Are you aiming to add Espeon or Umbreon to your Pokémon SoulSilver team early in the game? Many players believe it’s impossible to get these evolved forms of Eevee before level 18, but that’s simply not true! This guide will clarify how to evolve Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon at the lowest possible level in Pokémon SoulSilver, focusing on the crucial element: happiness.
Understanding Pokémon Happiness in SoulSilver
Pokémon happiness, also known as friendship, is a hidden stat that affects certain evolutions, including Eevee’s evolution into Espeon and Umbreon. To check your Eevee’s happiness level in Pokémon SoulSilver, visit the happiness rater. You can find her in Goldenrod City, located north of the Bike Shop. She’ll assess the happiness of the Pokémon in the first slot of your party and give you a rating based on specific phrases:
| Sentence | Happiness Points |
|---|---|
| “It looks really happy! It must love you a lot.” | 250-255 |
| “I get the feeling that it really trusts you.” | 200-249 |
| “It’s friendly toward you. It looks sort of happy.” | 150-199 |
| “It’s quite cute.” | 100-149 |
| “You should treat it better. It’s not used to you.” | 50-99 |
| “It doesn’t seem to like you at all. It looks mean.” | 0-49 |
For Eevee to evolve into Espeon or Umbreon, it needs to reach a high happiness level, specifically in the 200-249 or 250-255 range. If the rater says “I get the feeling that it really trusts you” or “It looks really happy! It must love you a lot.”, your Eevee is ready to evolve once leveled up during the correct time of day.
Maximizing Eevee’s Happiness for Evolution
Increasing your Eevee’s happiness in Pokémon SoulSilver can be done through various actions. Here are effective methods to quickly raise its happiness level:
- Walking: Taking steps with Eevee in your party slightly increases happiness. Every 256 steps will grant a happiness boost.
- Massages: In Pokémon SoulSilver, the massage is available as a haircut in the Goldenrod Underground. This service significantly boosts happiness.
- Vitamins: Using vitamins like Protein, Iron, HP Up, etc., increases happiness.
- Leveling Up: Gaining levels through battles also contributes to happiness.
- EV Berries: Berries that lower Effort Values (EVs), such as Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry, will also raise happiness.
- Healing Items: Using items like Potions and Antidotes when Eevee is afflicted with status conditions or low health will provide a small happiness boost.
Luxury Ball and Friend Ball Bonuses:
- Catching Eevee in a Luxury Ball provides a bonus to happiness gains. Actions that increase happiness will be more effective, yielding a larger increase than with a standard Poké Ball.
- If Eevee was caught in a Friend Ball, it starts with a base happiness of 200. This significantly reduces the effort needed to evolve it into Espeon or Umbreon, potentially allowing for a very low-level evolution.
Evolving into Espeon or Umbreon
Once your Eevee reaches a high happiness level (indicated by the rater’s positive phrases), the final step is to level it up at the correct time:
- Espeon: Level up Eevee during the daytime.
- Umbreon: Level up Eevee during the nighttime.
By focusing on maximizing Eevee’s happiness from the moment you obtain it, you can easily evolve it into Espeon or Umbreon at a very low level in Pokémon SoulSilver. Don’t let misconceptions hold you back – a low-level Espeon or Umbreon is absolutely achievable with a little dedication to your Eevee’s happiness!
