9. Vaporeon
To choose a single eeveelution is probably my hardest task yet. Eevee is probably the most possibility-laden Pokémon possible, and nearly everything that it can evolve into has something to offer. Be it fire, grass or dark with the application of a single stone you can have a Pokémon thatll become a cornerstone of your team no matter what. So, with that established I can now fully admit that I picked Vaporeon simply because its my favourite. Arent you glad that thats all out of the way? I first encountered Vaporeon back in the days of Pokémon Yellow, when I was deciding just what to evolve my precious Eevee with and settled on a water-stone purely on a whim. What I received, luckily, was one of the best Pokémon that I have ever had. A true cornerstone of my team, and one that I carried all the way to the Elite Four. My Vaporeon was strong, successful and wonderfully elegant and I didnt let go of her until my Gameboy Advance broke and I was left with no way to commune. I mainly liked Vaporeon because of how tough it was, I admit. I cannot recall my original one fainting once in about six months of sustained gameplay. Vaporeon also looks tough the spikes on its back make it more formidable than adorable, and fangs and claws are hinted at throughout the rest of its design. My only problem with the other two first-gen eeveelutions is that they can look a little too adorable. Vaporeon, however, never ran that risk. It does, however, look elegant. Vaporeon is based on a whole mish-mash of creatures, and one of those is the mythological creation of the mermaid. This can be seen in the long tail, that looks almost fit for flopping out on a rock. It is by this addition that Vaporeon looks elegant, and like itd be beautiful to see swimming through the ocean. Another trait that adds to this elegant impression is the hood around it sneck based on an Elizabethan hood, this makes it seem almost regal in its elegance. Overall Vaporeon is elegant and regal, and yet still manages to convey a certain tough impression. Its long tail gives it a pleasing link to the mythic, while the spikes that line it make is seem fully able to fight. It is less the toothless Disney version of a mermaid, but more the original version that was terribly fond of dragging sailors into the sea and devouring them whole. It is this mixing together that makes Vaporeon my favourite eeveelution, a title that I dont see it losing any time soon.