Are you wondering how to increase Happiness in Pokemon X and Y? Strengthen your friendship with your Pokemon through our guide!
Happiness, aka Friendship, is one of the more unclear features in games because there’s no stat or measurement for it on the summary page of your Pokemon.
Figuring out your friendship level can be tricky, let alone increasing it.
If you’re looking for a complete guide about Friendship and how to increase your Happiness in Pokemon X and Y (Generation 6), this article is all you need.
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Table of Contents
What Is Happiness in Pokemon Games?
Happiness is another term coined by Pokemon players to refer to the Friendship stat.
It was first introduced in Pokemon Yellow, but was exclusive to your starter Pikachu.
In Generation 6, happiness is a more significant feature for evolving particular Pokemon species and utilizing various moves.
You won’t see this stat in the summary, but there are special NPCs that can measure your Pokemon’s Happiness.
Benefits of Friendship in Pokemon X and Y
- Evolution: Some Pokemon species require high happiness levels before you can evolve them. For example, Riolu can only evolve to Lucario if you level it up during the day with high Happiness. This includes other Pokemon like Golbat, Pichu, Cleffa, and more.
- Powers Up Moves. Some moves like Return and Frustration in Gen 4 deal damage depending on the Friendship level of the Pokemon that uses it. Return has more base damage the higher the Pokemon’s Happiness. Conversely, Frustration deals more the lower the Pokemon’s Friendship.
- NPC Interactions: Some NPCs may interact differently with you depending on your lead Pokemon’s happiness. In Pokemon X and Y, there’s a woman in Hotel Coumarine who will give you a Lucky Egg if your lead Pokémon has maxed out Friendship.
Important: A Pokemon needs to have 220 Happiness to evolve, but it can be maxed up to 255. Most Pokemon start with a base happiness of 70. Legendaries are caught with 0 happiness except for Xerneas and Yveltal that start with 90 Happiness.
How to Increase Happiness in Pokemon X and Y: 10 Methods
Here are various ways of increasing your Pokemon’sHappiness level in Pokemon X and Y without cheats:
Method #1: Walk With Your Pokemon
Walking with the Pokemon in your party for 128 steps can increase their Happiness by 1 or 2 points.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Current Happiness Level |
| +2 | 0 – 99 |
| +2 | 100 – 199 |
| +1 | 200 – 255 |
Method #2: Leveling Up in Battle
Every time your Pokemon levels up by battling, it gains additional Happiness.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Current Happiness Level |
| +5 | 0 – 99 |
| +4 | 100 – 199 |
| +3 | 200 – 255 |
Method #3: Give Your Pokemon Vitamins
Using any Vitamin like Carbos, Protein, Zinc, HP Up, etc. will increase your Pokemon’s Happiness.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Current Happiness Level |
| +5 | 0 – 99 |
| +4 | 100 – 199 |
| +3 | 200 – 255 |
This increases by one point if the Pokemon is inside a Luxury Ball.
Method #4: Use Your Pokemon in Battles
Battling against a Gym Leader, Elite Four member, or Champion will increase your whole party’s Happiness.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Current Happiness Level |
| +5 | 0 – 99 |
| +4 | 100 – 199 |
| +3 | 200 – 255 |
Method #5: Training Bags in Super Training
A Training Bag in Super Training will increase your Pokemon’s Happiness by a whopping 20 points at all levels.
Method #6: Use Battle Items
Using Battle Items such as X Attack, X Speed, etc. will raise your Pokemon’s Happiness by one point at all levels.
Method #7: Massage
There’s a massage lady who can be found in Cyllage City, west of the Pokemon Center. Taking your Pokemon for a massage will increase its Happiness.
After a massage, there’s a dialogue saying:
“The massage made your Pokemon […] friendly toward you”
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Dialogue |
| +30 | “much more” |
| +10 | “more” |
| +5 | “a little bit more” |
Method #8: Juice Shoppe: Colorful Shake
There’s a specialty shop in Lumiose City located on Autumnal Avenue that sells different kinds of Berry Juice. Using these on your Pokemon will increase its Happiness.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Dialogue |
| +12 to 32 (depending on Berries used) | Colorful Juice (Custom-made) |
| +4 | Rare Soda, Ultra Rare Soda, Perilous Soup, or EV Juices |
| +1 | Colorful Shake (Pre-made) |
Method #9: Using Friendship-Raising Berries
This includes Pomeg Berry, Kelpsy Berry, Qualot Berry, Hondew Berry, Grepa Berry, and Tamato Berry. Making your Pokemon eat them increases its Happiness.
| Happiness Levels/Points Gained | Current Happiness Level |
| +10 | 0 – 99 |
| +5 | 100 – 199 |
| +2 | 200 – 255 |
Method #10: Luxury Ball + Soothe Bell
These items boost everything that increases your Pokemon’s Happiness. A Pokemon captured in a Luxury Ball will gain one extra point of Friendship for everything you do that increases it.
A Soothe Bell is a held item that boosts all increases in the Pokemon’s Friendship level by 50%.
Lowering Friendship in Pokemon X and Y
1. Fainting in Battle
Letting your Pokemon faint during battles makes its Happiness level drop significantly.
| Opponent Pokemon’s Level | Happiness Levels/Points Lost | Current Happiness Level |
| Less than 30 levels higher | -1 | 0 – 99 |
| More than 30 levels higher |
-5 | 100 – 199 |
| More than 30 levels higher | -10 | 200 – 255 |
2. Using Bitter Medicine
When you use bitter medicine on Pokemon that hates bitter food, their Happiness decreases. The higher the Happiness level of your Pokemon, the more levels you lose.
| Medicine | Happiness Levels/Points Lost |
| Energy Powder or Heal Powder | -5 / -10 |
| Energy Root | -10 / -15 |
| Using Revival Herb | -15 / -20 |
How to Check Pokemon’s Happiness in Pokemon X and Y?
There is a Happiness Checker at the Pokemon Fan Club located in the northwest area of Laverre City.
This girl will check your lead or the first Pokemon in your party and tell you how happy it is.
| Dialogue | Happiness Level |
| It’s amazingly friendly toward you! It must be so happy spending every day with you! | 250+ |
| You must really like yours and always keep it by your side! | 150-199 |
| Well, I think you and ____ will be an even greater combo someday! | 150-199 |
| It’s a little bit friendly to you… Something like that. | 100-149 |
| Hmm… I think you have a lot of time ahead of you to get to know one another better | 50-99 |
| Don’t tell me! Are you just letting it get knocked out in Pokemon battles?! B2W2 Bianca: You aren’t getting along, are you? It’s glaring at you with a look that’s kinda scary. |
1-49 |
| Don’t tell me! Are you just letting it get knocked out in Pokemon battles? | 0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my Pokémon has max Happiness?
If your Pokemon’s Happiness is maxed, the NPC in Laverre City will say, “It’s amazingly friendly toward you! It must be so happy spending every day with you!” indicating a Happiness level of 250+.
How much Happiness does a Pokémon need to evolve?
A Pokemon needs a minimum Happiness level of 220 to evolve if it requires Friendship for evolution (e.g., Riolu to Lucario, Pichu to Pikachu). Happiness can be maxed out at 255.
Conclusion
Now you know how to increase your Pokemon’s Happiness in Pokemon X and Y. If you just caught your Pokemon, then you have a long way ahead of you.
The more tough battles you go through together, the stronger your bond of Friendship will be.
Use Happiness-raising items like Vitamins and Battle Items earlier to make the most out of them.
Most of all, avoid letting your Pokemon faint in battles and don’t feed them bitter foods or medicine.
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