Friendship

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**Friendship** (Japanese: **なつき度** *degree of emotional attachment*), also referred to as **loyalty** in Generation II core series games, **tame** in

## Friendship

 and Pokémon Stadium 2, and **friendliness** in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and commonly referred to by fans as **happiness**, is a measurement of how much a Pokémon is attached to its Template:Pkmn and enjoys being in their care.

It affects the evolution of Template:Cat, the power of Return and Frustration, and the availability of a few in-game items and Ribbons. Certain events increase a Pokémon's friendship (gaining a level, walking a certain amount of steps) or decrease it (fainting, using herbal medicine).

Friendship was introduced in Pokémon Yellow for the Template:Player's Template:Ga only, and expanded to cover all Pokémon in Generation II.

In Generation VI, Affection, a separate mechanic, was introduced. However, from Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! onward, Affection no longer exists and friendship has all of its effects instead.

## In the core series games

Friendship debuted in Generation I as a mechanic that applied only to the Template:Player's Pikachu in

## Friendship

. In Generation II, it was expanded to cover all Pokémon. In all games, friendship is a value that ranges from 0 to 255 (stored as a single byte). In Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu's friendship is indicated by the expression it shows when the player talks to it, but in later games, certain NPCs in the games will evaluate the friendship of a Pokémon in the player's party.

A Pokémon's friendship is generally set when the player first obtains it. When a Pokémon is first caught from the wild, its friendship starts at its base friendship value. Trading a Pokémon also resets its friendship to its base value, unless it is being traded back to its original Trainer in Generation VI or later, in which case it regains the friendship it had before being traded away. A Pokémon caught in a Friend Ball starts with 200 friendship instead of its base friendship, while a Pokémon hatched from an Template:Pkmn starts with 120 friendship.

Friendship is generally increased by taking good care of a Pokémon. Keeping a Pokémon in the player's party, raising it, using items on it, and getting it groomed will all increase a Pokémon's friendship. Letting it faint and using bitter herbal medicines on it will decrease a Pokémon's friendship.

## Friendship

, if a Pokémon is leveled up at its met location, it will gain twice as much friendship from that level up as usual. Since only Pokémon caught in Pokémon Crystal have a defined met location, Pokémon caught in the Generation I games,

## Friendship

, and Pokémon from in-game trades will not receive this bonus. If a Pokémon that has a defined met location is traded to a Generation I game, this data is permanently erased, so it can no longer receive this bonus.

Starting in Generation III, if a Pokémon was caught in a Luxury Ball or is currently at the same location where it was Template:Pkmn2 (its met location), any increase to its friendship is boosted by an extra point (two points if both apply). If a Pokémon is holding a Soothe Bell, increases to its friendship are boosted by 50% of the change. In Generation III, Soothe Bell applies directly to the original change in friendship, while in later games, it applies to the friendship change after including Luxury Ball and met location bonuses. In Generation IV, being at its met location does not change the amount of friendship a Pokémon gains, but it does from Generation V onward.

In Generation V, the Befriending Power Pass Power boosts any increase to friendship by one to three points depending on the strength of the power used. In Generation VI, the Befriending Power O-Power has the same effect. Befriending Power does not exist in Generation VII.

None of these effects change the amount of friendship lost for negative changes or for changes of 0 (such as using an X Attack on a Pokémon with high friendship).

### Mechanics using friendship

In Pokémon Yellow, friendship affected very little beyond the reactions Pikachu would show when interacted with. A notable exception is the woman in Cerulean City who will only give the player a Bulbasaur if Pikachu has high friendship.

Starting in Generation II, there are Template:Cat, which can only evolve if they have 220 friendship or more. Additionally, the moves Return and Frustration vary in power depending on how high or low the user's friendship is.

From Generation IV onward, there is a Ribbon for Pokémon with maximum friendship, the Template:DL.

Some NPCs also only give gifts or teach moves when the player's Pokémon has a certain amount of friendship. Specifically, a Pokémon must have maximized friendship to learn Draco Meteor, Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, Hydro Cannon, Grass Pledge, Fire Pledge, or Water Pledge in any generation.

In Template:Pkmn, Nameless Cavern becomes unlocked once the Template:Player has three Pokémon with maximum friendship on their team.

##### Moves

Friendship affects the following moves.

