Leafeon
Mutatiovulpes octoplumiter – 6
Overview
Leafeon is the most biologically unique of the eeveelutions. All of the other known eeveelutions have mammalian anatomy, and almost always carnivoran anatomy. Leafeon have a body shape similar to a vulpine pokmeon, but their cellular structure is closer to that of a plant than an animal. Like plants leafeon primarily feed themselves with sugars produced by photosynthesis.
Leafeon fully capitalize on the advantage of grass-type pokémon over normal plants: mobility. In the densest of forests, they use their claws and powerful hindlegs to climb up to the emergent layer and bask in the sunlight. Any predatory birds that try to prey upon them will discover just how sharp a leafeon's tail blade can be.
The species is best suited for old growth subtropical and tropical forests. In eevee's native range there are few suitable habitats. The few that exist are mostly created by other pokémon, such as Galar's Glimwood Tangle. Leafeon's existence implies that warmer forest areas may have been more common in the region at some point within the last 3,000 years. Or, perhaps, eevee's natural range extended farther south than was previously believed. There are scattered records of escaped espeon in India, China, and Southeast Asia producing eevee that evolved into a green creature. If true, then the leafeon in the area have either died out or retreated to the deepest portions of the rainforest.
Leafeon are popular as the lowest maintenance eeveelution. As long as they have access to warm, humid air and natural sunlight they can be content. They are reluctant but powerful battlers. Leafeon might not be suitable for a core team, but every so often they can be brought in to turn the tides of a critical match.
Physiology
Leafeon are classified as pure grass types.
Leafeon have a slim vulpine build with plant-like features. Their long, pointed ears turn green and develop a waxy texture towards the tips. A tuft of leaf-like hears grows out of the top of their head. Their long, jagged tail is deep green and has the texture of a slightly crumpled leaf. Across their body different patches of fur turn green and stick out above the rest of the coat. In truth all of leafeon's 'fur' is closer in composition to pine needles than to hair. Young leafeon have a primarily cream coat with brown paws. Progressively more of the coat turns green as the pokémon ages.
Young leafeon still retain sharp teeth and a functioning digestive tract. They eat nuts and fruit for some of their diet and hunt small pokémon and animals for their remainder. Within two months the leafeon can receive 30% of its energy from photosynthesis. By the one-year mark after evolution nearly 70% of a leafeon's food comes from photosynthesis and the remainder from plant material. Leafeon's sharp incisors fall out and are replaced by teeth better suited for cracking nuts and chewing food. Over time the digestive tract simplifies and eventually atrophies as photosynthesis becomes the pokémon's sole source of food.
Unlike all non-pokémon animals and most pokémon animals, leafeon have cell wells. On a celluluar level they are much closer to plants than animals and their skin and fur cells are geared towards facilitating photosynthesis.
Leafeon have sharp claws and powerful hind legs to help them jump and climb. Their stellar sense of balance and small paws help them walk along thin branches high above the forest floor. Leafeon can pour energy into their tail blade to turn it into a sharp weapon capable of cutting through bone. The process is energy intensive and only used in the wild as a last resort.
The final adaptation leafeon possess is a state of semi-dormancy. Leafeon can dramatically lower their rate of respiration and enter into a state of deep sleep. Some awareness remains to process loud sounds and make subtle adjustments in posture for balance. Otherwise leafeon simply sleep and soak up sunlight. This has been known to scare many trainers when their leafeon will not wake up. Taking drastic measures such as shaking the pokémon may wake it up but will probably wake it up in a panic. A panicked, half-asleep leafeon is likely to resort to a leaf blade attack on whatever the potential threat is. If a dormant leafeon must be awoken it is best to do so by speaking loudly or by poking it with an object longer than the pokémon's tail.
Leafeon can weigh up to twelve pounds and stand eighteen inches tall at the withers. Their wild lifespan is poorly understood. Captive specimens can live for over fifty years.
