Pokémon Scarlet & Violet may not feature a new Eevee evolution. A July leak points towards the Kanto Pokémon not getting a new form in Gen 9.
With Pokémon Scarlet and Violet set to release in November, many fans are anxiously waiting to see if Generation 9 will introduce a new Eevee Evolution. Following the release of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet gameplay trailer in June, Game Freak has been tight-lipped about the upcoming RPGs. However, a leak in July claims to have revealed major details about the game, including which Pokémon will be returning in Gen 9. Fans hoping for a new Eevee evolution could be disappointed with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Ever since Eevee made its first appearance in 1998’s Pokémon Red and Blue, the Normal-type has been one of the series’ most popular Pokémon. The adorable Kanto fox was the first Pokémon to use evolution stones to change its form. Decades after Gen 1, Eevee has since gained an additional eight evolutionary forms. The last “Eeveelution” to make its debut was Fairy-type Sylveon in Gen 6’s Pokémon X and Y.
With the Kalos region RPGs now having been released almost ten years ago, many Pokémon fans hoped that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would feature Eevee’s first new evolution in over a decade. The Game Freak franchise now has a total of 18 Pokémon types as well, giving Eevee a variety of options for a new evolutionary form. Despite many fans placing their hopes on Gen 9 finally introducing a new design and Eevee evolution, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may not end up updating the Eevee mechanic at all.
Although there has been no official confirmation, a major Pokémon Scarlet and Violet leak on July 12 claimed to reveal many details about the upcoming Gen 9 games. The leak was originally posted on Twitter by a now-deleted account, which claimed to have leaked Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leaders in a series of alleged screenshots from the game.
After the mysterious account posted what appeared to be early images from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the user then hosted a Q&A session on the social media site where they posted many supposed additional information about the Gen 9 region. In a tweet reuploaded by CentroLeaks, the leaker confirmed to fans that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will not actually have a new Eevee evolution after all.
While a rumor like this would normally be dismissed, credible Pokémon leaker Riddler Khu confirmed that the July leak was in fact legitimate. Since Riddler had previously leaked all Hisuian Pokémon months before Pokémon Legends: Arceus was even released, it seems like the rumor is for once likely to be real. Unfortunately, this also means that Eevee fans should prepare for disappointment, as it looks like a new Eeveelution is not in the works for Gen 9.
The now-vanished leaker posted additional Pokémon Scarlet and Violet details, such as the region supposedly having nine towns and 3 cities, as well as a potential version-exclusive champion. Although most of the leak was new information, the account also confirmed which classic Pokémon and features would not be returning as well. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Mega Evolutions, for example, is another feature that will supposedly not return in gen 9 according to the leaker.
Even though many fans believed that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was a shoo-in for a new Eevee design, it wouldn’t actually match up with the previous evolution debuts. Up to this point, Game Freak has only released Eevee forms in even-numbered titles such as Leafeon in Gen 4, and Sylveon in Gen 6. If the leak is true, players may end up having to wait until Pokémon Gen 10 to see a new Eeveelution.
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Sources: CentroLeaks/Twitter, Riddler Khu/Twitter
Brent R. Koepp is a games journalist based out of Los Angeles, CA. An avid Pokemon fan for over 25 years, he has spent his career reporting on the popular Nintendo franchise. Following his role as a Pokemon Content Lead at another company, Brent is now a Pokemon Senior Writer for Screen Rant. You can follow him on Twitter @brentrkoepp.
