Special
Sweeper
BTier
110Speed · Fast

Espeon Best Moveset

AbilityMagic Bounce reflects TermEntry Hazards, status moves, and Taunt back at the user, which prevents opposing setup entirely. 130 Sp. Atk at 110 Speed behind Psychic TermStab with Held ItemChoice Specs hits devastatingly hard. The moveset outspeeds most threats and punishes hazard setters. 65/60 physical defenses collapse, but the Speed usually means acting first.

SABCDEFAABSABCCGold, Silver & CrystalIIGS/CRuby, Sapphire & EmeraldIIIRS/EDiamond, Pearl & PlatinumIVDP/PtBlack & White / B2W2VBW/B2W2PEAKX & Y / ORASVIXY/ORASSun & Moon / USUMVIISM/USUMSword & Shield / BDSPVIIISS/BDSPScarlet & Violet / Legends Z-AIXSV/LZACURRENT
●Gen II — Gold, Silver & CrystalA

130 Sp. Atk and 110 Speed made Espeon the fastest special attacker in Gen II (Gold & Silver) after Alakazam. Morning Sun kept it healthy in sunlight.

SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 47
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
—
Growth
Normal—COMMONSetup
Lv 52
Morning Sun
Normal—COMMONUtility
Tutor
Baton Pass
Normal—COMMONUtility
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60RARECoverage
Espeon Gold & Silver MovesEspeon Crystal Moves
Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Espeon
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • GrowthSetup
  • Morning Sun
  • Baton Pass

Recommended Teammates

Snorlax
SnorlaxGood
Cloyster
CloysterDecent
Exeggutor
ExeggutorDecent
→Gen III — Ruby, Sapphire & EmeraldA

Synchronize bounced status back at opponents in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Calm Mind plus Baton Pass let Espeon either sweep or pass boosts to a teammate.

Received Synchronize
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 47
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM4
Calm Mind
Psychic—COMMONSTAB
Tutor
Baton Pass
Normal—COMMONUtility
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60COMMONCoverage
Tutor
Substitute
Normal—RAREUtility
Espeon Ruby & Sapphire MovesEspeon Emerald Moves
Experimental
Special Setup Sweeper
Ability
Synchronize
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Setup Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • Calm MindSTAB
  • Baton Pass
  • Hidden Power Fire

Recommended Teammates

Dugtrio
DugtrioDecent
Swampert
SwampertDecent
↓Gen IV — Diamond, Pearl & PlatinumB

Other Psychic-types with better coverage pulled ahead in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Pure Psychic typing offered no resistances worth building around.

Physical/Special split overhauled move damage
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 64
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM86
Grass Knot
Grass—COMMONCoverage
Tutor
Signal Beam
Bug75COMMONCoverage
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60COMMONCoverage
TM4
Calm Mind
Psychic—RARESTAB
TM33
Reflect
Psychic—RARESTAB
TM30
Shadow Ball
Ghost80RARECoverage
TM16
Light Screen
Psychic—RARESTAB
Espeon Diamond & Pearl MovesEspeon Platinum Moves
Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Synchronize
Item
Twisted Spoon
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • Grass Knot
  • Signal Beam
  • Hidden Power Fire

Recommended Teammates

Jolteon
JolteonDecent
Leafeon
LeafeonDecent
Vaporeon
VaporeonDecent
★Gen V — Black & White / B2W2S

Magic Bounce arrived and Espeon shot to the top in Gen V (Black & White). Stealth Rock, Toxic, Thunder Wave all bounced back. The fastest Magic Bounce user in the game.

Gained Magic Bounce as hidden abilityHidden Abilities became available

Best Moves

SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 37
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM10
Hidden Power (Fire)
Fire60COMMONCoverage
TM3
Psyshock
Psychic80COMMONSTAB
TM4
Calm Mind
Psychic—RARESTAB
Tutor
Signal Beam
Bug75RARECoverage
TM30
Shadow Ball
Ghost80RARECoverage
TM33
Reflect
Psychic—RARESTAB
TM16
Light Screen
Psychic—RARESTAB
Espeon Black & White MovesEspeon Black 2 & White 2 Moves

Best Build

Experimental
Special Setup Sweeper
Ability
Magic Bounce
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE

Espeon best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed

EVs

Special Setup Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • Hidden Power Fire
  • PsyshockSTAB
  • Calm MindSTAB

Recommended Teammates

Volcarona
VolcaronaDecent
Ferrothorn
FerrothornDecent
↓Gen VI — X & Y / ORASA

Magic Bounce stayed valuable in Gen VI (X & Y). 110 Speed outran most hazard setters, bouncing their moves before they could act.

