Hey there, fellow Pokemon trainer! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been scratching your head trying to figure out how to check your Pokemon’s friendship levels in Pokemon Legends Z-A. I mean, how are you supposed to evolve your Riolu into Lucario or your Eevee into Espeon if you can’t even tell how friendly they are with you? Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered with this complete guide that’ll walk you through everything you need to know about finding and using the Friendship Checker.
What is the Friendship Checker and Why Do You Need It?
Let me tell you, when I first started playing Pokemon Legends Z-A, I was completely lost when it came to friendship mechanics. I knew some Pokemon needed high friendship to evolve, but I had no idea how to check it. The Friendship Checker is basically your go-to NPC for figuring out how close your Pokemon are to evolving through friendship.
Think about it – you’ve got your Riolu that you’ve been training forever, your Eevee that you want to evolve into Sylveon, or your Pichu that’s been following you around since the beginning of the game. How do you know when they’re ready to evolve? That’s where the Friendship Checker comes in handy!
Where to Find the Friendship Checker Location Details?
Alright, here’s the deal – the Friendship Checker isn’t just sitting around waiting for you from the start of the game. You need to unlock access to her first. But once you do, you’ll find her at Café Pokémon-Amie in the Magenta Sector 4 area of Lumiose City.
Specifically, she’s located on Autumnal Avenue in the northwest part of Lumiose City. When you get there, look for a lady in yellow sitting across from her Roselia. She’ll have a dialogue box above her head that says, “I can tell if a Pokémon gets on well with its trainer!” – that’s your cue that you’ve found the right person!
How to Unlock the Friendship Checker?: The Trubblesome Patrons Quest
Now, here’s where things get interesting. You can’t just walk up to Café Pokémon-Amie and expect to find the Friendship Checker right away. I learned this the hard way when I first visited the cafe and found it empty except for some problems with Trubbish causing a stink!
To unlock the Friendship Checker, you need to complete Side Mission 25: Trubblesome Patrons. Here’s exactly how I did it:
Step 1: Unlock the Quest
First, you need to have completed Main Mission 9 in the story. Once you’ve done that, head over to Café Pokémon-Amie in Magenta Sector 4 and talk to Fumi, who’s standing near the entrance of the cafe. She’ll tell you about the Trubbish problem and ask for your help.
Step 2: Get the Tasty Trash
After accepting the mission, talk to Fumi again, and she’ll give you a Bag of Tasty Trash. This special item will help you lure the Trubbish away from the cafe. I have to admit, when I first got this, I was a bit confused about what to do with it!
Step 3: Lead the Trubbish Away
Now comes the fun part! You need to lead the Trubbish to some trash cans located southwest of the café. Here’s a pro tip I learned: your character will walk slowly while the Trubbish follow you, so don’t try to rush it. I recommend turning your camera around occasionally to make sure the Trubbish haven’t wandered off too far.
Once you reach the trash cans (they’ll be marked on your map), interact with them to place the Tasty Trash. The Trubbish will happily stay there, and voila – you’ve saved the cafe!
Step 4: Claim Your Rewards
After successfully completing the quest, Fumi will reward you with:
- 1,200 Pokédollars
- 2 Rare Candies
- 5 Dusk Balls
But more importantly, the café will reopen for business, and the Friendship Checker NPC will appear!
Understanding Friendship Checker Responses
Once you’ve unlocked the Friendship Checker, you can talk to her and select any Pokemon from your party or boxes to check their friendship level. She’ll give you different responses based on how friendly your Pokemon is with you. Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience:
High Friendship Levels (Ready to Evolve)
- “It’s incredibly friendly toward you! Being with you must make it very happy!” – Maximum friendship!
- “You really do like this Pokémon, and always keep it by your side, don’t you?” – Very high friendship
- “It looks to me like you and your Pokémon could still become an even more wonderful team!” – High friendship
- “You two are fairly friendly, but I can tell there’s still plenty of room for you to grow closer!” – Good friendship
Lower Friendship Levels (Need More Work)
- “Well, it’s grown somewhat friendly toward you.. Yes, that’s what I’d call this.” – Moderate friendship
- “Hmmm.. I think your relationship may still take some time to build up.” – Low friendship
- “It almost looks like you’ve been letting it get KO’d in battles nonstop, but that can’t be right. Right?” – Very low friendship
- “What’s this? Are you a disciplinarian? This poor Pokémon isn’t the least bit friendly toward you!” – Lowest friendship
From my experience, you typically need to reach at least the “fairly friendly” level to evolve friendship-based Pokemon, but for some species like Riolu, you might need even higher friendship.
How to Increase Friendship Fast Pro Tips?
Now that you know how to check friendship, let me share some strategies I’ve discovered for building friendship quickly with your Pokemon:
Method 1: Cafe Visits (My Favorite!)
This is by far the most effective method I’ve found. Visiting cafes with your Pokemon is a great way to boost friendship quickly. Here’s what I do:
- Take the Pokemon you want to befriend to any cafe in Lumiose City
- Order a drink (any drink works!)
- Your active Pokemon will gain +30 friendship points
- You can do this multiple times – I’ve found that visiting the same cafe 3-4 times in a row really speeds things up
Method 2: Strategic Item Usage
Certain items can give your Pokemon a friendship boost:
- Exp. Candy: Gives +1 to +4 friendship depending on size
- Vitamins (Protein, Iron, etc.): +2 to +4 friendship
- EV-reducing berries: +10 friendship (and they’re useful for competitive training too!)