Template:Typetable
Template:Statustable
 Pika Papow
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Template:Statustable
 Return
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Template:Statustable
 Veevee Volley
Template:Typetable
Template:Statustable

### In Generation I

 File:PikachuY-Happy.png
In

## Friendship

, there is a friendship system exclusively for the player's Template:Ga. Any Pikachu that the player is the Original Trainer of (according to their Original Trainer name and Trainer ID number) is treated as the player's starter Pikachu. Raichu and Template:Pkmn2 Pikachu are not affected, even if the Raichu was the player's starter Pokémon but evolved (which can only be done by first trading it to another game).

The starter Pikachu follows the player in the overworld, if it is in the party and not fainted (if the player has multiple, Pikachu will follow if the first starter Pikachu in the party is not fainted). If the player interacts with Pikachu, a window will pop up showing Pikachu's face, and the expression is affected by Pikachu's current friendship (though certain special events may elicit special reactions unrelated to Pikachu's current friendship). At maximum friendship, Pikachu jumps up and down before the window appears.

In Cerulean City, Melanie gives the player a Bulbasaur if the starter Pikachu's friendship is 147 or higher. The player does not need to have Pikachu in the party or even in the game itself to receive this Bulbasaur. This is the only significance of friendship outside of interacting with Pikachu.

Pikachu starts with a base friendship of 90. Various actions can increase or decrease Pikachu's friendship level.

There is a single friendship value per game, and it remains even if the starter Pikachu is traded away. Trading away Pikachu will decrease its friendship, but this decreased value will be remembered when it returns. If the player has multiple Pikachu which qualify as their starter Pikachu in a single game, all of these Pikachu share the same friendship value, so any friendship-modifying event applies to all of them.

Vitamins, battle items and Template:Cat increase Pikachu's friendship even if they have no effect. For example, attempting to use a Potion on a Pikachu that has fainted or has full health, an Antidote when Pikachu is not Template:Statused, Calcium when Pikachu has already reached its maximum Template:DL stat experience, or X Special when the Special stat has already been raised 6 stages in battle. This does not consume the item, so the same item can repeatedly increase Pikachu's friendship. Waking Pikachu up with the Poké Flute (either in or out of battle) does not change its friendship.

### In Generation II

In Generation II, friendship was expanded to cover all Pokémon. All Pokémon have a base friendship of 70, but any Pokémon caught in a Friend Ball starts with 200 friendship and any Pokémon hatched from an Template:Pkmn starts with 120 friendship.

In Template:Game2, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party can be found at Goldenrod City.

The met location boost was first introduced in

## Friendship

.

<ab>†: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, and Carbos
††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defend, X Speed, and X Special</ab>

### In Generation III

In Generation III, different species of Pokémon were given individualized base friendship values. The Luxury Ball and Soothe Bell boosts were also introduced.

In Template:Game2, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party can be found at Verdanturf Town. In

## Friendship

, Daisy Oak will perform the same service in Pallet Town. In addition, in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the degree to which a Pokémon moves towards the screen after an item is used on it will also indicate how high its friendship is.

In the table below, fainting in battle will not alter a Pokémon's friendship if it fainted from Template:Status at the end of a turn.

<ab>†: Berries affected include Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry (No. 21-26)
††: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up, PP Max, and Rare Candy
†††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defend, X Speed, X Special, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec.</ab>

### In Generation IV

Template:Incomplete

 File:Friendship Checker App.png
In Generation IV only, a Pokémon's met location does not affect the amount of friendship it gains. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the massage at the Ribbon Syndicate is also not affected by any friendship boosts, and the Soothe Bell does not affect friendship gained when using a battle item.

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party can be found in Hearthome City, or the player may use the Template:DL app on the Pokétch. In

## Friendship

, an NPC in Goldenrod City will also evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party, or a walking Pokémon's friendship may also be gauged by its reaction when speaking to it.

<ab>†: Berries affected include Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry (No. 21-26)
††: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up, PP Max, and Rare Candy
†††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defend, X Speed, X Special, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec.</ab>

### In Generation V

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Generation V introduced Befriending Power as a Pass Power to boost friendship gains.

Friendship boosts do not apply to the massage in Castelia City.