Fairy type added to the gameMega Evolution became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 37
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM99
Dazzling Gleam
Fairy80COMMONCoverage
TM4
Calm Mind
Psychic—COMMONSTAB
TM30
Shadow Ball
Ghost80RARECoverage
Tutor
Trick
Psychic—RARESTAB
Lv 33
Morning Sun
Normal—RAREUtility
TM3
Psyshock
Psychic80RARESTAB
Espeon X & Y MovesEspeon ORAS Moves
Experimental
Special Setup Sweeper
Ability
Magic Bounce
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Setup Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • Dazzling Gleam
  • Calm MindSTAB
  • Shadow Ball

Recommended Teammates

Excadrill
ExcadrillDecent
Serperior
SerperiorDecent
↓Gen VII — Sun & Moon / USUMB

Xatu and Mega Sableye competed for the Magic Bounce slot in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Espeon's frailty on the physical side became more of a liability.

Z-Moves became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TM4
Calm Mind
Psychic—COMMONSTAB
Lv 37
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM99
Dazzling Gleam
Fairy80COMMONCoverage
TM30
Shadow Ball
Ghost80COMMONCoverage
Egg
Wish
Normal—RARERecovery
Lv 25
Future Sight
Psychic120RARESTAB
Espeon Sun & Moon MovesEspeon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Moves
Experimental
Special Setup Sweeper
Ability
Magic Bounce
Item
LeftoversSUSTAIN
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Setup Sweeper Moveset

  • Calm MindSTAB
  • PsychicSTAB
  • Dazzling Gleam
  • Shadow Ball

Recommended Teammates

Landorus-Therian
Landorus-TherianDecent
Tapu Bulu
Tapu BuluDecent
Greninja
GreninjaDecent
↓Gen VIII — Sword & Shield / BDSPC

Lost ground in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Other Magic Bounce users and hazard prevention methods made Espeon less essential to team building.

Gigantamax became availableDynamax became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
TR92
Dazzling Gleam
Fairy80COMMONCoverage
TR33
Shadow Ball
Ghost80COMMONCoverage
Lv 50
Future Sight
Psychic120COMMONSTAB
TM25
Protect
Normal—COMMONPriority
Espeon Sword & Shield MovesEspeon BDSP Moves
Experimental
Special Sweeper
Ability
Magic Bounce
Item
Focus SashSURVIVAL
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Sweeper Moveset

  • Dazzling Gleam
  • Shadow Ball
  • Future SightSTAB
  • ProtectFAST +4

Recommended Teammates

Omastar
OmastarGood
Dragonite
DragoniteGood
Volcarona
VolcaronaGood
→Gen IX — Scarlet & Violet / Legends Z-AC

Magic Bounce kept it from irrelevance in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet), but Espeon's stats couldn't carry it in a format this powerful.

Terastallization became available
SRCMOVETYPECATPWRPOPROLE
Lv 40
Psychic
Psychic90COMMONSTAB
TM114
Shadow Ball
Ghost80COMMONCoverage
TM129
Calm Mind
Psychic—RARESTAB
TM227
Alluring Voice
Fairy80RARECoverage
TM54
Psyshock
Psychic80RARESTAB
TM109
Trick
Psychic—RARESTAB
TM79
Dazzling Gleam
Fairy80RARECoverage
Espeon Scarlet & Violet MovesEspeon Legends Z-A Moves
Experimental
Special Setup Sweeper
Ability
Magic Bounce
Item
Choice SpecsPOWER
Best Nature for Espeon
Timid+SPE
EVs

Special Setup Sweeper Moveset

  • PsychicSTAB
  • Shadow Ball
  • Calm MindSTAB
  • Alluring Voice

Recommended Teammates

Umbreon
UmbreonDecent

Espeon Weakness

Espeon is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark. Espeon's special bulk (base 95 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.

Espeon Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Bug, Ghost, Dark
0.5x (Resist)Fighting, Psychic

What is Espeon Weak Against

Vulnerable
3Weak
2Resist
0Immune
Score-4
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
BugGhostDark
½xResist
FightingPsychic
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None

What is Espeon Strong Against

2Strong
2Resisted
1Immune
Score-1
2xStrong
FightingPoison
½xResisted
PsychicSteel
0xImmune
Dark

Best Pokemon Against Espeon

Evolution

Eevee's line splits into 8 evolutions, and Espeon is the level-up path. Each sibling form needs a different method to obtain. Breed through Eevee to get eggs. Espeon and Vaporeon share the same 525 total stats, but they're distributed differently. Check the comparison below to see where each one specializes. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

