During Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pokémon Trainers will bond with their Pokémon over time, and a party of Pokémon with maxed out friendship levels and happiness levels is a good one. This means that they'll perform better in battle and, for some Pokémon like Riolu, may encourage them to evolve.
So, in this guide, we explain how to quickly increase friendship levels and happiness of your Pokémon.
How To Raise Friendship and Happiness Levels of Pokémon
Raising the friendship and happiness levels of your Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl may not be at the top of your to-do list. However, if you really want to make the most out of your party in battle, then you should look into it. Happier and friendlier Pokémon will have a bond with you that proves incredibly valuable in battle; they can avoid attacks, land critical hits, and prevent themselves from fainting.
For other Pokémon, such as Munchlax, Buneary, Riolu and a few others, having a high friendship level is necessary for them to evolve! We talk more about which Pokémon will evolve using friendship levels under the 'Natural Evolution' section of our evolution guide, here.
Vitamins & Poffins
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+ 5Feeding your Pokémon various Vitamins and Poffins in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will assist with increasing their happiness. Vitamins can be purchased from the middle cashier on Floor 2 of the Veilstone Department Store in Veilstone City (pictured above).
To create Poffins, you'll need to acquire berries from around the Sinnoh Region and then turn these into a delicious snack for your Pokémon at the Poffin House, located in Hearthome City. These are particularly good for preparing your Pokémon for different Super Contest Shows too!
Massages
click to enlarge + 5Tucked away in an unsuspected home in Veilstone City of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is the Pokémon Massage Woman. By visiting her, you can choose a Pokémon to unwind with a massage from her, and this will boost their happiness and friendship levels massively. Due to this boost, you can only get one Pokémon massaged per day.
click to enlarge + 5The woman's house will be located in the lower left corner of the city. Pictured above, a Pokémon Trainer is standing outside the specific house that you need to enter to find her!
Soothe Bell
click to enlarge + 5The Soothe Bell is an item that can be held by any Pokémon in your party in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. When held, the item will comfort that Pokémon and make them more friendly, thus, improving their performance in battle!
The Soothe Bell can be acquired from the Pokémon Mansion located south of Hearthome City, on Route 212. Once you're inside the Mansion, go down the left corridor and enter the second room. There will be a green-haired NPC here that you can speak with, and she will gift you the Soothe Bell.
Spend Time With Them
click to enlarge + 5Ultimately, you need to spend time with the Pokémon in your party in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. This includes recruiting them regularly in battles or taking them on walks around the Amity Square gardens, then they'll warm up to you! This alone, however, might take a while.
How to Not Raise Pokémon Friendship and Happiness Levels
There's a small handful of events that will lower the friendship and happiness levels of your Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. These are as follows:
- Don't let them faint during battle
- Don't feed them bitter items, such as bitter berries or Poffins
- Don't trade them (this reverts friendship levels back to zero)
- Don't keep stored in the PC… you can't improve a friendship level if they aren't by your side!
There you have it. That's all you need to go about maxing the friendship and happiness levels of your favourite Pokémon. You will defeat the Champion in no time at all with a strong team by your side!
Take a look at our guide to the Grand Underground if you're looking for a fun side-activity to take part in. Additionally, if you truly want to be the very best, we recommend keeping our type-chart to hand, so you know how best to counter every opponent you face!
For more articles like this, take a look at our Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Guides page.