Pokémon Legends: Z-A – How to Evolve Pokémon Using Friendship

  • October 14, 2025 8:45 PM PDT

    In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, evolving certain Pokémon isn’t just about leveling them up—it often requires building a strong bond with your Pokémon. Friendship evolution is a unique mechanic that encourages trainers to care for their Pokémon in a more personal way. If you’re looking to evolve your team through friendship, this guide will walk you through the essential steps and tips to make it happen efficiently.

    Understanding Friendship Evolution

    Friendship, sometimes called happiness, measures the bond between you and your Pokémon. Pokémon that evolve through friendship, such as Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon, require their friendship level to reach a specific threshold. Unlike traditional evolution methods, this process doesn’t involve reaching a certain level or using an evolutionary stone. Instead, your actions as a trainer directly impact the Pokémon’s willingness to evolve.

    How to Increase Friendship

    There are multiple ways to boost friendship levels in Pokémon Legends: Z-A:

    1. Battling Without Fainting
      Engaging in battles with your Pokémon and ensuring they don’t faint is a reliable way to increase friendship. Each successful battle adds a small boost to the bond.

    2. Walking Together
      Simply keeping your Pokémon in your party while exploring the world counts toward friendship. Frequent use in Wild Zones is especially effective.

    3. Feeding and Healing
      Items that restore HP or cure status effects contribute to friendship growth. In particular, cheap Legends ZA Held items like berries and healing potions are an easy way to keep your Pokémon happy without breaking the bank.

    4. Leveling Up
      Every time a Pokémon levels up, its friendship increases slightly. Using experience-boosting items or battling efficiently helps speed up this process.

    5. Special Items and Locations
      Certain in-game items and areas provide additional friendship boosts. While expensive items can be tempting, there are plenty of cheap Legends ZA Pokemon and held items that achieve the same effect when used strategically.

    Monitoring Friendship Levels

    To make sure your Pokémon is ready to evolve, you can check its friendship level through in-game indicators. NPCs in towns often provide hints about how happy your Pokémon is. For example, if a Pokémon is described as “very happy,” it’s likely close to evolving.

    Evolving Through Friendship

    Once your Pokémon reaches the required friendship threshold, evolution is straightforward. Simply level up your Pokémon during the day or night, depending on the species. For instance, Eevee evolves into Espeon during the day and Umbreon at night when friendship is high enough. Pay attention to these details, as time of day can make the difference.

    Tips for Maximizing Efficiency

    • Rotate your Pokémon in battles to ensure all your team members grow in friendship.

    • Use U4N, a community favorite strategy, to track which Pokémon need extra attention for friendship evolution.

    • Focus on inexpensive methods first—cheap Legends ZA Pokemon and held items can go a long way in avoiding unnecessary costs.

    Building friendship may take time, but it adds an extra layer of connection with your Pokémon and makes their evolution feel rewarding. By following these tips, you can evolve your favorite friendship-based Pokémon efficiently while keeping costs low.