Pokémon continues to be vague about the origins of Eevee, with the designers of the original Pokémon basing it off of something abstract

The world of Pokémon is vibrant, colorful, and filled with creatures based on items and animals from the real world, yet one particular Pokémon seems to have no origin at all. Nearly every Pokémon's inspiration is easy to match, such as Vulpix and Fennekin being based on foxes. While some of these interpretations are on real animals and items, Pokémon like Porygon were created because they could be. In Porygon's case, it was ironic to have a Pokémon based on 3D polygons in a game full of sprites. A dedicated fan discovered the artificial Pokémon was made of 50 polygons.

Outside Porygon, the rest of the pocket monster collection is simple, with Ekans and Arbok having the names of the animals they are based on reverse. The only other exceptions to the rest would be Cubone and Eevee. Its popularity rivaling Pokémon's mascot Pikachu, Eevee is considered one of the most beloved creatures in the franchise, with its various evolutions. A Pokémon Company art book that carries several of Japan's top artists' iterations of the Pokémon details each Eeveelutions' Pokedex entry from nearly every game. The love and attention for Eevee rose even higher with the release of Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! and some fans have even begun to cosplay Eevee in outfits resembling Sailor Moon for each evolution.

Related: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's New Eevee Form Isn't Good Enough

However, the question remains of what Eevee is based on as it appears to be several mixed animals instead of something from the real world. According to the book EVs, a limited edition artbook from the Pokémon Center in Japan, one of the original Pokémon character designers, Motofumi Fujiwara, said he "wanted to create a blank slate Pokémon." The first-ever design of the creature had the main characteristics recognizable with every Eevee - the white ruff around its neck, the long ears, and the fluffy tail. The designer is also responsible for creating a few of its variants, like Flareon, a fan-favorite Eevee evolution.

Each designer who had their say in EVs emphasized that every evolution for Eevee is grounded in the original design by Fujiwara. This Pokémon that doesn't look like a single distinct animal was something that the designer drew based on his vague childhood memories of an indescribable creature. The potential of each Eevee is practically limitless, with the several forms it can evolve into being its unique trait that no other Pokémon in the franchise can replicate. Through the years, as Pokémon continued to grow as a franchise, Eevee has remained simple, with minimal design changes. Even as some changes had to be made with Sylveon's addition to the Eevee family, players still debate Pokémon's best Eevee evolution based on their stats and looks.

While the Pokémon itself isn't based on one single creature, it has multiple Pokédex entries claiming its unstable cellular structure as a reason for the many variations it can adapt. Rarely found in the wild or seen roaming the streets, this highly adaptable pocket monster is constantly referred to as the solution to evolution within the Pokémon franchise. Whether it's a partner Pokémon given to trainers by Professor Oak or stumbled upon in the wild, Eevee will continue to be a mysterious creature with a vague origin.

Next: Pokémon: Why Eevee Has So Many Evolutions

As a writer for ScreenRant, Jennifer dedicates her time to learning more about the games she plays and writes. Her hobbies include drawing and fiction writing. Jennifer is a big fan of games, from fighting to RPGs or even racing.