Behavior
Young leafeon spend most of their time in the understory layer of the forest. During the day they will climb higher to bask in sunlight. At dawn, dusk, and night they will descend to find food. They need to hunt or scavenge for some of their diet. Leafeon's mobility can help them get access to bird eggs. They can also ambush small rodents by jumping from a tree branch for a maximally powerful pounce.
As they age leafeon become progressively less active and more arboreal. The oldest known wild leafeon spend most of their time sleeping in the treetops. When they must forage for water or food they will try to find it in the canopy layer before expanding their search into the understory. Water can be found pooled on broad leaves following rainstorms. After their foraging is complete, elderly leafeon return to their favorite perch and go back to sleep.
Leafeon are solitary at all life stages. If two leafeon encounter each other they may briefly stop to sniff the other and speak before going their separate ways. They do not intentionally cross paths.
Relatively little is known about natural wild leafeon behaviors compared to the other eeveelutions. The places leafeon can naturally be found are difficult to navigate. Leafeon also blend in well with the leaves around them and are only really active after sundown. Recent drone studies of the Glimwood Tangle has advanced the understanding of leafeon's basking habits, but the forest is notoriously difficult to navigate outside of the few marked paths. At least one field researcher entered the forest to study wild leafeon in their natural habitat and was never seen again. Similar problems arise in Floresta De Chuva Negra Parque Nacional due to the aggressive native pokémon.
The population in Alolan Rainforests National Preserve is one of the easiest to study. Biologists hope that further studies will shed light on the second least understood eeveelution.
Husbandry
Leafeon are well known for being mellow pokémon, especially compared to some of the drama of the other eeveelutions. Elderly leafeon will spend most of their time sleeping in sunbeams or under heat lamps if given the chance. Traveling with them can be difficult as they do not like to be moved. Instead it is best to find one or two solid perches, ideally attached to climbing structures, and only interact with them when they come down for water, fruit or leaves, stimulation, or socialization.
Younger leafeon are somewhat more active pokémon. They love to climb but will also accept walks. Some will gladly play with toys. Others will not. Nuts and fruit must be provided daily, with fresh fruit being better than canned or dried. Eggs or boiled poultry should be provided on a weekly basis. Water bowls should also be offered at least once every three days. They are nocturnal pokémon that will sprawl out and nap during the day if given the chance. Most dislike pokéballs, with the exception of habitat balls that simulate sunlight.
All leafeon have teeth and claws that grow over time. Older leafeon that have less reason to climb or eat must be provided with bones to gnaw on. Claw trimming is safe and painless but generally disliked. It is easiest to trim their nails when they are sleeping in a sunbeam and reluctant to move.
Leafeon produce far less waste than similarly sized canines or felines. They occasionally defecate or urinate and appreciate having a dedicated place to do so. From time to time they will also secrete sap from glands on their neck and ankles. This is most often done around the mating season (see Reproduction). Leafeon will attempt to rub this sap on wooden objects or climbing structures nearby. If their claws are not regularly trimmed they might also scratch furniture.
For better or worse, leafeon have a distinctive smell that comes to infuse their environment. Young leafeon smell like freshly cut grass. Older specimens smell like fallen leaves. Some companies use shed leaves and fur to create perfumes. Leafeon trainers may want to reach out to local companies. Shedding can be turned from a nuisance into a profit.
Some leafeon appreciate certain scents, making them effective treats. Peppermint is a much beloved scent, but some leafeon seem to have little reaction to it. Try different plant's scents until a good match is found.
Illness
Leafeon's hybrid anatomy makes them resistant to many diseases. They are too animal-like to succumb to plant diseases and too plant-like to be made seriously ill by most animal diseases. They are prone to minor cases of both, contributing to their lethargy. A sick leafeon will shed a lot more than a healthy one. Sometimes their color will fade and the specimen will spend more time looking for food or water than usual. Sick leafeon should receive larger portions of food. Their hybrid anatomy makes most treatments less effective so it is best to just quarantine the pokémon and wait out the illness.
