Atsuko Nishida has been helping design Pokemon since the beginning of the series but she absolutely outdid herself when making Sylveon. This Fairy Type Eeveelution was introduced in Generation VI and has been a fan favorite ever since.
Sylveon isn't just an icon for transgender gamers however, it's also an incredibly powerful Pokemon if trained well. There are simple mistakes that players can make when training Sylveon that are easy to avoid if trainers come prepared.
8 Not Evolving Eevee Properly
There's no shame in admitting a lack of knowledge on how to evolve a fledgling Eevee into its fairy type form. Players need to have their Eevee have a friendship level of at least three while it has a fairy move. Eevee can only learn two such moves, Baby-Doll Eyes and Charm so keep that in mind.
There are a lot of ways that players can get an Eevee's friendship up fast. Players can make sure to catch Eevee (which can be found on Route 4) with a Luxury Ball or Friend Ball. Consider using vitamins on Eevee and make sure to never use Bitter Herbs to recover HP. Players can also have Eevee hold a Soothe Bell and have it participate in battles, just make sure it doesn't faint! Finally, one of the best ways to gain friendship is knowing how to cook the best curry.
7 Not Having The Best Ability
There is essentially no reason for any Sylveon to have Cute Charm as their ability over the far superior Pixelate. Pixelate turns any Normal Type moves Sylveon uses and makes them into Fairy Type and offers a 30% boost to their damage! It can take work to get Hidden Abilities for Pokemon but it's absolutely worth it for Sylveon.
6 Equipping The Wrong Items
Using the right items can be the difference between success and defeat in a close competitive battle. For Sylveon, there are two options. Some players choose to use a Babiri Berry to help aid Sylveon's longevity as it helps reduce damage from Steel Types once in battle, but there are better options.
In the end, using a Pixie Plate is likely going to work better for players. It gives all Fairy Type attacks a 1.2x boost. Combine this with the boost from Pixelate and Sylveon can start to deal a lot of damage when it needs to. There is a Pixie Plate located on Route 8 and for ₽3000 players can purchase one at the Stow-on-Side Bargain Shop if it's the bargain of the day.
5 Not Using Its Best Moves
It might seem like players should teach Sylveon some strong Fairy Type moves but this is actually not the best way to go. With Pixelate as an ability, Hyper Beam and Hyper Voice are likely to do far more damage with Sylveon's stats than other available options. Even Quick Attack takes on a whole new power when Sylveon uses it.
It's also worth considering if using Last Resort could be an option, as a whopping 140 STAB boosted damage can knock out a lot of opponents. While it could be tempting to use a tutor to teach Sylveon Misty Explosion even under Misty Terrain the massive damage dealt isn't worth losing Sylveon in battle when it has so much more utility isn't worth it.
4 Not Giving It Good Teammates
Being a Fairy Type, it's important to have teammates that can take out the Poison and Steel Types that it's particularly weak to. Having a strong team built around Sylveon can prove to be incredibly effective, especially in a 2v2 format. According to statistics from Pikalytics, some of the most common teammates for Sylveon include Galarian Moltres, Rillaboom, and Grimsnarl.
3 Not EV Training Properly
The difference between a properly EV trained Pokemon and one that isn't is very noticeably. Players don't need to be intimidated however, there are tricks to make EV training easier. This is something every trainer should keep in mind while raising their Sylveon.
It is better to focus on specific EVs instead of spreading out points across all attributes. For Sylveon, HP, Special Attack, and Speed tend to be the most important to focus on.
2 Not Using Sylveon As Support
It's not that Sylveon isn't capable of dealing a lot of damage, it absolutely can, but it's even more powerful in a support role. Top players will make sure to have Yawn and Protect as part of their move set to help protect their Pokemon in 2v2 battles as well as hamper the opponent's team.
It's also possible to get a Sylveon with Wish through breeding. This gives Sylveon the potential as a cleric in battles, helping keep the rest of the team alive and kicking.
1 Not Using Sylveon In Competitive Play
Sylveon has been on 23 placing teams in Regional VGC events and has even been a part of a team that won the World Championship. Sylveon being on a trainer's team has resulted in earning them over $19,750 in 2020 alone. Sylveon is an absolute powerhouse in competitive play and trainers should be sure to use it there.