Where to find your Pokémon's friendship level

In Pokémon Scarlet, you check a Pokémon's friendship by opening its summary screen and looking at a visual meter. The game shows friendship as a series of hearts — the more hearts displayed, the higher the friendship level. You access this by selecting a Pokémon in your party, pressing X to open the menu, choosing "Pokémon," then selecting the specific Pokémon you want to check.

The friendship meter appears on the summary screen's second tab, labeled with a heart icon. Unlike older Pokémon games that required an NPC to tell you the friendship value, Scarlet displays it directly so you can see progress immediately. The hearts fill in gradually as your Pokémon becomes friendlier with you.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your Pokémon's summary screen by pressing X, selecting Pokémon, then choosing the individual Pokémon to view its friendship hearts.
  • Friendship appears as a row of hearts on the second tab of the summary screen, with more hearts indicating higher friendship.
  • Battling with your Pokémon, using items like Friendship Berries, and keeping it in your party all increase friendship over time.
  • Some Pokémon evolve only when friendship reaches maximum, so checking the meter tells you how close you are to triggering evolution.

What the heart meter actually means

The friendship hearts in Scarlet represent a hidden numerical value between 0 and 255, but the game simplifies this into a visual scale. Each heart segment represents a range of that value, so you do not need to know the exact number — the hearts give you a clear sense of whether your Pokémon likes you a little, moderately, or a lot.

Maximum friendship (all hearts filled) triggers special effects in battle: your Pokémon may survive a hit that would knock it out, land a critical hit when it would normally miss, or shake off status conditions like poison or paralysis. These bonuses only activate when friendship is at its highest level, so the heart meter tells you whether you have reached that threshold.

How to increase friendship quickly

The fastest way to raise friendship is to use your Pokémon in battles. Every battle your Pokémon participates in increases friendship, even if it does not deal the final blow. Winning battles raises friendship faster than losing, but either way, active use is the primary method.

Friendship Berries also boost friendship directly. These include Poffin Berries, Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry — you can find these growing in berry trees or purchase them from shops. Using items on your Pokémon, keeping it in your active party rather than in a box, and leveling it up all contribute small amounts to friendship growth.

Avoid letting your Pokémon faint in battle, as fainting reduces friendship. The same applies to using items like Full Heals or Potions outside of battle — while these do not harm friendship, they do not help it either. The most reliable method remains consistent use in battles.

Pokémon that require high friendship to evolve

Several Pokémon in Scarlet evolve only when friendship reaches maximum. Eevee evolves into Espeon (during the day) or Umbreon (at night) when friendship is maxed. Pichu evolves into Pikachu, Cleffa into Clefable, and Togepi into Togetic all require maximum friendship as well.

If you are training one of these Pokémon toward evolution, checking the friendship meter tells you exactly how close you are. Once the hearts are completely full, the evolution will trigger the next time the conditions are met — for Espeon and Umbreon, that means leveling up during the appropriate time of day.

Friendship versus happiness — what is the difference

In Pokémon Scarlet, friendship and happiness are the same stat. The game uses both terms interchangeably to describe how much your Pokémon likes you. There is no separate happiness meter or hidden value — the hearts you see on the summary screen represent the complete picture of your Pokémon's affection.

This differs from older games where friendship and happiness were tracked separately, but Scarlet simplified the system. The heart meter is the only measure of your Pokémon's bond with you, and it controls both the battle bonuses and the evolution requirements.

Why your Pokémon's friendship matters in battle

High friendship provides tangible advantages during combat. A Pokémon with maximum friendship gains a chance to survive attacks that would normally knock it out, sometimes recovering with 1 HP remaining. It also has a higher chance of landing critical hits and can occasionally cure itself of status conditions like burn, poison, or paralysis without using a move or item.

These bonuses do not trigger every turn — they occur randomly when conditions are met — but they stack up over a long battle or a series of encounters. For players training a team for competitive battles or challenging gym leaders, maxing out friendship on key Pokémon provides a real edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I check friendship for Pokémon in my box?

Yes. Open your box, select the Pokémon, and press X to view its summary. The friendship hearts appear on the second tab just as they do for Pokémon in your active party. You do not need to carry a Pokémon with you to check its friendship level.

Does friendship reset if I trade my Pokémon to someone else?

Friendship resets to zero when you trade a Pokémon to another player. The new trainer must rebuild the friendship from scratch through battles and items. This is why traded Pokémon often feel less reliable in battle initially — they have no bond with their new trainer yet.

What happens if friendship reaches maximum before my Pokémon is ready to evolve?

Nothing negative happens. Your Pokémon simply stays at maximum friendship and waits for the evolution condition to trigger. For Pokémon like Eevee that need both maximum friendship and a specific time of day, the friendship stays maxed while you wait for the right moment to level up.

Do Pokémon lose friendship if I do not use them for a while?

Friendship does not decrease over time in Scarlet just from not using a Pokémon. However, fainting in battle, using items that damage your Pokémon, or releasing a Pokémon will reduce friendship. Simply leaving a Pokémon in your box does not harm the bond you have built.