How to check and raise friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Ever since Pokemon Gold and Silver, select Pokemon have needed more to evolve than just trading, stones, or leveling up. This is also the case in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, with checking and raising friendship being a requirement to evolve many different Pokemon.

The trouble is that friendship has always been a hidden mechanic within the Pokemon franchise of games. Pokemon Legends: Arceus does have the standard ways available to check friendship levels with Pokemon and rewards for doing so. With a number of new mechanics in the game, there are also new ways to both raise and lower friendship.

But how does this actually work? Here’s how can players check and raise friendship, and what they can do with it as a result.

How to raise friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Players can raise friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus by battling with a Pokemon, leveling it up, and using it to gather resources. 

Most of this is standard fare in Pokemon, with the exception of farming crafting materials. Having Pokemon knock apricorns out of trees and break ore veins is a quick and effective means of raising friendship. This is especially useful when trying to evolve higher-level Pokemon, as grinding for levels can be a huge hassle.

Pokemon will lose friendship with the player after being knocked out. There have also been conflicting rumors and testimonials from fans that the player using items like Sticky Globs and Spoiled Apricorns on a Pokemon before catching it will result in a longer road to evolution via friendship. While these reports are not yet confirmed, but this is worth considering for anyone looking to grind out research levels in the Pokedex.

How to check friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Players looking to check their friendship levels with a Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus can do so by talking with Belamy in Jubilife Village.

Belamy can be found along the perimeter of the stables, directly south of Marie. In a nice quality of life improvement from past Pokemon games, the friendship of both party and boxed Pokemon can be checked freely.

Pokemon that evolve from friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Most of the Pokemon that can be evolved via friendship can be found in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The full list includes:

• Budew
• Buneary
• Chansey
• Chingling
• Cleffa
• Eevee
• Golbat
• Munchlax
• Pichu
• Riolu
• Togepi

The friendship-based evolutions that aren’t a part of the game include Swoobat, Marill, Jigglypuff, Alolan Persian, Frosmoth, Leavanny, and Silvally. It’s possible that some or all of these Pokemon could be added via DLC, but it’s unknown when that may come.