Friendship Evolution

Friendship Evolution refers to the process of evolving a Pokémon with high friendship. This method of Evolution was introduced in Generation II.

Early explanation about friendship Evolution
(Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex, page 19)

Terminology

In Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex, this is referred to as both Friendship Evolution and Friendly Evolution:

  • "Perhaps the trickiest type of evolution is the Friendship Evolution. If you treat your Pokémon with utmost respect and care until it is very happy and very attached to you, it will evolve." (page 5)
  • "I have concluded that several Pokémon will evolve only when they are very attached to their Trainers—a process called Friendly Evolution." (page 19)

List of friendship Evolutions

Prior Evolution Friendship Evolution Later Evolution
Introduced in Generation II
Zubat
Zubat
 Poison  Flying 
Rare Candy
Level 22+
Golbat
Golbat
 Poison  Flying 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Crobat
Crobat
 Poison  Flying 
Crobat does not evolve
Nothing evolves into Pichu Pichu
Pichu
 Electric 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Pikachu
Pikachu
 Electric 
Thunder Stone
Thunder Stone
Raichu
Raichu
 Electric 
Thunder Stone + Alola Champion Ribbon VIII.png
Thunder Stone
(in Alola)
Raichu
Alolan Raichu
 Electric  Psychic 
Nothing evolves into Cleffa Cleffa
Cleffa
 Fairy 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Clefairy
Clefairy
 Fairy 
Moon Stone
Moon Stone
Clefable
Clefable
 Fairy 
Nothing evolves into Igglybuff Igglybuff
Igglybuff
 Normal  Fairy 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Jigglypuff
Jigglypuff
 Normal  Fairy 
Moon Stone
Moon Stone
Wigglytuff
Wigglytuff
 Normal  Fairy 
Nothing evolves into Togepi Togepi
Togepi
 Fairy 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Togetic
Togetic
 Fairy  Flying 
Togetic does not evolveGen. II–III
Shiny Stone
Shiny Stone
Togekiss
Togekiss
 Fairy  Flying 
Nothing evolves into Eevee Eevee
Eevee
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Day Icon SV.png
Level Up
(day)
Espeon
Espeon
 Psychic 
Espeon does not evolve
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Night Icon SV.png
Level Up
(night)
Umbreon
Umbreon
 Dark 
Umbreon does not evolve
Nothing evolves into ChanseyGen. II–III Chansey
Chansey
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Blissey
Blissey
 Normal 
Blissey does not evolve
Happiny
Happiny
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Oval Stone + Day Icon SV.png
Level Up
(day, holding an Oval Stone)
Introduced in Generation III
Nothing evolves into Azurill Azurill
Azurill
 Normal  Fairy 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Marill
Marill
 Water  Fairy 
Rare Candy
Level 18+
Azumarill
Azumarill
 Water  Fairy 
Introduced in Generation IV
Nothing evolves into Budew Budew
Budew
 Grass  Poison 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Day Icon SV.png
Level Up
(morning or day)
Roselia
Roselia
 Grass  Poison 
Shiny Stone
Shiny Stone
Roserade
Roserade
 Grass  Poison 
Nothing evolves into Buneary Buneary
Buneary
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Lopunny
Lopunny
 Normal 
Lopunny does not evolve
Nothing evolves into Chingling Chingling
Chingling
 Psychic 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Night Icon SV.png
Level Up
(night)
Chimecho
Chimecho
 Psychic 
Chimecho does not evolve
Nothing evolves into Munchlax Munchlax
Munchlax
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Snorlax
Snorlax
 Normal 
Snorlax does not evolve
Nothing evolves into Riolu Riolu
Riolu
 Fighting 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Day Icon SV.png
Level Up
(day)
Lucario
Lucario
 Fighting  Steel 
Lucario does not evolve
Introduced in Generation V
Nothing evolves into Woobat Woobat
Woobat
 Psychic  Flying 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Swoobat
Swoobat
 Psychic  Flying 
Swoobat does not evolve
Sewaddle
Sewaddle
 Bug  Grass 
Rare Candy
Level 20+
Swadloon
Swadloon
 Bug  Grass 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Leavanny
Leavanny
 Bug  Grass 
Leavanny does not evolve
Introduced in Generation VI
Nothing evolves into Eevee Eevee
Eevee
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + TM Fairy + Heart Shuffle.png
Level Up
(knows a Fairy move, 2+ affection levels)Gen. VI–VII
[a]
Sylveon
Sylveon
 Fairy 
Sylveon does not evolve
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell TM Fairy
Level Up
(knows a Fairy move)
[a]
Introduced in Generation VII
Nothing evolves into Alolan Meowth Meowth
Alolan Meowth
 Dark 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up[b]
Persian
Alolan Persian
 Dark 
Alolan Persian does not evolve
Nothing evolves into Type: Null Type: Null
Type: Null
 Normal 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell
Level Up
Silvally
Silvally
 Normal 
Silvally does not evolve
Introduced in Generation VIII
Nothing evolves into Snom Snom
Snom
 Ice  Bug 
Rare Candy + Soothe Bell + Night Icon SV.png
Level Up
(night)
Frosmoth
Frosmoth
 Ice  Bug 
Frosmoth does not evolve

In the core series games

Some Pokémon evolve when they are leveled up with enough friendship. As long as the Pokémon has the required amount of friendship, unless there are other requirements for its Evolution, it will attempt to evolve whenever it levels up by battle or Rare Candy. However, in the case of certain Pokémon, the friendship Evolution may only be available at certain times of day, it may require holding an item or knowing a certain move.

