Despite fans anticipating a new evolution for Eevee in Gen 9,Pokemon ScarletandVioletdidn’t introduce one when it officially launched, but there could be a good reason for why this was the case. Ever since its debut back in Gen 1, Eevee has remained one of the more popular Pokemon thanks to its unique and still exclusive gimmick of being able to evolve into multiple different"Eeveelutions" based on available types. After Gen 8’sSwordandShielddidn’t introduce a new Eeveelution, expectations were high for the future ninth generation ofPokemongames to pull through for Eevee fans.
However, even though Eevee is featured within the Paldean Pokedex alongside all eight of its current confirmed evolutions,Pokemon ScarletandVioletonce again didn’t introduce a new Eeveelution. What seems to trouble fans most about this is that Eevee has now gone three generations without an update to its line, making a new Eeveelution even more overdue. But though fans have been without a new Eeveelution since Gen 6, it’s possible that Game Freak decidedScarletandVioletwouldn’t be best placed to introduce new evolutions due to the other focuses these games have.
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Why Fans Expected An Eeveelution
While Eevee and its line-up of evolutions haven’t received an update as of late, it still continues to appear in every singlePokemongame. Likely this is due to the line’s innate popularity and creativity, as well asEevee’s untapped potential for new typesto explore, making it something of a staple to the series. As there’s no explicit metric for when Game Freak has to update Eevee’s evolution line, most fans have been operating on the implicit tradition that every two generations ofPokemongames there’s a new Eeveelution, starting with Gen 2’s Umbreon and Espeon, Gen 4’s Leafeon and Glaceon, and Gen 6’s Sylveon.
Every time a new Eeveelution is introduced to the series, however, it has typically always been associated with a new mechanic or feature introduced for that particular generation. Umbreon and Espeon reflected not just the games' new day-night cycle, but also the friendship mechanic introduced for evolutions, while Sylveon was likely introduced to help showcase the new Fairy type that is emblematic ofXandY. ThoughPokemon SwordandShielddidn’t introduce a new Eeveelution, fans pointed out that Eevee’s Gigantamax form might have been its substitute, turning everyone’s attention to Gen 9 instead for an Eevee update.
Scarlet and Violet Didn’t Have Room For More Eeveelutions
Arguably,ScarletandVioletare possibly Game Freak’s most ambitiousPokemongames to date, thanks in part to things like an entirely open-world design, all-new Terastallization battle mechanics, and its latest gimmicks of Paradox Pokemon. Somewhere among all the new features updated or introduced forScarletandVioletwould need to be the initial basis for new Eeveelutions, and therein lies the challenge thatPokemonwould have faced in developing Gen 9. Not only would it need to pick and by extension justify which types to add to the Eeveelution line-up, but it would likewise need to devise a way of evolving Eevee to get them.
What appears to beScarletandViolet’score focus is the juxtaposition of the ancient and future forms of its Paradox Pokemon, which doesn’t seem to fit neatly into the idea of Eeveelutions. In short, Eeveelutions need to justifiably be a series mainstay that could recur in future games, while Paradox Pokemon are intended to live up to their namesake as paradoxes or anomalies within time. Beyond Paradox Pokemon, there just aren’t any features that new Eeveelutions could be based upon except maybe showcasingScarletandViolet’snew evolution methods, though these aren’t exactly revolutionary compared to features like brand-new types.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for Nintendo Switch.
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