Espeon was introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver in 1999 as one of two new evolutions for Eevee, evolving through high friendship during the daytime. Like other Pokémon, it communicates in games and anime through a distinctive cry rather than speech, and those short cries have been ripped and shared by fans for years. As soundboards and short edits grew popular, individual cries became reusable reactions, with Espeon's lighter, psychic-toned call standing out from harsher battle sounds and remaining a favourite for evolution scenes.