You've probably been there. You finally saved up enough candy, found a decent three-star Eevee, and hit that evolve button—only to end up with a Jolteon when you desperately needed a Vaporeon for your Great League team. It's frustrating. The game makes it look like a complete roll of the dice, but honestly, it’s not. Most players know about the name trick, but that only works once. If you’re trying to build a competitive roster of Eevee evolutions in Pokémon GO, you need to know the specific walking requirements, lure modules, and buddy tasks that actually trigger the transformation you’re looking for.
Eevee is the most versatile Pokémon in the game, period. It has eight different potential forms, known affectionately by the community as "Eeveelutions." While the Kanto originals—Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon—are mostly left to chance after the first try, the later generations introduced in Johto, Sinnoh, Kalos, and Alola require specific actions. You can’t just tap a button and hope for the best. You have to put in the work.
The Infamous Name Trick: Use It Wisely
Every single one of the Eevee evolutions in Pokémon GO can be forced exactly once using a specific nickname. This is a tribute to the Pokémon anime, specifically the Eevee Brothers and other trainers who appeared throughout the series. It is a one-time deal. If you've already used the name "Kira" to get a Sylveon, it will never work again on that account. Save these for when you have an Eevee with perfect 100% IVs (a "hundo") or a Shiny Eevee you don't want to waste.
To do this, you just rename your Eevee to the corresponding name and then restart the app to make sure the server registers the change. You’ll know it worked because the silhouette on the "Evolve" button will change from a question mark to the specific Pokémon’s shadow.
The names you need are:
- Linnea for Leafeon (Grass)
- Rea for Glaceon (Ice)
- Sakura for Espeon (Psychic)
- Tamao for Umbreon (Dark)
- Kira for Sylveon (Fairy)
- Rainer for Vaporeon (Water)
- Sparky for Jolteon (Electric)
- Pyro for Flareon (Fire)
Seriously, don't waste these on a low-CP Eevee just because you're impatient. You'll regret it when you finally find a Shiny and realize you have to walk 10km just to get an Umbreon.
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Dealing with the Kanto Trio: Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon
After you’ve used the name trick, these three are basically a gamble. There is no secret trick. No, spinning the PokéStop three times doesn't help. No, the weather doesn't influence it. If you hit evolve on a standard Eevee and the button shows a question mark, you are going to get one of these three at random.
It’s a 33.3% chance for each. This makes getting a high-IV version of a specific one—like Vaporeon, which is still a decent budget tank for gym defending—kind of a pain. Because Eevee candy is so common, the best strategy is just volume. Catch every Eevee you see, bank the candy, and keep rolling the dice until the RNG gods smile on you.
The Buddy System: Espeon and Umbreon
To get the Johto evolutions, you have to use the Buddy system. This is where most people mess up. To get Espeon or Umbreon, you must walk with Eevee as your buddy for at least 10 kilometers. You also need to earn at least two candies during that walk.
Here is the kicker: you must keep the Eevee as your buddy while you hit the evolve button. If you walk 10km, swap it out for a Charizard, and then try to evolve it from your storage, you’ll just get a random Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon. Don't do that.
The time of day matters too. If you've met the walking requirements and it's daytime in the game (indicated by the bright map), you'll get Espeon. If it's nighttime (the dark map), you'll get Umbreon. Check the icon on the evolve button! If it still shows a question mark, you haven't walked far enough or your GPS is acting up. It should clearly show the silhouette of the one you want.
The Lure Modules: Leafeon and Glaceon
Sinnoh brought us the specialized Lure Modules. These are basically the only way to get Leafeon and Glaceon without using the name trick. You need a Mossy Lure for Leafeon and a Glacial Lure for Glaceon.
You don't necessarily have to buy these yourself. If you see someone else has placed one of these lures at a PokéStop, you can just stand within range of that stop, open your Eevee's profile, and the evolution option will appear. It’s a community-driven way to save PokeCoins. Just make sure you’re close enough to the stop that the pink petals or snowflakes are swirling around your avatar.
The Friendship Grind: How to Get Sylveon
Sylveon is the most recent addition and probably the most labor-intensive. It’s a Fairy-type powerhouse, especially in the Master League. To get it, you need to earn 70 Buddy Hearts with your Eevee. This doesn't happen overnight. You have to feed it, play with it, take snapshots, and battle with it daily.
Once you hit that 70-heart threshold (Great Buddy status), the option to evolve into Sylveon will appear. Again, check that silhouette. If you see a Sylveon shadow, you’re good to go. If you see a question mark or an Espeon shadow, you haven't hit the heart requirement yet.
Which Eevee Evolution is Actually Worth It?
Not all Eevee evolutions in Pokémon GO are created equal. If you're playing for the Pokédex, get them all. If you're playing to win, you need to prioritize.
Umbreon is a beast in the Great League. It has massive bulk and can outlast almost anything if you have the right moveset (Snarl and Foul Play). However, it needs to be near Level 50 to be viable in the Ultra League, which is a massive XL candy investment.
Sylveon is your go-to dragon slayer. With Charm as a fast move, it can melt through Dragonite, Garchomp, and Salamence in Premiere Cups or Master League. It’s a cheaper alternative to Togekiss or Gardevoir.
Glaceon is surprisingly useful as a budget Ice attacker for raids. If you're going up against a Rayquaza or a Landorus, a squad of Glaceon will do significant damage because of that double weakness to ice. It's much easier to get Glaceon candy than Mamoswine candy for most players.
Vaporeon used to be the king of the game back in 2016, but it’s fallen off. It’s still okay for beginners, but it's outclassed by Kyogre and Swampert. Flareon and Jolteon suffer a similar fate—they are "glass cannons" that get out-competed by Legendaries and Community Day starters.
Practical Steps for Your Eevee Collection
If you want to maximize your Eevee potential, stop evolving them randomly. Follow this workflow:
- Check IVs first. Use the appraisal tool. You want high Attack/Defense/HP for Raids, but for Great and Ultra League, you often want low Attack and high Defense/HP (except for Umbreon in Ultra League).
- Tag your Eevees. Create tags like "To Walk," "Sylveon Grind," or "Lure Candidate." It keeps your storage organized.
- Walk during events. Wait for events that reduce buddy distance or increase candy to make the Espeon/Umbreon/Sylveon process faster.
- Save the Name Trick. I cannot stress this enough. Save "Kira" and "Tamao" for your absolute best Eevees. You only get one shot.
- Check the Button. Never, ever hit "Evolve" if there is a question mark on the button unless you are okay with a random Flareon, Jolteon, or Vaporeon. If you've met the requirements for the others, the specific silhouette will show up.
Building a full set of high-tier Eeveelutions takes time, especially for Sylveon. But since Eevee is a frequent spawn in many biomes and often featured in events, it’s the most accessible way for a free-to-play player to build a competitive team. Focus on one at a time, get those buddy hearts in daily, and keep an eye out for those specific Lure Modules in high-traffic areas like parks or downtown centers.