to allow them to access all of their potential evolutions again. So for example, you could plant a thunder stone near the parents’ burrow, in a place the eevee themselves can’t access but just close enough to allow the stone’s radiation to seep into the nesting ground. Alternatively, samples of moss or ice rock or the other evolution stones will work.

Also, because you live in the mountains, you may wish to keep an eye out for clefairy. While eevee don’t evolve via moon stone, high exposure to fragments of moon stone (otherwise known as moon shards) can sometimes influence an eevee into evolving into an umbreon, regardless of the time of day, so long as its other requirement of closeness with a trainer is met. Clefairy often collect moon shards to build their own moon stones, so if you happen to see a clefairy nearby, there’s a good chance there’s a moon shard cache (along with a clefairy colony) nearby too. These are just as rare as the above possibility, especially if you live in an area that hasn’t seen a clefairy colony before, but given how capricious clefairy can be and given the possibility that the recent bizarre weather we’ve been having could very well have carried moon shards down the mountains, it’s still worth looking into. Should you have a clefairy invasion on your hands, calling in a trainer or few should help clear that up. As in, a sufficient number of humans heading directly towards a clefairy cache will often encourage the colony to pick up and leave on their own.

Best of luck!

My daughter just turned 12 and really wants to be a Pokemon trainer, and she is dead set on her starter being a dark type. I’ve considered getting her an Eevee but there’s no guarantee it’s evolve into Umbreon. Do you have any suggestions?

Actually, umbreon is one of the easiest eeveelutions to obtain because all it requires is for you to befriend an eevee and have it hold an everstone until nightfall, but since I can feel my editor leering at me through the internet, allow me to point you to this post, as it offers a more comprehensive guide to dark-type starters: http://bills-pokedex.tumblr.com/post/166971002585/my-daughter-will-become-a-trainer-soon-she-adores

Best of luck to your daughter!

Hi Bill! I recently found out that my umbreon is pregnant, and I thought you would be able to give me advice on what I should do to prepare for the babies?

PUPPY-PROOF. EVERYTHING.

It doesn’t matter if you think, “Oh, there couldn’t possibly be a way for an eevee puppy to get in there.” No. No, anonymous. You absolutely must puppy-proof everything. Put locks on the cabinets where you store your household chemicals (and be sure that it’s a cabinet well above floor level). Invest in gates. Invest in gates for the gates. Cover your wall sockets. Secure your valuables and fragile items. Consider bolting your furniture to the floor while you’re at it. Place your wires well out of reach and cover them with repel. And if you happen to have any important papers that you don’t want to see ripped to shreds, lock them away. Eevee puppies are extremely curious and tenacious. They will cause mischief if they can find a way to do so.

Other than that, simply ensure that the mother has a safe, secure place to lay her egg(s), as well as plenty of food and water, and perhaps watch videos on how to assist in delivering and caring for eggs. (Or perhaps don’t do the latter, as the mother may become territorial while her egg is incubating, and in any case, most mother pokémon will know how best to care for their young. Umbreon especially are prone to biting if you get too close to either her eggs or newborn pups.)

Best of luck!

Unfortunately, my girlfriend recently passed on unexpectedly. She left me her Sylveon to care for, but I’m not sure what to do at all as I am a dark type specialist. I already have an Umbreon, so I know some general things, but how do the two differ?

First and foremost, my sincerest condolences for your loss. This must be a difficult time for you, so I hope the following advice helps you grow the bond between you and your late girlfriend’s sylveon.

That said, care for a sylveon doesn’t differ from that for an umbreon, actually. A lot of the basics for umbreon care hold true for all eeveelutions with the exception of perhaps leafeon. You’ll just need to tweak a few things.

For starters, be aware that your sylveon is likely not nocturnal. However, unlike many eeveelutions (with the exception of umbreon, of course), you can gradually train it to be by simply shifting its sleep schedule up one hour every few days. (I wouldn’t recommend doing this immediately, as your sylveon will need a stable schedule to help it mourn and move on.)

Additionally, sylveon and umbreon both follow essentially the same diet (they are both carnivorous), but it’s a good idea to give sylveon live prey now and then. This is for their psychological health, so if you’re squeamish … don’t watch afterwards.