This evolutionary requirement was introduced in Generation II. This is the same generation where the feature of all Pokémon having a friendship value was introduced, as opposed to the early friendship mechanic from Pokémon Yellow which only applied to the partner Pikachu.

Baby Pokémon often have this Evolution requirement, but it is also an Evolution requirement for other Pokémon, and not all baby Pokémon have this as an Evolution requirement

Generations II to VII

From Generation II to VII, a Pokémon requires at least 220 friendship in order to evolve.

In these generations, a level 100 Pokémon is unable to evolve by leveling up. Since the friendship Evolution involves leveling up, a Pokémon with this level is unable to evolve by friendship.

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Eevee is unable to evolve into Espeon or Umbreon due to the lack of the time feature even though those games are compatible with the evolved forms traded from other games.

Generation VIII onwards

From Generation VIII onwards, a Pokémon requires at least 160 friendship in order to evolve.

If a Rare Candy is used on a level 100 Pokémon that evolves by leveling up and currently meets its Evolution requirements (including friendship), it will evolve without gaining a level.

In the side series games

Pokémon Colosseum

In Pokémon Colosseum, all friendship Evolutions up to Generation III are available except Eevee is unable to evolve into Espeon or Umbreon due to the lack of the time feature. However, both evolved forms are otherwise available together as the player's first Pokémon.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, all friendship Evolutions up to Generation III are available. However, instead of evolving during the day or at night, an Eevee with high enough friendship evolves into Espeon or Umbreon if the player has the Sun Shard or Moon Shard in the Bag, respectively.

Since the player is required to choose only one of Eevee's Evolution items to be obtained on Gateon Port, Eevee's Evolution into Espeon or Umbreon is only available once per game and it is not possible to have both Shards in the Bag at the same time.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Main article: IQ → Evolution

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, the Pokémon that evolve by friendship in the core series require a certain IQ value instead. The number of IQ stars required varies between species.

The requirement of evolving during the day or the night is replaced by using a Sun Ribbon or Lunar Ribbon.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, it is possible to evolve caught Pokémon that would normally require friendship in the core series games.

Like all Evolutions in this game, this is achievable in the Evolution Mode by simply choosing that Pokémon (such as Golbat evolving into Crobat) and then obtaining a certain Evolution Item three times somewhere on the Pinball table under the deadline (usually 2 minutes, which can be extended using the Timer Bonus). In the case of friendship Evolution, the Evolution item is a heart symbol (Pinball RS Friendship.png). Once this is done, the player's Poké Ball is required to enter the Center Hole to finish this process. There is a short Pokémon Evolution animation, and then the evolved form will count as caught in the Pokédex.

In this game, the four friendship Evolution lines from the Generation III Hoenn Pokédex are available:

Evolves from Evolves into
PinRS042.png
Golbat
PinRS169.png
Crobat
PinRS172.png
Pichu
PinRS025.png
Pikachu
PinRS174.png
Igglybuff
PinRS039.png
Jigglypuff
PinRS298.png
Azurill
PinRS183.png
Marill

In animation

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check if any other friendship Evolutions occur in the anime

The anime has Pokémon evolving through friendship which may not necessarily be between trainer and Pokémon. Other times it may be triggered on its own or from loyalty and gratefulness from another Pokémon as Ash's Pikachu evolved from a Pichu in Enter Pikachu! out of gratitude from a Kangaskhan taking care of him when he was smaller.

Original series

Gary's Umbreon evolved from an Eevee prior to Power Play!.

Brock's Crobat evolved from a Golbat in Control Freak! after some encouragement from Brock.

Sakura's Espeon evolved from an Eevee prior to Espeon, Not Included.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

Misty's Togetic evolved from a Togepi in A Togepi Mirage!.

A Munchlax evolved into a Snorlax in Destiny Deoxys.

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Nando's Roserade as a Roselia evolved from a Budew in its debut Dawn Of A New Era!.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

Ash's Swadloon evolved into a Leavanny in Battling the Leaf Thieves!

Virgil's Umbreon evolved from an Eevee prior to Team Eevee and the Pokémon Rescue Squad!.

Cameron's Lucario evolved from a Riolu in Cameron's Secret Weapon!.

Pokémon the Series: XY

Korrina's Lucario evolved from a Riolu prior to Mega Revelations!.

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

Gladion's Umbreon evolved from an Eevee prior to A Glaring Rivalry!.

Gladion's Silvally evolved from a Type: Null in Mission: Total Recall!.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Ash's Pikachu was revealed to have evolved from a Pichu in Enter Pikachu!

Ash's Lucario evolved from a Riolu in Sword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!.

Brock's Blissey evolved from a Chansey prior to The Arceus Chronicles (Part 2).

In the manga

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check if any other friendship Evolutions occur in the manga (possibly also in manga titles other than Pokémon Adventures)

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In Forretress of Solitude, it is shown that Vee evolved from Eevee into Espeon.

HeartGold & SoulSilver arc

In All About Arceus VIII, it is implied that Togebo evolved by this method from Togepi into Togetic. This happened when Gold apologized for thinking that Togebo was not as strong as his other Pokémon and upon realizing his mistake, told Togebo to join the other Pokémon in the battle against the rampaging Arceus.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Moss Rock or Ice Rock will override Sylveon's Evolution.
  2. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Alolan Meowth evolves at level 28 regardless of friendship.

Related articles

Introduced in Generation I: Level-based Evolution (list) • Evolution stoneTrade Evolution
Introduced in Generation II: Friendship EvolutionTime-based Evolution
Introduced in Generation IV: Gender-based EvolutionLocation-based Evolution
Introduced in Generation VII: Region-based Evolution
Lists by index number: Generation III listGeneration IV list
Project Games logo.png This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.