In the Generation V games, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of the Pokémon in the player's party can be found in Icirrus City, with a second NPC only found in Nacrene City during

## Friendship

 who checks the player's first Pokémon. In

## Friendship

, the player may also contact Bianca on the Xtransceiver to have their Pokémon's friendship rated.

<ab>†: Berries affected include Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry (No. 21-26)
††: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up, PP Max, and Rare Candy
†††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defend, X Speed, X Special, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec.</ab>

### In Generation VI

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In Generation VI, Befriending Power becomes an O-Power.

Friendship boosts do not apply to massages, drinks from the Juice Shoppe, or the Soothing Bag in Super Training.

In Pokémon X and Y, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party can be found early on in Santalune City, or later in Laverre City. In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, an NPC in Verdanturf Town will also evaluate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the player's party.

<ab>†: Berries affected include Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry (No. 21-26)
††: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up, PP Max, and Rare Candy
†††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defense, X Speed, X Sp. Atk, X Sp. Def, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec.</ab>

### In Generation VII

#### Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

Template:Incomplete
Friendship boosts do not apply to massages.

In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Template:Pkmn, an NPC who will evaluate the friendship of a Pokémon in the player's party can be found in Konikoni City.

<ab>†: Berries affected include Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry (No. 21-26)
††: Vitamins affected include HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up, PP Max, and Rare Candy
†††: Battle items affected include X Attack, X Defense, X Speed, X Sp. Atk, X Sp. Def, X Accuracy, Dire Hit, and Guard Spec.</ab>

#### Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

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In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, friendship is factored into all of a Pokémon's stats, except HP. At maximum friendship, a Pokémon will receive a 10% boost to its stats, before AVs are added in. The friendship multiplier scales directly with the level of friendship, starting from a 0% boost at 0 friendship to receiving the full 10% at 255.

### In Generation VIII

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Increasing friendship with means other than Pokémon Camp will only maximize a Pokémon's friendship value at 160, although this is sufficient for friendship-based evolutions. Pokémon Camp is the only means to reach the maximum friendship value of 255.

### Evolutions

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Several Pokémon evolve after being leveled up when their friendship value is 220 or higher (before Generation VIII).

1. ↑ In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Template:Rf Meowth evolves at level 28 regardless of friendship level.

### Raters

Friendship raters are NPCs that will indicate the friendship of the first Pokémon in the Template:Player's party when spoken to.

#### Locations

The Johto and Hoenn raters in the Goldenrod Department Store and Pacifidlog Town will give out Template:TM or Template:TM (or neither) depending on the friendship of the player's lead Pokémon.

#### Evaluation

##### Yellow

The woman will comment on the starter Pikachu's friendship if it is following the player, which requires it to be in the party and not fainted (if the player has multiple starter Pikachu in the party, the first one must not be fainted).

 "Your <sc>Pikachu</sc> looks happy with you."
 "Your <sc>Pikachu</sc> seems tamed."
 "You must be happy to have a <sc>Pokemon</sc> that cute."
 "Why don't you take more care with <sc>Pikachu</sc>?"
 "It seems like it hasn't been tamed at all."

##### Gold, Silver, and Crystal

 "I get the feeling that it really trusts you."
 "It's friendly toward you. It looks sort of happy."
 "It's quite cute."
 "You should treat it better. It's not used to you."
 "It doesn't seem to like you at all. It looks mean."
 "It's very attached to you. This move should be perfect for a pair like you."
 "It's adorable! You should teach it good TM moves."
 "It looks evil. How about this TM for it?"

##### Stadium 2

While there is no NPC that rates friendship, when viewing a table with Pokémon, its value is listed there (along other elements such as type, Trainer ID number or item), in levels. Pokémon data read from a Generation I game will always be rated as *Not quite*, even for Template:Ga in

## Friendship

, which does have its friendship tracked.

 Very good
 Pretty good
 A little bit
 Not quite
 Not at all

##### Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald

 "It seems to be very happy. It obviously likes you a whole lot."
 "It likes you quite a lot. It seems to want to be babied a little."
 "It's getting used to you. It seems to believe in you."
 "It's not very used to you yet. It neither loves nor hates you."
 "It's very wary. It has scary viciousness in its eyes. It doesn't like you much at all."
 "This is a little hard for me to say… Your <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> simply detests you. Doesn't that make you uncomfortable?"
 "Hmm… It's not bad, but it's also not good. You, as the <sc>Trainer</sc>, need to put in some more effort."
 "It has a vicious look to it. A frightening <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> like that deserves a TM like this."