Then you have grooming, and here is where sylveon and umbreon differ the most. While sylveon engage in self-grooming (frequently), it’s also important to bathe them. As you know, it’s ill-advised to bathe an umbreon unless absolutely necessary because this strips their coats of their natural oils and leeches their toxins into the water. Sylveon, on the other hand, require baths to remove dirt from their ribbons and maintain their mental health as fairy-types. Use sweet-smelling soap, warm water, and a soft cloth to gently remove dirt from your sylveon’s coat, then let it soak and splash for about ten minutes. Dry it with a soft towel, then follow with a gentle but thorough brushing. Also, your sylveon may have a preferred shampoo; use it whenever possible.

Finally, both sylveon and umbreon are affectionate, but sylveon is more physical about it. Don’t be surprised if yours wraps your hand with its ribbons or begs for petting. It’s only when a sylveon is violent or overly possessive or demanding that it’s a cause for concern.

One last piece of advice: be sure to follow any instructions your late girlfriend left, including and especially any notes concerning preferences. This will help your sylveon to adjust.

Best of luck, anonymous.

How do Eevees evolve with friendship or affection in the wild? And why can’t you normally catch wild Eeveelutions except for Espeon and Umbreon in Alola?

Friendship (or more accurately and commonly known, happiness) evolutions are perhaps the easiest type of evolution for pokémon to achieve in the wild, as these rely less on a pokémon’s environment, age, or experience but instead on their state of mind. All a pokémon needs to do is achieve a state of complete happiness with themselves and their lives—which, yes, is easier to do when in the constant care of a human but is still possible in the wild. This should also explain why espeon and umbreon are so easy to find comparatively. It’s not that the others don’t exist but instead because an eevee will be more likely to evolve into either of those in their native habitats than the others. That and the other evolutions require additional environmental factors that aren’t really present within the Alolan nesting grounds on Akala, so if an eevee wishes to achieve an alternate evolution, they would need to journey far from their home fields. Not all of them go home, either: many wander alone or congregate in territories far too remote for humans to reach.

As for sylveon, though, that’s also possible, but it’s less common than an espeon or umbreon evolution. Instead, an eevee needs to be affectionate … with a mate. This also explains their rarity in the wild. They’re not actually rare; they’re simply in breeding pairs and thus avoid contact with humans as vehemently as possible.

yo bill i’m moving and no matter how many times i tell my umbreon, Howlite, that he is coming with me, he will jump in boxes and generally just be a pain to slow the packing down. he usually listens to me, but not this time. i think it’s cuz he was abandoned as an evee before i adopted him. how do i make Howlite understand that i’m never gonna leave him behind??

Moving can be incredibly stressful to a pokémon, even if they’re intelligent enough to understand what you have to tell them. So the important thing to do first is to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Stick to your routine, even if you have a lot of packing to do. Walk Howlite at the same time every day, feed him on schedule, and so forth. This will help him cling to something stable, which in turn will keep him calm.

Second, believe it or not, you shouldn’t tell him you won’t leave him behind. Not in those words, anyway. Pokémon are intelligent, but they pick up on our tone a lot more readily than our words. If you say you won’t leave him behind, he’ll likely interpret this as you will leave him behind. Instead, say, “We’ll be moving together.” Talk about what you plan on doing in this new home. Describe his space in your new home. Perhaps even tell him a bit about the neighborhood and the things he can do in it if you happen to be moving a bit further out. Always maintain a positive attitude, and whenever talking about your new home, remember to include Howlite in the way you talk about it. Eventually, Howlite will understand that the new place will be his as well.

Finally, do everything you can otherwise to keep him calm. Walk him if he seems agitated by the activity. Play with him. Have a friend help you pack so you can devote some time to Howlite if you can. Then, on moving day, be sure to walk him first to help him release pent-up energy, then keep him with you at all times. Unpack his things as quickly as possible to give his space a touch of familiarity, and get back to your normal routine as soon as you can.

In short, be aware of Howlite’s stress levels and do everything you can to help him relax. Combine this with language that firmly establishes that the new place will be his (rather than that he shouldn’t worry about being left behind), and the move will go far smoother.

Best of luck, and congratulations on your new home!

Okay so this is a bit weird but… my best friend has an umbreon and I have a sylveon and whenever he and I are hanging out both our Pokémon keep trying to get us closer. Like my sylveon will lace our hands together, his umbreon will nudge us to be touching when we sit next to each other. Can you tell me why they’re doing this?

I could, but that would be meddling in the romantic affairs of other people, which I’ve been told by my partner that I’m never allowed to do again.