Friendship is a stat in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet which is also referred to as Happiness and Affection. This stat is a measure of the attachment of a Pokémon to its master and it may also determine the ability of some Pokémon to evolve.
The following guide will discuss how to raise Friendship in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
How to increase friendship
The friendship stat in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can be raised by doing the following.
Leveling up
Battling and earning experience is the simplest way for you to gain Friendship for your Pokémon. Every time your Pokemon levels up through battles, it gains friendship thresholds.
Keep Pokémon in your party
Friendship is gained by keeping a Pokémon as part of your traveling party and simply making your way across the map. It is another simple way to gain Friendship as the more your travel with them in your party, the greater the friendship gained.
Feeding Vitamins
Feeding vitamins to your Pokémon will help them gain friendship and raise their EVs, making this the most efficient way. However, purchasing a high amount of Vitamins can be expensive.
Feeding EV-lowering Berries
Feeding Pokemon berries can help increase friendship with the drawback of lowering EVs in return. Berries are sometimes used to reset EVs in unwanted stats as well.
Using a Soothe Ball
Making your Pokémon hold a Soothe Ball will boost their friendship gained by 50%. Therefore, use the previous methods after giving your Pokémon a soothe ball to boost your progress.
Capturing using a Luxury Ball
Pokemon captured using a luxury ball will see their friendship gains double. Combine this with a soothe ball to maximize the effect.
Shower your Pokémon on picnics
Cleaning and talking to your Pokemon while having a picnic can help increase friendship. Head to an open area, press X, and select picnic. Now once everything is set press A to talk to your Pokémon and X to wash them.
A minigame is started after you press X. Press A and use your joystick to apply soap to your Pokémon. Now press Y to use the shower, press A, and direct using your joystick once again.
What causes your Pokemon friendship level to drop?
The Friendship stat can also drop in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
The friendship stat lowers if a trainer’s Pokémon faints during a battle. It also drops when removing the Pokémon from your traveling party or when trading it for another Pokémon. In fact, trading a Pokémon will reset the Friendship set back to its original, base value
Bitter items may also decrease Friendship for a Pokémon when used on them.
Friendship Checker location
Friendship level can be checked by interacting with an NPC inside Cascarrafa City. The NPC is wearing a yellow shirt and green shorts, with medium-length hair.
She will be standing next to a Maril in the Town’s main square beside the shrubberies.
Approach and talk to her, select yes after she asks you if she can check how friendly you and your Pokemon are. Now choose the Pokémon whose friendship level you want to check.
Read the text after to find out the friendship levels.
Friendship Evolutions
As already mentioned above, some Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet require a high friendship level to evolve. That is basically their sole evolution requirement.
If you have the following Pokemon in the game, make sure to raise your friendship for their eventual evolution.
| Pokémon | Evolved To | Details |
| Pichu | Pikachu | Raise Friendship |
| Riolu | Lucario | Raise Friendship to max level |
| Chansey | Blissey | Raise Friendship |
| Eevee | Umbreon | Raise Friendship to max level during the nighttime |
| Eevee | Espeon | Raise Friendship to max level during the daytime |
| Eevee | Sylveon | Raise Friendship to max level and use a Fairy move |
Benefits of increasing friendship
Increased friendship can help you a lot in your journey in Pokemon SV. One of the major advantages of increasing friendships is that it will help your Pokemon land some critical hits which will result in more damage eventually. Apart from this, it can also help you while you’re defending by healing your HP. Lastly, it can help you gain some extra experience points as well.
