How To Raise Pokemon Friendship (Happiness) And How It's Changed

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This page covers Friendship (aka Happiness) and Affection in Pokemon Sword and Shield, including what the difference between Friendship and Affection is, and how to check and raise both.

How Friendship and Affection has Changed in Sword and Shield

Friendship is a hidden Pokemon stat that is required for some Pokemon to evolve. Friendship has been known as Happiness, Loyalty, and more, in previous games.

Affection was the hidden stat tied to Pokemon Amie in Pokemon X and Y and Pokemon Refresh in Pokemon Sun and Moon, but has been largely combined into one stat in Pokemon Sword and Shield: Friendship.

Friendship Affects

Note: These effects are confirmed for Pokemon Sun and Moon and appear to be correct in Pokemon Sword and Shield as well after testing, but we can't be sure they're exactly the same. To get more than three hearts to appear, you must play with it in Pokemon Camp.

Hearts	Effects
2 Hearts	20% Extra XP, flavor text when in battle
3 Hearts	Chance to hang on with 1 HP in battle (chance increases the higher the affection), more flavor text
4 Hearts	Higher chance to evade attacks, can cure itself of status conditions
5 Hearts	Higher chance to land Critical Hites

How to Raise Friendship in Pokemon Sword and Shield

• Catch the Pokemon in a Luxury Ball or Friend Ball
• Use Vitamins on the Pokemon
• Use the Pokemon in battle
• Allow the Pokemon to hold the item Soothe Bell (which you can get from the Friendship Checker)
• Keep them in your party as you travel. 
• Feed them Curry in Pokemon Camp
• Feed them certain berries that say "raise friendliness." These also lower Effort Values.
• Play with them in Pokemon Camp. Playing with a Pokemon in Pokemon Camp will increase its hearts to a higher level than any other method - but this method is not needed to evolve Pokemon. It will have increases critical hit chance and the chance for a Pokemon to hold on with 1 HP "to not make you sad" in battles.

How to Lower Friendship

• Allow the Pokemon to faint in battle

• Use bitter items on the Pokemon

• Keep the Pokemon stored in the PC

• Trade the Pokemon

Note: Trading a Pokemon reverts its Friendship to its base point. 

How to Get the Soothe Bell

Go to Hammerlock and enter the building to the right of the Pokemon Center. Inside, speak to the little boy on the right - this boy will also give you the Soothe Bell.

This boy is also the Friendship Checker!

How to Check Friendship in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Go to Hammerlock and enter the building to the right of the Pokemon Center. Inside, speak to the little boy on the right - the Friendship Checker. He will tell you a series of phrases depending on how friendly your Pokemon is.

You can also interact with your Pokemon while in Pokemon Camp. If the Pokemon has affection, hearts will appear over it you choose to "Speak" to it. This ranges between one and five hearts, but to get more than three hearts to appear, you must play with it in Pokemon Camp.

The table below breaks down what the boy's statements and what the hearts in camp mean, according to Serebii.

Statement	Hearts in Camp	Special Effect
Happiness Checker Description: 0
Maybe you're a bit too strict? It doesn't seem like you're friends at all...	0	None
Happiness Checker Description: 1-49
I guess you two just met? It's still getting used to things.	0	None
Happiness Checker Description: 50-89
Seems like it likes you an average amount! Don't worry—you two will get closer as time passes!	0	None
Happiness Checker Description: 100-149
Wow, I think you're on your way to becoming real good friends!	1	None
Happiness Checker Description: 150-199
Seems like you're pretty good friends! Still, I bet you could become even closer!	2	None
Happiness Checker Description: 200-229
You two get along great! Together is always better—am I right?	3	Pokemon bounces when sent into battle. Text boxes indicate what it's doing in battle Slim chance of preventing itself from being knocked out from a move
Happiness Checker Description: 230+
You two are almost best friends! I can see you really care about each other!	4	Pokemon bounces when sent into battle. Text boxes indicate what it's doing in battle. Small chance of preventing itself from being knocked out from a move. Increase of experience gained from battle of 20%. Chance of recovering from status conditions by itself.
Happiness Checker Description: 255
Oh wow, you're best buddies! I can tell you're so happy to be together!	5	Pokemon bounces when sent into battle. Text boxes indicate what it's doing in battle. Decent chance of preventing itself from being knocked out from a move. Increase of experience gained from battle of 20%. Chance of recovering from status conditions by itself. Slim chance of avoiding opponents moves Critical Hit ratio increased by 1.

Pokemon That Evolve with Friendship

Certain Pokemon can only evolve if they are friendly enough toward you. Sometimes Friendship is needed along with an item, select time, or select location to evolve.

See How to Evolve Eevee - All Eeveelutions for more info on Eevee.

• Eevee => Espeon (Day) / Umbreon (Night) 

• Pichu => Pikachu

• Cleffa => Clefairy

• Togepi => Togetic

• Azurill => Marill

• Budew => Roselia (Day)

• Munchlax => Snorlax

• Riolu => Lucario

• Woobat => Swoobat

• Alolan Meowth => Alolan Persian

• Snom => Frosmoth

• Type: Null => Silvally 

Up Next: How to Unlock Fast Travel

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