You've been biking back and forth in front of the Day Care for three hours. Your thumb is cramping. Your Pichu is level 40, which is honestly embarrassing, yet it still hasn't turned into a Pikachu. We’ve all been there. It’s one of those mechanics that feels like a hidden "vibe check" from Nintendo. Pokemon that evolve by friendship are the bane of every speedrunner's existence and the joy of every casual player who actually treats their digital monsters like real pets.
Friendship—or "Affection" depending on which generation you're playing—is a hidden stat. It isn't like HP or Attack. You can't just look at a bar and see it’s full. Instead, you’re stuck visiting some random NPC in a house who tells you your Pokemon "looks like it trusts you." That’s vague. It’s frustrating. But once you understand how the math works under the hood, it stops being a guessing game.
The math behind the bond
In most games, friendship is measured on a scale from 0 to 255. To trigger an evolution for Pokemon that evolve by friendship, you generally need to hit a threshold of 220 (though this dropped to 160 in Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet). Most Pokemon start at a base friendship of 70.
Think about that. You're starting at 70 and need to get to 220. Every 128 steps you take adds one point. One. Point. If you do the math, that’s a lot of running in circles.
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But it’s not just about walking. Leveling up gives you a boost, usually around 2 to 5 points. Using Vitamins like Protein or Iron gives you a steady +2 to +5. The Luxury Ball is basically a cheat code; it adds an extra point to every positive friendship gain you earn. If you catch a Chansey in a Luxury Ball, you're already halfway to a Blissey before you even leave the tall grass.
What actually hurts your friendship?
Stop using Bitter Herbs. Seriously. They're cheap, sure, but your Pokemon hates them. Using an Energy Powder or a Heal Powder is the fastest way to make your Pokemon resent you. It drops friendship by 5 to 10 points. If your Pokemon faints in battle? That’s another -1. It sounds small, but if you’re grinding through a tough Gym and your Riolu keeps hitting the dirt, you are actively undoing all that walking you did earlier.
The weirdest Pokemon that evolve by friendship
We have to talk about the icons. Togepi is the classic. Everyone remembers getting that egg in Gen 2 and wondering why it stayed a tiny spike-ball forever. But then there are the weird ones.
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Take Buneary. Most Pokemon start with 70 friendship. Buneary starts at zero. Absolute zero. It literally spawns into the world hating you. You have to work twice as hard just to get it to the baseline of a normal Pokemon. Why? Maybe it’s the ears. Or maybe it just has high standards.
Then there is Type: Null. This is a legendary-tier "Synthetic Pokemon" literally built to slay gods, and it only evolves into Silvally when it likes you. There is something deeply poetic about a cyborg chimera breaking its control mask because you gave it enough Malasadas and rubs behind the ears.
The Night and Day Split
Some evolutions are even more finicky because they're time-sensitive.
- Eevee into Espeon: High friendship during the day.
- Eevee into Umbreon: High friendship at night.
- Riolu into Lucario: High friendship during the day only.
- Chingling into Chimecho: High friendship at night only.
If you’re playing Pokemon Scarlet or Violet, remember that the "day/night" cycle follows in-game time, not your console clock. You could be sitting in your dark bedroom at midnight, but if the in-game sun is up, you're getting an Espeon.
Pro tips for 2026 trainers
If you're looking to evolve your Pokemon that evolve by friendship fast, stop guessing. Here is the actual professional workflow:
First, find a Soothe Bell. This held item is mandatory. It increases all friendship gains by 50%. In Scarlet & Violet, you can buy these at Delibird Presents in Cascarrafa. Put it on your Snom or your Budew immediately.
Second, use the "Let’s Go" feature. Sending your Pokemon out to auto-battle or just walk beside you in the overworld generates friendship points rapidly. It’s much faster than the old "cycling road" method from the Game Boy days.
Third, Berries. Specific berries like Pomeg, Kelpsy, and Qualot lower your EVs (Effort Values) but significantly raise friendship. If you have a hoard of these from Tera Raids, you can spam about 20 to 30 of them on a Pokemon and trigger the evolution in about thirty seconds. It’s the "expensive" way, but it saves your sanity.
Why does this mechanic even exist?
Game Freak, the developers, have always tried to emphasize the "bond" between trainer and Pokemon. It’s a core theme of the anime. It’s why Ash’s Pikachu never stayed in a Poke Ball. From a gameplay perspective, it’s a pacing mechanism. It prevents you from getting a high-stat monster like Crobat or Lucario too early in the game without putting in the "emotional" labor.
It’s also a way to make the world feel alive. When your Golbat finally evolves into Crobat, it feels earned. It’s not just because you hit a level number; it’s because you treated it well. You didn't let it faint. You gave it vitamins. You actually played the game.
Actionable steps for your team
Don't leave it to chance. If you have a baby Pokemon or a friendship-based evolution in your party, do this now:
- Check the Soothe Bell: Ensure the Pokemon is holding it. It’s a wasted slot if they aren't.
- Visit the Friendship Checker: In Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, use the Poketch app. In Sword/Shield, talk to the kid in Hammerlocke. In Scarlet/Violet, talk to the lady with the Marill in Cascarrafa.
- The Berry Spam: If you're at the end-game, just use Pomeg/Kelpsy/Qualot berries. It’s the fastest route to a Blissey or Kurumayu.
- Wash them: In newer generations, the "Picnic" or "Pokemon Camp" features are huge. Cleaning your Pokemon or playing with them provides a massive friendship spike that walking simply can't match.
Stop grinding levels and start focusing on the hidden stats. Your Pokedex will thank you.