New Pokémon games are out, so now it’s once again time to consider the 22-year-old predicament: which version should I get? Though Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are nearly identical, there are a few differences that may sway buyers one way or the other when deciding which version to get.
Partner Pokémon
This first difference is the most obvious. In Let’s Go, Pikachu! the player will receive Pikachu as their starter Pokémon, which also serves as their Partner Pokémon throughout the game. In Let’s Go, Eevee!, the player’s starter will be Eevee. So if you happen to like one of these Pokémon a lot more than the other, then the choice is obvious. There are a few other factors to consider, however. For one thing, it’s worth noting that neither Pikachu nor Eevee are actually exclusive to their respective games, meaning you’ll be able to encounter and catch wild Pikachu in Let’s Go, Eevee!, and you can obtain Eevee in Let’s Go, Pikachu! as well; they just won’t be Partner Pokémon. You should also keep in mind that your Partner Pokémon will not be able to evolve in the games. So if your main reason for liking Eevee is that you love its evolution Vaporeon, know that your Partner Eevee in Let’s Go, Eevee! won’t be able to evolve into Vaporeon. The same goes for your Partner Pikachu in Let’s Go, Pikachu!, which can’t evolve into Raichu. You will be able to evolve other, non-Partner Pikachu and Eevee in both games, however. Plus, you can always just send these evolutions from Pokémon GO into your Let’s Go game. But if your main reason for picking one game over the other is liking one of these Partner Pokémon’s evolutions over the other, then you might want to reconsider. Each Partner Pokémon will also be able to learn their own Exclusive Moves, but we’ll get into that in its own section.
Exclusive Pokémon
The main thing that has always separated paired versions of Pokémon games is the exclusive Pokémon that are only available in one version or the other, and this holds true for the Let’s Go games as well. Below are the lists of Pokémon that you can only find in one version or the other:
Exclusive to Let’s Go, Pikachu!:
- Sandshrew
- Sandslash
- Oddish
- Gloom
- Vileplume
- Mankey
- Primeape
- Growlithe
- Arcanine
- Grimer
- Muk
- Scyther
Exclusive to Let’s Go, Eevee!:
- Ekans
- Arbok
- Vulpix
- Ninetales
- Meowth
- Persian
- Bellsprout
- Weepinbell
- Victreebel
- Koffing
- Weezing
- Pinsir
Also, note that while Arcanine is exclusive to Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Persian is exclusive to Let’s Go, Eevee!, they can both actually be obtained in the opposite version via in-game trades, but cannot be found in the wild.
Exclusive In-Game Trades
Speaking of in-game trades, there are a few that are only available in one version or the other. These trades involve trading a Kanto version of a Pokémon for their Alolan counterpart. Since some of these Kanto Pokémon are exclusive to Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Eevee!, the trades for their Alolan versions are also exclusive.
Exclusive to Let’s Go, Pikachu!:
- Trading a Sandshrew for an Alolan Sandshrew
- Trading a Grimer for an Alolan Grimer
Exclusive to Let’s Go, Eevee!:
- Trading a Vulpix for an Alolan Vulpix
- Trading a Meowth for an Alolan Meowth
Exclusive Moves
One of the features of Partner Pokémon is that they can both learn Exclusive Moves. What Exclusive Moves your Partner Pokémon can learn is dependent on whether your Partner Pokémon is Pikachu or Eevee, making this another feature that is different between Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!
Pikachu’s Exclusive Moves
- Pika Papow (Electric-type/Special damage/– power/100 accuracy/20 PP/Power increases the more Pikachu loves its trainer; it never misses)
- Floaty Fall (Flying-type/Physical damage/90 power/95 accuracy/15 PP/May make the target flinch)
- Splishy Splash (Water-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/May paralyze the target)
- Zippy Zap (Electric-type/Physical damage/50 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Always goes first; always results in a critical hit)
Eevee’s Exclusive Moves
- Veevee Volley (Normal-type/Physical damage/– power/100 accuracy/20 PP/Power increases the more Eevee loves its trainer; it never misses)
- Bouncy Bubble (Water-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Eevee recovers half the amount of damage dealt to the opponent)
- Buzzy Buzz (Electric-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Always paralyzes the target)
- Sizzly Slide (Fire-type/Physical damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Always burns the target)
- Glitzy Glow (Psychic-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Weakens opposing team’s Special attacks)
- Baddy Bad (Dark-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Weakens opposing team’s Physical attacks)
- Freezy Frost (Ice-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Eliminates stat changes)
- Sappy Seed (Grass-type/Physical damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Damages the target a little every turn)
- Sparkly Swirl (Fairy-type/Special damage/90 power/100 accuracy/15 PP/Heals all of your team’s status conditions)