Vaccinations tend not to work for leafeon and can sometimes led to severe reactions. As such they are exempt from the vaccination requirements that apply to eevee and its other evolutions.
Evolution
Leafeon evolve when exposed to a great deal of plant elemental energy. This is most common in pokémon-maintained forests, or in tropical forests with a great deal of grass-types living in them. Captive eevee raised around many grass-types will probably evolve into a leafeon in time. Leaf stones can be used to accelerate the process. The energy around Alolan Rainforests National Preserve is often enough to make a leafeon spontaneously evolve after a few days. Many eevee trainers are surprised by their pokémon's new evolution. Some will even abandon it and acquire another eevee in hopes of getting the desired evolution instead.
Battle
Leafeon do not like to battle. They can be coaxed into it on occasion, especially with the promise of a beloved fruit or scent, but almost no leafeon truly enjoys combat. Professional trainers are often frustrated by this as leafeon can be quite powerful when they do battle.
Leafeon's main method of attack is charging their tail blade with elemental energy. This can be further enhanced by swords dance. Some leafeon can cut metal with boosted leaf blade attacks. They can also convert pokémon-enhanced sunlight into a burst of energy, letting them fully use their nimbleness with quick, graceful attacks. Any damage sustained can then be healed with synthesis. If things get too dire, the pokémon can use baton pass to transfer the boosts on to a healthier ally. In Alola the move Celebrate can be enhanced with Z-power to create a general power boost that can be passed on or used by the leafeon.
Outside of sun teams leafeon lose much of their utility. They are still very strong, but they cannot take hits well enough or run fast enough to stay in the fight for long. Leafeon are at their best in environments where they can climb. On the island challenge leafeon can be used at the end of totem battles. The rest of the team will slow down and damage the totem, paving the way for a leafeon to finish the battle in a few strong hits. If all goes well the leafeon will not need to battle long, mitigating the specie's lack of durability and distaste for battle.
Acquisition
Leafeon can be found in most of Alolan Rainforests National Preserve. The best time to see them is around dusk and dawn in the understory. Alternatively, trainers flying above the treetops can also spot them during the day. Capture is currently prohibited to allow for study of the wild population. The shelters near the preserve often have abandoned leafeon available for any trainer who wants one. Some breeders also sell leafeon for a price. Leafeon can be obtained with a Class I license.
Breeding
During the early dry season leafeon will begin marking branches in the understory. If one finds a scent they like they will stay near the marking for a day and wait to see if the marker returns. If the leafeon both find the other acceptable they will descend to the forest floor to mate. The mating act itself is quick, rarely taking more than five minutes. Both partners will then go their separate ways. Females can mate with as many as ten males during this time.
After approximately fifty days the female will give birth to a litter of one to five eevee. During this time the mother will find a burrow to steal in a tree hollow or on the forest floor. She will fill it with soft leaves and grasses. The mother will bask in the canopy during the day before returning to her offspring in the evening. If she finds that the burrow has been disturbed she may abandon her children and leave the area.
Once the eevee are six months old their mother will stop attending to them. Females will stay within two miles of their mother and receive occasional check-ins. Males are expected to leave the area.
There is a 'dating app' service for leafeon. Sap samples are exchanged via male. If two leafeon like the other's scent they can be introduced to see if they will mate. Sap can be evaluated outside of mating season, although there is some evidence that females may have different preferences at different times of the year. The parents do not need to live together and will not be social if they are owned by the same trainer.
Leafeon are very sensitive to human interference with their eevee. It is best to give them as much privacy as possible and only interact to place food in the enclosure. Health checkups of newborn eevee are usually recommended, but they are not practical for leafeon. Trainers that do wish to take their leafeon's eevee will have to raise them by hand. The mother may be reluctant to produce more litters in the future.
Crossbreeding leafeon is possible with a number of carnivoran and plant pokémon. Crossbreeding works in much the same way and requires the pokémon to show interest in the sap or scent of their partner. This is most easily done if the leafeon has not smelled a conspecific in over a year.
Relatives
Consult the Eevee entry for more information.