There hasn’t been a new Eeveelution since Sylveon was introduced in X & Y, but it looks like that’s about to change. While many were disappointed that Gen 8 broke the pattern set by new Eeveelutions in Gens 2, 4, and 6, it turns out that there is a much more consistent way to determine when a new Eeveelution will arrive. The Pokemon anime has always told us when to expect a new form for Eevee, and the latest season has been setting up a Gen 9 Eeveelution for quite some time.
If you’ve been watching Pokemon Master Journeys on Netflix (and you should be), then you’re already familiar with Chloe, Professor Cerise’s daughter. Chloe was primarily a supporting character during the previous season, Pokémon Journeys, but she joined Ash and Goh as a main character beginning in Pokémon Master Journeys when she met her partner Pokémon, Eevee.
This is all you really need to know about what you are setting up Master Journeys for. Every time a main character catches an Eevee, he eventually evolves into the newer form. This has happened consistently throughout Pokemon history. Serena’s Eevee evolved into Sylveon in the X & Y series, May’s Eevee evolved into Glaceon in the Diamond & Pearl series, and Gary’s Eevee evolved into Umbreon in the original series. A supporting character named Sakura from the original series also had an Eevee that turned into an Espeon. We’ve never seen an Eevee evolve into a Leafeon, but this doesn’t break the pattern. What matters here is that every time a main character has caught an Eevee, he has evolved into a new form.
Pokémon have been known to subvert expectations from time to time, to put it mildly, so that fact alone might not be enough confirmation for you. But if we look at the context of Chloe and her Eevee, it’s easy to see where things are going.
Throughout Pokémon Journeys, Chloe was unsure if she wanted to be a Pokémon trainer. While she was drawn into Ash and Goh’s adventures with the help of her family pet Yamper, she always had a lot of second thoughts when people talked about her eventual journey as a Pokemon trainer.
That all changed in the first episode of Master Journeys when he met Eevee. Like Chloe, this Eevee was also unsure of his future, and the two found a kindred spirit in each other. Eevee was a test subject at an Eeveelution research facility in Vermilion City. The researchers tried to evolve Eevee with various stones, but none were successful. Eevee escaped the lab and met up with Chloe and Yamper, and after defeating Team Rocket, the researchers agreed to let Chloe take Eevee with her in hopes that an adventure would help Eevee find her true identity. Before leaving, the researchers told Chloe that this is a special Eevee because he has “chaotic DNA.” If this isn’t proof that Chloe’s Eevee will evolve into a new form, I don’t know what is.
Master Journeys began in December 2020 in Japan, but didn’t arrive on Netflix until June 2021. So far, 52 episodes have aired in Japan, and Eevee has yet to evolve. It’s worth mentioning that we’ve never seen a new Eeveelution in the anime before it was revealed in the game, nor have we seen a new Eeveelution before the generation it was a part of. Journeys was technically the season of Sword & Shield, which ended with President Rose’s plot to summon Eternatus, but Master Journeys is somewhere in the weird middle ground, not technically connected to any season. As we progress through the Scarlet & Violet generation, Ash would normally move on and make new friends, which would mean leaving Chloe and Eevee behind before we see an evolution. Things aren’t lining up perfectly here, but there’s still too much compelling evidence to ignore. If Chloe’s Eevee doesn’t evolve into a new Eeveelution at this point, it will be the most disappointing thing she’s made a Pokemon since she made a second Mewtwo with the same origin story. Is it finally time for Spookeon, the Ghost-type Eeveelution? We won’t have to wait long to find out.
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