Friendship, commonly referred to as Happiness, is a hidden stat in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl that Trainers can increase to unlock certain bonuses -- and in some cases, even evolve their Pokémon.
What does Friendship/Happiness do in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?
During your many battles in Sinnoh, you may see your Pokémon dodge certain attacks or heal itself from negative statuses.
This is the result of a Pokémon's Friendship level being increased.
Pokémon which evolve via Friendship
Some Pokémon require a high degree of Friendship in order to evolve.
These are:
How to increase the Friendship level of your Pokémon
Before we get started, it's important to start with a few figures:
- Pokémon you have caught will begin with 70 Friendship.
- Pokémon you have hatched from eggs will begin with 120 Friendship.
- Pokémon can have a maximum of 255 Friendship.
Now, let's look at how we can increase that Friendship level. There are several ways we can do this.
- By walking with your Pokémon, after you've unlocked the feature.
- By giving your Pokémon Massages from the Massage Girl in Veilstone City or the Ribbon Syndicate in the Battle Zone.
- By feeding your Pokémon certain Berries, such as Pomeg or Tamato.
- By levelling up Pokémon.
- By feeding your Pokémon vitamins, such as Zinc, Calcium or Carbon.
- By using power up items in battle, such as X Attack or X Speed.
- By catching a Pokémon in a Luxury Ball.
- By giving a Pokémon a Soothe Bell to hold.
How to decrease the Friendship level of your Pokémon
Should you want to decrease your Pokémon's Friendship level, for whatever reason, there are two main methods.
- By allowing a Pokémon to faint in battle.
- By feeding a Pokémon bitter Herbs.
What are Friendship Ribbons?
Ribbons are awards that can be given to Pokémon, and are similar to the way medals work in the military, for example.
They will stay with that Pokémon forever, even if you transfer it to a different generation or trade it to another trainer. You'll also need a certain number of Ribbons to be able to access the Ribbon Syndicate in the post-game.
There are a couple of Ribbons that are awarded depending on Friendship.
- The Best Friends Ribbon is given by the blonde girl inside the Pokémon Fan Club in Hearthome City. Your lead Pokémon must have high Friendship
- The Footprint Ribbon is given by Dr. Footstep, found in a house on the beach in the west of Route 213. Your lead Pokémon must have max Friendship.
Stay tuned for a dedicated guide to all the Ribbons in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
How to check Friendship in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Should you want to evaluate the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, there are two main ways to go about it.
First of all, you can visit a Friendship Rater. There are three across Sinnoh:
- The Aroma Lady inside the Eterna City Pokémon Center.
- The blonde girl inside the Pokémon Fan Club in Hearthome City.
- Dr. Footstep, inside the beach house in the west of Route 213.
The Eterna City rater can be deciphered with the following:
- 0-69 - "Hmm… It needs to get used to you more."
- 70-119 - "It's becoming comfortable around you, I think."
- 120-255 - "It seems to like you. It must be happy being with you."
The Aroma Lady will also give you the Friendship Checker app for your Pokétch, the second method for checking and the most efficient.
When you use the app, hover over a Pokémon, then press and hold the A Button. Bigger hearts mean a higher Friendship level. For those Pokémon that evolve via Friendship, two small hearts is the indicator that it's ready.
- No Hearts: Friendship between 0 and 179.
- One Small Heart: Friendship between 180 and 219.
- Two Small Hearts: Friendship between 220 and 254.
- Two Large Hearts: Friendship at 255.
The Hearthome City rater can be deciphered with the following:
- 0 - "Oh, my… I think this one really hasn't taken too kindly to you."
- 1-49 - "Hmm… It seems to dislike you a little."
- 50-99 - "It's feeling neutral toward you. It's up to you to change that."
- 100-149 - "It's warming up to you. That's my impression."
- 150-199 - "It's quite friendly to you. It must be happy being with you."
- 200-254 - "It's very friendly toward you. I can tell you treat it kindly."
- 255 - "It simply adores you! Why, I feel like I am intruding!"
