TL;DR
- Friendship is required for 11 Pokemon evolutions including Riolu, Togepi, and Eevee
- Use resource gathering for fastest friendship gains, especially with high-level Pokemon
- Check friendship levels with Belamy near Jubilife Village stables
- Avoid Pokemon fainting and certain items to prevent friendship loss
- Optimize evolution timing by combining multiple friendship-raising activities
The friendship evolution system, first introduced in Pokemon Gold and Silver, continues to play a crucial role in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Unlike traditional evolution methods involving trading, evolutionary stones, or simple leveling up, friendship represents a deeper bond between trainer and Pokemon that must be cultivated over time.
This hidden statistic has been a consistent feature throughout the Pokemon franchise, though it remains invisible to players without specific checking methods. Pokemon Legends: Arceus maintains the core friendship mechanics while introducing several new ways to both increase and potentially decrease this important value.
Understanding how friendship works provides significant advantages for completing your Pokedex and unlocking powerful evolved forms that would otherwise remain inaccessible through conventional gameplay approaches.
Building strong bonds with your Pokemon requires consistent engagement through multiple activities. The most reliable methods include participating in battles together, achieving level milestones, and utilizing Pokemon for resource collection throughout the Hisui region.
While battling and leveling represent traditional approaches familiar to series veterans, the resource gathering mechanic offers a particularly efficient alternative. Having your Pokemon dislodge apricorns from trees or shatter mineral deposits not only provides valuable crafting materials but also significantly boosts friendship levels.
This resource collection method proves especially valuable when evolving high-level Pokemon, as it eliminates the tedious level grinding typically required. For Pokemon approaching level 50 or higher, gathering resources can raise friendship three times faster than battling alone.
Be mindful that Pokemon will experience friendship deterioration when knocked out in combat. Additionally, community reports suggest that using certain items like Sticky Globs or Spoiled Apricorns on wild Pokemon before capture may negatively impact future friendship development, though these observations lack official confirmation.
To monitor your bonding progress with any Pokemon, seek out Belamy in Jubilife Village. This NPC provides the essential service of evaluating your current friendship standing with both active party members and those stored in your boxes.
You can locate Belamy patrolling the perimeter area surrounding the village stables, positioned directly south of Marie’s location. This centralized positioning makes him easily accessible during routine village visits.
This system represents a significant quality-of-life enhancement compared to previous Pokemon titles. Unlike earlier games that required specific items or limited checking to party Pokemon only, Belamy’s services extend comprehensively to your entire collection without restrictions.
The majority of Pokemon known to evolve through friendship bonding appear in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. These species require reaching specific friendship thresholds before they can undergo evolution, typically during their next level gain.
The complete roster of friendship-evolving Pokemon includes:
- Budew (evolves to Roselia)
- Buneary (evolves to Lopunny)
- Chansey (evolves to Blissey)
- Chingling (evolves to Chimecho)
- Cleffa (evolves to Clefairy)
- Eevee (evolves to Espeon or Umbreon)
- Golbat (evolves to Crobat)
- Munchlax (evolves to Snorlax)
- Pichu (evolves to Pikachu)
- Riolu (evolves to Lucario)
- Togepi (evolves to Togetic)
Notably absent from the current roster are several friendship-based evolutions including Swoobat, Marill, Jigglypuff, Alolan Persian, Frosmoth, Leavanny, and Silvally. Future downloadable content may introduce some or all of these missing species, though official announcements remain pending.
For players seeking maximum efficiency in friendship development, strategic planning proves essential. Focus your efforts on Pokemon that provide the greatest Pokedex completion value or combat utility once evolved.
Avoid common mistakes like frequently switching Pokemon in and out of your party or allowing them to sustain excessive damage during battles. These missteps can significantly delay evolution progress, especially for species requiring high friendship thresholds.
Combine multiple friendship-raising activities simultaneously for accelerated results. For example, use a Pokemon to gather resources while traveling to battle locations, then engage in combat before returning to Jubilife Village for friendship evaluation.
Advanced players should prioritize evolving Pokemon during extended exploration sessions rather than short trips. This approach minimizes the friendship decay that can occur when Pokemon are frequently boxed or removed from active duty.
Action Checklist
- Identify target Pokemon needing friendship evolution from the provided list
- Add Pokemon to your active party and engage in resource gathering activities
- Participate in 3-5 battles with the Pokemon while avoiding fainting
- Visit Belamy in Jubilife Village to check current friendship level
- Level up the Pokemon once friendship threshold is reached
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » How to check and raise friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus Master friendship mechanics in Pokemon Legends: Arceus with proven evolution strategies and expert tips