##### Box: Ruby and Sapphire

In Pokémon Box: Ruby and Sapphire, when viewing a table of Pokémon, the Pokémon's friendship rating is listed, along with other properties (e.g. type, level, etc.).

 Very good
 Good
 So-so
 Not good
 Meager

##### FireRed and LeafGreen

Main article: Daisy Oak

 "It looks very happy. I wish Template:Ga could see this and learn something from it."
 "It's quite friendly with you. Keep being good to it!"
 "It's warming up to you. Trust must be growing between you."
 "It's not quite familiar with you yet. <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> are all quite wary when you first get them."
 "<Player>, I don't like the way it glares at you. Could you try being a little nicer to it?"
 "…Um, it's not easy for me to say this, but… Is there some reason why your <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> would hate you so much?"

##### XD: Gale of Darkness

The friendship rater is located inside the Krabby Club in Gateon Port. He is upstairs, straight to the rear of the club (not the ones backstage) and standing near the bartender. He looks like a boat captain. He is present after starting the events in Pyrite Town.

 "It seems to like you very much. Your Pokémon seems to be very happy that it's with you."
 "It likes you quite a bit. It wants to be pampered by you."
 "It's growing friendly toward you. It seems to believe in you."
 "It doesn't seem to be used to you yet. You should treat it kindly."
 "Hmm… It's not friendly toward you. The look in its eyes is frightening. You should treat it more kindly."
 "… This is awful. It detests you to a degree I hardly ever see. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

##### HeartGold and SoulSilver

 "I get the feeling that it really trusts you."
 "It's friendly toward you. It looks sort of happy."
 "It's quite cute."
 "You should treat it better. It's not used to you."
 "It doesn't seem to like you at all. It looks mean."
 "It's very attached to you. This move should be perfect for a pair like you."
 "It's adorable! You should teach it good TM moves."
 "It looks evil. How about this TM for it?"

##### Black and White

 "It's a little bit friendly to you… Something like that."
 "Hmmm… It may still take some time."
 "It is quite friendly to you! You must be a kind person!"
 "It is friendly to you. It must be happy with you."
 "It is a little friendly to you… That's what I'm getting."
 "The relationship is neither good nor bad… It looks neutral."
 "Hmmm… It may not like you very much."
 "By any chance, you… Are you a very strict person? I feel that it really doesn't like you…"

##### X and Y

 "Let's see, you and <Pokémon> are… Just getting to know each other… Yes, I think that's how I'd put it."
 "Let's see, you and <Pokémon> are… Capable of understanding each other much more than now. Look forward to that, OK?"
 "You must really like your <Pokémon> and always keep it by your side!"
 "Well, I think you and <Pokémon> will be an even greater combo someday!"
 "It's a little bit friendly to you… Something like that."
 "Hmm…I think you have a lot of time ahead of you to get to know one another better."
 "Don't tell me! Are you just letting it get knocked out in Pokémon battles?!"
 "What's this? Are you a disciplinarian? Or do you plan to use the move Frustration?"

##### Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

 "It seems to be very happy. It's obviously friendly toward you."
 "It's quite friendly toward you. It seems to want to be babied a little."
 "It's getting used to you. It seems to believe in you."
 "It's not very used to you yet. It neither loves nor hates you."
 "It's very wary. It has a scary look in its eyes. It doesn't like you much at all."
 "This is a little hard for me to say… Your Pokémon simply detests you. Doesn't that make you uncomfortable?"
 "Hmm… It's not bad, but it’s also not good. You, as the Trainer, need to put in some more effort."
 "It has a vicious look to it. A frightening Pokémon like that deserves a TM like this."

##### Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

 "You clearly love your <Pokémon>, and you must spend a lot of time together."
 "Hm. I'd say that you and <Pokémon> have the potential to be an even greater combo."
 "Hmmm. I think…it feels friendly toward you. At least a little…"
 "Hmmm… I'd say that you and your Pokémon still have a long way to go."
 "What is going on here? Do you let it get knocked out a lot in battles or something? This is bad."
 "Oh dear. You must be a merciless Trainer… Do you use Frustration or just not know better?"

