How to Evolve Friendship Fast in Pokémon

So, you’re trying to evolve your precious Eevee into an Espeon or Umbreon, or perhaps you have a Golbat that’s been stubbornly refusing to become a Crobat? The secret lies in friendship, or affection, or happiness – whatever the specific Pokémon game calls it, it all boils down to the same thing: a hidden stat representing your bond with your Pokémon. Raising this stat quickly is the key to triggering those coveted friendship evolutions.

Here’s the fastest way to boost your Pokémon’s friendship level:

1. Carry the Pokémon in Your Party: Simply having the Pokémon in your active party generates passive friendship gain. This is a slow but constant method. Make sure the Pokémon you want to evolve is always with you, acting as a silent partner in your adventures.

2. Battle Frequently: Use your Pokémon in battles! Winning battles contributes significantly to raising friendship. The more battles, the better. Just be mindful of their health.

3. Keep Your Pokémon Healthy: Never let your Pokémon faint! Fainting decreases friendship. Always carry plenty of Potions, Revives, and other healing items. Visit Pokémon Centers frequently to ensure your team is in top shape.

4. Utilize Friendship-Boosting Items: Some items are specifically designed to boost friendship. The most notable is the Soothe Bell. Equip this item to the Pokémon you want to evolve, and it will receive a 50% boost to all friendship gains.

5. Berries are Your Best Friend: Certain berries, such as Pomeg Berries, Kelpsy Berries, Qualot Berries, Hondew Berries, and Grepa Berries, increase friendship while also lowering specific stats (like Attack, Defense, etc.). If you’re not concerned about competitive battling, these are a great way to boost friendship quickly.

6. Camp and Curry (Sword/Shield): In Pokémon Sword and Shield, utilize the Pokémon Camp feature. Playing with your Pokémon and making curry boosts their friendship significantly. Different curry recipes affect friendship gains differently, so experiment to find what your Pokémon enjoys!

7. Grooming and Playing (Legends: Arceus/Scarlet/Violet): The newer games offer features like grooming in Legends: Arceus and picnics in Scarlet and Violet that allow you to directly interact with your Pokémon and boost their friendship levels. Make use of these interactive elements to enhance your bond.

8. Avoid Bitter Items: Certain items, especially bitter medicines like Energy Powder and Revival Herb, drastically decrease friendship. While they heal your Pokémon, the negative impact on friendship outweighs the benefits when you’re trying to evolve a friendship-based Pokémon.

9. Level Up: After engaging in some of the above methods, level up your Pokemon. This step is critical; many friendship evolutions only trigger upon leveling up after meeting the friendship requirement. Leveling up with a Rare Candy after hitting the target level is a great way to trigger an immediate evolution as well.

Bonus Tip: Check your Pokémon’s friendship level regularly! Many games have an NPC who can give you an approximate idea of your Pokémon’s friendship level. This will help you gauge how much more effort you need to put in.

By following these steps consistently, you can significantly speed up the friendship evolution process and finally add that Espeon, Umbreon, or Crobat to your team!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about friendship and its impact on Pokémon evolution:

What exactly is friendship in Pokémon?

Friendship (also sometimes called happiness or affection) is a hidden stat that represents your bond with your Pokémon. It’s a numerical value, usually ranging from 0 to 255, that affects certain evolutions and moves.

How do I check my Pokémon’s friendship level?

The method varies depending on the game. Usually, there’s an NPC in a specific location who can give you an approximate assessment. They might use phrases like “It looks really happy!” or “It seems to really like you!”. Search online for the specific location of the Friendship Checker in the game you are playing.

What is the friendship level required for evolution?

It depends on the game. In older games, the required value was often 220. However, in more recent titles like Sword and Shield, Legends: Arceus, and Scarlet and Violet, the required friendship level is usually 160. Always check the specific requirements for the game you’re playing.

Which Pokémon evolve through friendship?

Some of the most well-known friendship evolutions include:

• Eevee into Espeon (daytime) or Umbreon (nighttime)
• Golbat into Crobat
• Chansey into Blissey
• Togepi into Togetic
• Riolu into Lucario (daytime)

Does trading a Pokémon reset its friendship?

Yes, trading a Pokémon resets its friendship level to the base value. This means you’ll have to start the friendship-building process from scratch after trading.

Does letting a Pokémon faint affect friendship?

Yes, fainting negatively impacts friendship. It’s crucial to keep your Pokémon healthy to avoid losing progress.

Does using healing items increase friendship?

Yes, using healing items like Potions and Revives increases friendship, though the effect is relatively small.

How does the Soothe Bell work?

The Soothe Bell is an item that, when held by a Pokémon, increases the rate at which it gains friendship by 50%. It’s an invaluable tool for speeding up the friendship evolution process.

Do Pokémon Eggs have high friendship?

Yes! Pokémon hatched from Eggs start with a higher base friendship level than Pokémon caught in the wild. This gives them a head start in the evolution process.

Are there any items that decrease friendship?

Yes, certain items like bitter medicines (Energy Powder, Revival Herb) decrease friendship, often significantly. Avoid using these on Pokémon you’re trying to evolve through friendship.

Does leveling up increase friendship?

Yes, leveling up naturally increases friendship, especially after engaging in other friendship-boosting activities like battling and using healing items. It’s a key component of the evolution process, as the actual evolution often triggers upon leveling up after meeting the friendship requirement.

Do different berries have different effects on friendship?

Yes, different berries have different effects. Berries that reduce effort values (EVs), such as Pomeg, Kelpsy, Qualot, Hondew, and Grepa Berries, also increase friendship. This makes them a dual-purpose item.

Can friendship be maxed out?

Yes, friendship can be maxed out. The maximum value is typically 255. However, you only need to reach the specific evolution requirement (e.g., 160 in newer games) for the Pokémon to evolve.

Is there a way to track precise friendship values?

In most Pokémon games, you cannot see the exact numerical value of the Friendship stat. You can only get a sense of it by talking to the Friendship Checker, who’ll use phrases that tell you how happy your Pokemon is. In games like Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, you can download the Friendship Checker application for your Pokétch to track your Pokemon’s friendship rating!

Does friendship affect anything besides evolution?

Yes, friendship can affect other aspects of the game. Some moves, like Return and Frustration, are powered by friendship. Return’s power increases with higher friendship, while Frustration’s power increases with lower friendship. Therefore, you can utilize the Friendship stat in other ways than evolving Pokemon.

We hope this guide has helped you understand how to quickly evolve your friendship-based Pokémon. Good luck on your Pokémon journey!

The study of game-based learning and the broader implications of games in education are deeply relevant to this topic. You can explore more about the Games Learning Society and their work at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.