8 Evolutions
Eevee
#133Eevee
Vaporeon
VaporeonWater Stone
Jolteon
JolteonThunder Stone
Flareon
FlareonFire Stone
Espeon
EspeonHigh Friendship (Day)
Umbreon
UmbreonHigh Friendship (Night)
Leafeon
LeafeonLeaf Stone
Glaceon
GlaceonIce Stone
Sylveon
SylveonHigh Friendship
Stat Comparison 9 Forms
Eevee
Normal
Vaporeon
Water
Jolteon
Electric
Flareon
Fire
Espeon
Psychic
Umbreon
Dark
Leafeon
Grass
Glaceon
Ice
Sylveon
Fairy
HP
55
130+75
65+10
65+10
65+10
95+40
65+10
65+10
95+40
ATK
55
65+10
65+10
130+75
65+10
65+10
110+55
60+5
65+10
DEF
50
60+10
60+10
60+10
60+10
110+60
130+80
110+60
65+15
SP.ATK
45
110+65
110+65
95+50
130+85
60+15
60+15
130+85
110+65
SP.DEF
65
95+30
95+30
110+45
95+30
130+65
65
95+30
130+65
SPE
55
65+10
130+75
65+10
110+55
65+10
95+40
65+10
60+5
BST
325D-Tier
525B-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
525C-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
525B-Tier+200
ROLE
Balanced
Tank
Sweeper
Wallbreaker
Sweeper
Wall
Attacker
Wallbreaker
Tank
TYPE
Utility
Special
Special
Physical
Special
Utility
Physical
Special
Special

Breeding

Challenging

Breed with Espeon to get Eevee eggs (with patience) using 278 partners from the Ground egg group.

Egg Groups
Field
Gender
♂87.5%♀12.5%
Hatch Time
35 cycles·8,995 steps
Slow~9 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
raichupikachunidokinggolduckampharosrhydondewgongarbokquagsirenidorinofarfetchdflaaffy
12 of 278·

How to Get Espeon

All 19 games

You'll want late-game access before hunting Espeon. Low spawn rates across 28 encounter spots means the location matters. Sort by Best below and target the top-rated area first.

Where To Catch Espeon in SV

The path to Espeon starts with Eevee at Lv. 11-65 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.

  1. Eevee
    Step 1Catch Eevee
    South Province (Area Two) - Near Town
    Lv.11-30Overworld
    Rate 6%
    West Province (Area Three) - Near Town
    Lv.11-30Overworld
    Rate 6%
    South Province (Area Two) - Olive Grove
    Lv.11-30Overworld
    Rate 3%
  2. Espeon
    Step 2Espeon ✓
    Asado Desert - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    East Province (Area One) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    East Province (Area Three) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    East Province (Area Two) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    North Province (Area Three) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    South Province (Area Five) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    South Province (Area Four) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    South Province (Area One) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    South Province (Area Three) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    South Province (Area Two) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    The Pokémon League - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    West Province (Area One) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    West Province (Area Three) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    West Province (Area Two) - Grass
    Lv.35-65Overworld
    Rate 1%
    Morning
    or evolve from Eevee (Step 1)

Base Stats

The stat budget goes to damage. Sp. Atk and Speed carry the offense, Defense doesn't even come close. A Sun Pokemon on a medium-fast 1M XP curve, worth 2 Sp. Atk EVs per KO.

Base Stats
High
HP65
C
Attack65
C
Defense60
C
Sp. Atk130
A
Sp. Def95
B
Speed110
B
Total525
Details
Catch Rate
Challenging45 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Fast1M XP
Height0.9 m
2'11"Small
Weight26.5 kg
58.4 lbsLight
Base XP184
High Yield
Abilities
Synchronize
Copies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them.
Magic BounceHidden Ability
Reflects most non-damaging moves back at their user.
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpA+2SpDSpe
Special Attack training target
Pokedex Entry

The tip of its forked tail quivers when it is predicting its opponent’s next move.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Espeon Guide

  • Magic Bounce changes the entire equation for Espeon. The 525 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked B-Tier as a sweeper.

  • Espeon's biggest threats include Scyther (Bug), Misdreavus (Ghost), and Tyranitar (Dark), all carrying super-effective STAB moves.

  • Magic Bounce is what you want on Espeon. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Synchronize) work on paper but Magic Bounce is what makes Espeon worth using. With base 110 Speed, Magic Bounce gives Espeon an edge before opponents can react.

  • Base 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. On offense, Espeon is a special attacker with base 130 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a sweeper.

  • The core moveset is Psychic, Shadow Ball, Calm Mind, and Alluringvoice. Psychic leads at 0% usage. Psychic provides reliable STAB damage.

Game Availability

Available in 19 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Espeon spans 9 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in most mainline games.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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