### Misconceptions

Although frequently reported to the contrary, the following factors do *not* affect friendship

#### Generation I

* Trying to release the starter Pikachu
* Trying to evolve the starter Pikachu with a Thunder Stone
* Battling against an Elite Four member or the Champion

#### Generation II onwards

* Depositing a Pokémon in the Pokémon Storage System
* Healing a Pokémon with low Template:Stat or with a status condition
* Giving a Pokémon an item to hold (except the Soothe Bell)
* Evolving a Pokémon, regardless of method (level up, held item, or Evolution stone, with the exception of trade evolutions, which reset the Pokémon's friendship)
* Using a Pokémon in Template:Pkmn
* Winning battles with a Pokémon
* Letting a Pokémon's HP fall to critical status
* Letting the Template:Player's Pokémon get a status condition like Template:Status
* Walking when the player's Pokémon has a status condition
* Increasing Affection

### Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

 File:Happy Mood SoA.png
Friendship also has an effect in the second game of the Pokémon Ranger series. Template:Ra can have the condition of *Fine*, *Happy*, or *Very Happy*. When it is in a *Happy Mood*, black musical notes appear to come out of it. Multicolored musical notes come out when it is *Very Happy*. This may happen whether or not it is with the Template:Player. This state of mind increases the speed the Partner Gauge fills up due to more Partner Energy being provided.

### In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Template:Incomplete
In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, the player gets three friendship heart symbols in order to evolve any of the following Pokémon, which would normally evolve by friendship in the core series games.

## In the anime

 File:Ash and Pikachu.png
In the Template:Pkmn, the bond between Template:Pkmns and their Pokémon has been a theme since the first episode, in which Template:Ash had trouble to form a friendship with his newly obtained Template:AP. After risking his own safety to protect his starter Pokémon from a flock of angry Spearow, Ash earned Pikachu's trust, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

Pokémon that have friendly relationships with their Trainers are said to perform better in Template:Pkmns. Ash believes that befriending a Pokémon will make it grow stronger, and he treats Template:Cat with utmost care and respect. However, over the course of the series, some Trainers have been shown to focus on raw strength alone, disregarding their Pokémon's feelings and well being. Examples include Paul and Cross.

Aside from regular battles, friendship is valued in Pokémon Contests, since the level of cooperation between Template:Pkmn and Pokémon is observed by the panel of judges during the Performance Stage. Additionally, in the Battle Stage, Coordinators are expected to be in synchronicity with their Pokémon the entire time. In *Cruisin' for a Losin'*, the Director of the Template:Pkmn, Mr. Contesta, stated that a Pokémon's well being must be the number one priority of a Coordinator.

In *Our Cup Runneth Over!*, Contest Master Wallace stressed out the importance of kinship. He also said that playing with Pokémon can help Trainers and Coordinators in learning how to bring out the potential of their Pokémon. In addition to enhancing a Pokémon's appearance, Template:Pkmn is said to make them happier. Trainers who devote themselves to the development of techniques that improve a Pokémon's health and happiness are known as Template:Tcs. There are also people who study to become Pokémon Connoisseurs in order to be able to identify the compatibility between Trainers and Pokémon, and then offer advice on how to strengthen their friendship.

Just like in the Template:Pkmn, friendship affects the power of Frustration. This was shown in *Going for Choke!*, in which Harley's Banette received a boost while using the move under the command of Jessie, a Trainer it does not like. Although the concept of Template:Cat has not been addressed directly, the Soothe Bell has appeared in the anime. In *Pokémon the Series: XY*, the friendship between Ash and his Template:AP triggered a temporary transformation known as Bond Phenomenon.

In contrast with the games, where a Pokémon of a certain level will only obey its Trainer if the trainer possesses specific achievements, disobedient Pokémon in the anime will gain respect for their Trainers after realizing how far the Trainer is willing to go to befriend, protect, and care for the Pokémon.

## See also

* List of Pokémon by base friendship
* Affection

## External links

* GameFAQs: Pokemon Gold Version (GBC) Happiness Points FAQ by IDeLucas
* Generation IV Friendship FAQ by Ruimound
* Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal :: Happiness Guide

Template:Pokémon individuality

Template:Project Games notice

de:Freundschaft
es:Amistad
fr:Bonheur
it:Affetto
ja:なつき度
zh:亲密度