Pokemon GO players warned against using the Eevee name trick
It's still all go in Pokemon GO, as Niantic's augmented reality game heads into its seventh year. While other titles have come and gone while trying to cash in on major IPs like Harry Potter and Jurassic Park, none have captured the magic of Pokemon GO.
While it's true that Pokemon GO has faced more than a few troubles in a post-pandemic world, Niantic isn't letting layoffs or accusations of ableism get in the way of its work. We've only recently seen the introduction of our first Gen IX 'mon, and even if the game isn't what it once used to be for many, others can't stop playing.
Don't use the Eevee name trick for Level 41
More than just filling up your Pokedex and nabbing Shiny Pokemon out in the wild, part of being the very best (like no one ever was) is getting to that elusive Level 50. This Mount Everest of Pokemon prowess might seem impossible to climb, especially in later levels where the XP needed is ludicrous.
In particular, a popular trend has emerged of using the Eevee name trick to soar past Level 41. For those unfamiliar, naming your Eevee Rainer (Vaporeon), Sparky (Jolteon), Pyro (Flareon), Sakura (Espeon), Tamao (Umbreon), Linnea (Leafeon), Rea (Glaceon), and Kira (Sylveon) sees them evolve to exactly the Pokemon you want.
The problem is, the Eevee naming trick only works once for each type, meaning some are accused of wasting the trick on an XP jump. Over on Reddit u/inkspiration1 pointed out that you should save the naming trick for Shiny Eevee. In particular, the core three of Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon.
Shiny Eevee are the way forward
Click to enlargeAs the OP points out, Shiny Eeveelutions are random, meaning they've now got six Shiny Jolteon and no Shiny Vaporeon in their pack. Others like Espeon and Leafeon can be evolved by walking certain distances or evolving at specific times of the day, whereas those three can only be guaranteed via the naming trick.
Level 41 is a tempting one to use the naming trick on. Its requirements include six million XP, powering up a Legendary Pokemon 20 times, winning 30 raids, catching 200 Pokemon in a single day, and learning five gold medals.
It's all well and good for newcomers, but for those of us who've been playing Pokemon GO since 2016, chances are, you've used the Eevee trick long ago. Still, if you're a newcomer and are tempted to press the evolve button, you might want to think twice.
