What if the Eeveelutions Had Regional Variants?

Happy Hannukah, ladies and gentlegamers! It’s Spreissgaming comin’ at cha with another Poké-MONDO Gamer Moment blog post!

Today’s star is none other than everyone’s favorite little fox-cat dude, Eevee. With natural cuteness-fueled charisma and a total of eight evolutions, each with its own unique style and appeal, it’s no wonder Eevee is such a beloved Pokémon to so many fans. Seriously, picking any Eeveelution or just Eevee itself is one of the safest takes a Pokémon fan could possibly have.

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Back to the topic at hand, though, given that Eevee’s whole gimmick is being the most evolutionarily-diverse Pokémon in the franchise with 9 different types accounted for (including Eevee’s normal type), a lot of fans, including myself, have pondered how to fill out representation for those 9 remaining types. Some folks think we should just do it the simple way and add more Eeveelutions. Other people have some admittedly cool ideas about a different, Eevee-esque Pokémon that would evolve into whatever types are left.

But if you ask me, there’s an in-between option that would be perfect for the situation: making regional variants of the Eevee family. Ever since Sun and Moon, using regional variants to remix older Pokémon with new types, abilities, and stat distributions while maintaining the core concept and design intact have given new life to both the classic ‘mons and those old neglected mons in desperate need of buffs. Given that there are Eeveelutions in both categories, it felt like the perfect solution, hence why I came up with my own ideas for regional variants for Eevee and each of its evolutions!

So come with me to the land of make-believe and imagine a brand new Pokémon region, one with a much harsher environment than we’re used to (perhaps reminiscent of a certain pair of classic Pokémon “spin-off” games that released on the Gamecube between 2004 and 2005…?). As a result of these conditions, Eevee’s evolutions are more rugged and aggressive than their traditional counterparts. Not only would this fit thematically because the original Eeveelutions represent the types that were originally exclusively associated with special moves prior to Diamond and Pearl introducing the physical special split, but it would also embody the textbook definition of evolution and the concept of survival of the fittest.

So, time to find out: what would a set of regional Eeveelutions look like?

(NOTE: To help visualize what these different variants would look like, I enlisted the help of my good friend, Guardian Arcanine, who you may recall helped me back when I wrote my posts about BDSP and Legends: Arceus way back when. Behold his fantastic artwork!)

Eevee

Like I mentioned before, the Eevee of this metaphorical region would attain their regional variants on account of living in an incredibly harsh climate where every day can be a constant fight for survival. With that in mind, the most natural adaptation for a rougher, tougher Eevee would be to become the Fighting type.

Vaporeon

Hey, did you know that in terms of possible alternative types for regional variants, poison type is the most compatible for Vaporeon?

Pollution is already a pretty common theme when it comes to Pokémon designs, and Vaporeon’s aquatically-inclined molecular structure and ability to effectively melt leans itself very strongly to the idea of sludge/ooze/acid rain-themed designs.

Jolteon

With its electric powers and lightning-fast speed, as well as its jagged, sharp-as-steel quills, Jolteon’s all about being shocking, both in concept and in combat.

Do you know what else can be pretty shocking? Getting poisoned! Put some venom into that spiky fur and Jolteon would be a perfect candidate for that Poison typing, don’t you think?

Flareon

I’ll try not to let this particular section drag on, so I’ll be blunt: when I think of a regional Flareon, I think of one strongly associated with volcanoes and lava/magma.

…And as you know, erupting volcanoes are capable of putting out ridiculous amounts of smog, which as you may already know, can be quite poisonous! Can somebody say “Poison-type Flareon?”

Espeon

I’ve always liked Espeon, what with its elegant design and how it harnesses powerful psychic energy for its attack. It really manages to earn that E.S.P.-themed branding while remaining relatively grounded.

But what if—and just bear with me here—the E.S.P. in Espeon stood for something else. Perhaps… Extremely Sudden Poison!? That’s right, folks! We’re making Espeon Poison-type!

Umbreon

Pokémon themed around the moon rock most of the time, and Umbreon is no exception.

With that said, Umbreon’s dex entries already mention that it’s able to secrete poison from its body, which makes it the ideal candidate for Poison typing!

Leafeon

It really bugs me how often some people rag on Leafeon, but maybe a regional variant could highlight it in a way that gives it a little more love.

Just like how I’m going to highlight how the large quantity of poisonous plants in the world make the poison typing a great fit for a regional Leafeon!

Glaceon

Given how fast we’re flying through these regional variant typings, you can expect Glaceon’s to be just as much of a cool winter breeze to figure out.

All you gotta do is look at its name: Glaceon… or should I say “G-lace-on,” as in, when you lace a drink with cyanide poison! Another W for wordplay gives Glaceon the Poison type!

Sylveon

Last but not least is the latest of them all. On account of Fairy being a strong typing on its own both offensively and defensively, as well as its Pixilate ability allowing it to make ghosts out of anything unprepared for a boosted Hyper Voice attack, it’s consistently been the most competitively viable of the Eeveelutions since its debut.

No doubt some of you more competitively-minded Pokémon fans have seen a few during your time playing in tournaments or climbing the online ladder. Perhaps you even had an experience with one that left you feeling rather… toxic?

Boom. At long last, a Poison-type Eeveelution.

…And That’s All for Today!

I tend to steer away from any kind of blog content that veers in the direction of fanmade/OC content for existing franchises; If I’m making anything that isn’t a discussion or critique, I do my best to keep it as original as I can. Still, as someone who’s always been a big fan of Eevee and enjoys finding new ways to test my creative limits, coming up with alternative forms like this was rather fun. Hopefully, you managed to get some enjoyment out of this little misadventure too!

And just in case it wasn’t clear… Happy April Fools!