Sylveon #700: Eevee's eighth path, all in ribbons

Two bows and four ribbons. Sylveon (Nymphali in French) is Eevee's eighth evolution, added in the sixth generation, and the only Eeveelution introduced on its own in its generation. It's also the first Fairy-type Pokémon players ever discovered, back in June 2013.

Contents

• Who is Sylveon?
• Ribbons that soothe, not decorate
• Type and Abilities: the family's special wall
• Evolution: two systems, two eras
• A nymph, a moon rabbit and the eighteenth type
• Sylveon fact sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Sylveon?

Listed as #700 in the National Pokédex, Sylveon is the "Intertwining Pokémon": a quadruped standing 1 meter tall and weighing 23.5 kilos, with white fur, pink paws, ears and tail, and big blue eyes. It's also the lightest of the eight siblings.

Two white-and-pink bows adorn its body, one at the base of its left ear, the other on its neck. Each carries a pair of blue-tipped ribbons that act like tentacles: the Pokédex calls themribbonlike feelers.

Its large, rounded ears set it apart from all its siblings, who have pointed ears, and give it a hare-like look. Its bushy, curled tail is reminiscent of a viscacha's.

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Ribbons that soothe, not decorate

These ribbons give off a calming aura. Pokémon Sword spells it out: its ribbonlike feelers emit waves that neutralize hostility and put an end to fights. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it wraps them around both opponents.

The bond works the other way too: wrapped around its Trainer's arm, a ribbon lets it read their feelings. Its category, "Intertwining Pokémon", plays on both the physical and the emotional sense of the word.

It's no angel, though: when hunting, it wraps its ribbons around its prey as a distraction, giving their aura time to weaken the opponent's hostility. According to Pokémon Violet, when it attacks, it aims for weak spots.

Type and Abilities: the family's special wall

Sylveon is pure Fairy type : only Poison and Steel deal double damage to it, it takes half damage from Fighting, Bug and Dark, and the Dragon type doesn't affect it at all.

Fun fact: it's the only Eevee evolution that doesn't resist its own type. Vaporeon takes less damage from Water, Flareon from Fire, Umbreon from Dark — but the Fairy type offers no protection against itself.

Its stats make it a special wall : 95 HP, 110 Special Attack and 130 Special Defense, tied with Umbreon. Its 60 Speed makes it the slowest of the eight, with a base stat total of 525 shared by all eight.

Its regular Ability, Cute Charm, has a 30% chance of infatuating an attacker of the opposite gender that hits it with a contact move. Its Hidden Ability, Pixilate, turns its Normal-type moves into Fairy-type moves, with a 20% power boost (30% in the sixth generation).

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Evolution: two systems, two eras

This is the heart of its profile, because the method changed along the way. In the sixth and seventh generations, Eevee evolves into Sylveon by leveling up with at least two hearts of affection in Pokémon-Amie (X and Y) or Pokémon Refresh (Sun and Moon), while knowing a Fairy-type move.

The Fairy-type move isn't the hard part: in Pokémon X and Y, Eevee learns Baby-Doll Eyes at level 9, or at level 15 in recent games. All that was left was to pet it and feed it Poké Puffs to raise its affection.

Since the eighth generation, affection has been merged into friendship : you need 160 friendship points — the general threshold, compared with 220 before Pokémon Sword and Shield — a Fairy-type move, then a level-up. No more looking for hearts.

Eevee can meet several conditions at once, hence an order of priority: Leafeon and Glaceon take precedence over Sylveon, which takes precedence over Espeon and Umbreon. Since Sword and Shield, an Eevee that knows a Fairy-type move can no longer become Espeon or Umbreon.

Finally, Sylveon is the only sixth-generation Pokémon that evolves from an older Pokémon, and it has no Mega Evolution, no regional form and no Gigantamax form: the family's only special form remains Gigantamax Eevee.

A nymph, a moon rabbit and the eighteenth type

Sylveon was revealed on February 14, 2013 in the Japanese monthly magazine CoroCoro, without its type being specified. It wasn't until the Nintendo Direct of June 11, 2013 that fans learned it was debuting a brand-new type, designed to weaken the Dragon type.

Its design is by Atsuko Nishida, who also designed Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon and Glaceon. Its inspiration blends the Greek nymph and the moon rabbit of Chinese legend, companion to a goddess in a ribbon-adorned gown.

It's the favorite Pokémon of Valerie, the Laverre City Gym Leader, who uses it at level 42 in Pokémon X and Y. In Pokémon GO, it's a different story: the nickname "Kira", or 70 hearts earned with Eevee as your Buddy.

That pastel face and those wriggling ribbons make it a dream subject for plushies to hug tight as well as collectible figures. It's hard to find an Eevee evolution that's more instantly cuddly.

Sylveon fact sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do you evolve Eevee into Sylveon?
  It depends on the game. In the sixth and seventh generations, Eevee needs to know a Fairy-type move and have at least two hearts of affection in Pokémon-Amie in Pokémon X and Y or in Pokémon Refresh in Pokémon Sun and Moon, then level up. Since the eighth generation, affection has been replaced by friendship: you need to reach 160 friendship points, know a Fairy-type move and level up.
• Which Fairy-type move should you teach Eevee?
  Baby-Doll Eyes is enough, and Eevee learns it on its own by leveling up: at level 9 in Pokémon X and Y, at level 15 in more recent games. Charm, which became Fairy-type in the sixth generation, also does the job depending on the game, as an Egg Move or via TM.
• Why won't my Eevee evolve into Sylveon?
  There are several possible reasons. It doesn't know any Fairy-type move. Its affection or friendship is still too low, depending on the game's generation. Or another evolution takes precedence: Leafeon and Glaceon take priority over Sylveon, so an Eevee leveled up near the rock that triggers one of those two evolutions — Moss Rock or Mossy Rock, Ice Rock or Icy Rock depending on the game — will never become Sylveon. Finally, Sylveon isn't available in Pokémon Let's Go or in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, so the evolution is impossible there.
• Does Sylveon have a Mega Evolution or a Gigantamax form?
  No, neither one, and no regional form either, even after the Mega Evolutions added in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. No member of Eevee's family has a Mega Evolution. The only special form in this family is Gigantamax Eevee, introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, and it applies to Eevee itself, not its evolutions.
• What are Sylveon's Abilities?
  Cute Charm as its regular Ability: when Sylveon is hit by a contact move, it has a 30% chance of infatuating the attacker, provided the attacker is of the opposite gender. Pixilate as its Hidden Ability: its Normal-type moves become Fairy-type and gain 20% power, or 30% in the sixth generation.
• Is Sylveon strong in battle?
  It's the family's special wall. With 95 HP, 110 Special Attack and 130 Special Defense, it takes special attacks very well and hits reasonably hard. Its weak point is Speed, at just 60, the lowest of Eevee's eight evolutions. Defensively, it only fears Poison and Steel, and it's completely immune to the Dragon type.

In short

The first face of the Fairy type, the family's special wall and the only Eeveelution to arrive on its own, Sylveon is one of a kind. The real key remains its evolution: affection before, friendship since, and always a Fairy-type move.