I usually stock up on these items whenever I find them in shops or as rewards.
Method 3: The Soothe Bell Game-Changer
If you really want to speed things up, you need to get the Soothe Bell. This amazing item doubles the friendship your Pokemon gains from all activities! Here’s how I got it:
- Complete Side Mission 36: Some Friendly Competition
- This becomes available during Main Mission 14: Reaching Rank E
- Head to Wild Zone 9 and find Café Rouleau
- Talk to Chou to start the side mission
- Complete it to receive the Soothe Bell
Trust me, this item is worth the effort – it cut my friendship grinding time in half!
Method 4: Battle Smart
Using your Pokemon in battles is a classic way to build friendship, but there are some tricks I’ve learned:
- Keep them in your party – even just having them with you gives passive friendship over time
- Use them in battles – but don’t let them faint! Fainting actually decreases friendship
- Win battles – victory gives more friendship than just participating
- Avoid using bitter items – things like Energy Root and Revival Herb might heal but they decrease friendship
All Pokemon That Evolve With Friendship in Pokemon Legends Z-A
I’ve compiled this complete list of Pokemon that need friendship to evolve. I’ve personally evolved all of these, so I can confirm they work!
| Pokemon | Evolution Method | Special Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Pichu → Pikachu | High Friendship | Level up during daytime |
| Buneary → Lopunny | High Friendship | Level up anytime |
| Cleffa → Clefairy | High Friendship | Level up anytime |
| Budew → Roselia | High Friendship | Level up during daytime |
| Riolu → Lucario | High Friendship | Level up during daytime |
| Eevee → Espeon | High Friendship | Level up during daytime WITHOUT Fairy-type move |
| Eevee → Umbreon | High Friendship | Level up during nighttime WITHOUT Fairy-type move |
| Eevee → Sylveon | High Friendship | Level up with a Fairy-type move learned |
Advanced Friendship Strategies
Once you’ve mastered the basics, here are some advanced techniques I’ve discovered:
The Bench Sitting Method
Did you know you can increase friendship just by sitting on benches? Find a bench in Lumiose City and sit for about 10 seconds – your entire party gets +10 friendship each time! I like to do this while I’m planning my next moves or taking a break.
The Friendship Farming Route
I’ve developed a specific route I take when I’m trying to max out friendship quickly:
- Start at Café Pokémon-Amie (visit 3 times)
- Walk to nearby bench and sit (2 times)
- Battle a few wild Pokemon with my target Pokemon
- Use an Exp. Candy or Vitamin
- End at another cafe for 2 more visits
This routine usually gets me from zero to max friendship in about 30-45 minutes.
Time of Day Matters
Some Pokemon have specific time requirements for evolution:
- Riolu and Budew need to level up during the day
- Eevee evolves into Espeon during day, Umbreon during night
- Eevee into Sylveon just needs high friendship + Fairy move
I always check the in-game time before trying to evolve these Pokemon!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Let me share some mistakes I made when I was first learning about friendship:
Mistake 1: Letting Pokemon Faint
I used to think that any battle experience was good experience, but letting your Pokemon faint actually decreases their friendship! I learned this the hard way when my Riolu’s friendship kept dropping despite all my efforts.
Mistake 2: Using Bitter Items
Energy Root and Revival Herb might seem like good healing items, but they taste bitter to Pokemon and decrease friendship. Stick to regular Potions and Revives when you’re trying to build friendship.
Mistake 3: Not Checking Friendship Regularly
I used to just assume my Pokemon were ready to evolve after a certain amount of time, but I was often wrong. Now I check with the Friendship Checker regularly to track my progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to max out friendship?
From my experience, it typically takes about 30-45 minutes of focused effort to get a Pokemon from zero to maximum friendship, especially if you’re using the Soothe Bell and cafe visits.
Can I check friendship for Pokemon in my boxes?
Yes! The Friendship Checker can examine any Pokemon in your party or boxes, which is super convenient when you’re trying to evolve multiple Pokemon at once.
What’s the fastest way to increase friendship?
In my opinion, the fastest method is visiting cafes multiple times while your Pokemon holds the Soothe Bell. Each cafe visit gives +30 friendship, and the Soothe Bell doubles that to +60!
Do all Pokemon need the same friendship level to evolve?
No, different Pokemon have different friendship requirements. For example, I’ve found that Riolu needs higher friendship than Pichu to evolve.
Can I decrease friendship by accident?
Yes! Letting your Pokemon faint, using bitter items, or trading them away can all decrease friendship. Be careful with these actions if you’re trying to evolve friendship-based Pokemon.
Final Thoughts
Finding and using the Friendship Checker in Pokemon Legends Z-A might seem complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually pretty straightforward. I hope this guide helps you as much as it would have helped me when I was starting out!
Remember, building friendship with your Pokemon isn’t just about evolution – it’s about creating that special bond that makes Pokemon games so meaningful. When I finally evolved my first Riolu into Lucario, I felt like I had truly earned it through all the time we spent together.
Now get out there and start building those friendships! Your Pokemon are waiting to evolve and become even stronger partners on your journey through Lumiose City and beyond.
Want more Pokemon Legends Z-A tips and tricks? Check out our other guides on webcomicsweekend.com for everything you need to know about the latest Pokemon adventure!
Bookmark this guide for quick reference when you’re working on evolving your friendship-based Pokemon, and share it with your friends who might be struggling with the same issues. Happy training, trainers!