Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

Affinity/Friendship Mechanics

Understand Affinity and Friendship mechanics in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Learn how these impact battle performance and Pokémon evolution.

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Affinity/Friendship Mechanics

Beyond raw stats and move sets, a Pokémon's affinity (often referred to as Friendship or Happiness) plays a crucial role in their performance and even evolution in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. A high affinity Pokémon will perform better in battle, sometimes shaking off status conditions or landing critical hits more often. More importantly, several Pokémon require maximum friendship to evolve. Understanding and manipulating this mechanic is key to building a powerful and versatile team.

Checking Friendship Levels

There are a few ways to gauge your Pokémon's current friendship level:

  • Friendship Checker NPC: In Nimbasa City, enter the house directly to the left of the Pokémon Center. Speak to the woman inside, and she will give you a general idea of your lead Pokémon's friendship level. Her responses range from "You two are the best of friends!" (maximum friendship) to "You two don't seem to get along at all..." (minimum friendship).
  • Soothe Bell: While not a direct checker, equipping a Pokémon with the Soothe Bell (obtained later in the game) will significantly increase the rate at which their friendship grows, indicating that the mechanic is active.

Increasing Friendship

Raising a Pokémon's friendship is a gradual process, but several actions can accelerate it:

Key Items and Locations

  • Soothe Bell: This essential item doubles the rate of friendship gain. You can obtain the Soothe Bell in Nimbasa City. After defeating Elesa, head to the house directly north of the Ferris Wheel. Speak to the woman inside, and she will give it to you. Always equip this to Pokémon you are actively trying to raise friendship with.
  • Luxury Ball: Pokémon caught in a Luxury Ball start with a higher base friendship and gain friendship at an accelerated rate. While not always practical for every capture, consider using them for Pokémon you know you'll want to evolve via friendship. You can buy Luxury Balls at the Pokémon League shop for 1000 Poké Dollars each after becoming Champion, or sometimes find them as hidden items.
  • Friendship-Boosting Berries: These special berries lower one of a Pokémon's EVs but significantly increase their friendship. They are incredibly effective for a quick boost.
    • Pomeg Berry: Lowers HP EV.
    • Kelpsy Berry: Lowers Attack EV.
    • Qualot Berry: Lowers Defense EV.
    • Hondew Berry: Lowers Special Attack EV.
    • Grepa Berry: Lowers Special Defense EV.
    • Tamato Berry: Lowers Speed EV.
    These berries can be grown in the Join Avenue's Berry Shop if you have one, or occasionally found in various locations as hidden items or from shaking trees. A reliable source for some berries is the Abundant Shrine after completing the main story, where you can find them under specific trees.
  • Vitamins: Items like HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Carbos, and Zinc, while primarily used for EV training, also provide a small boost to friendship when used. These can be purchased at the Shopping Mall Nine in Driftveil City.

Actionable Strategies

  • Walk with your Pokémon: Simply having a Pokémon in your active party as you walk around the region will slowly increase its friendship. The more steps you take, the more friendship it gains.
  • Leveling Up: Each time a Pokémon gains a level, its friendship increases. This is a passive but consistent method.
  • Winning Battles: Participating in and winning battles with a Pokémon in your party contributes to its friendship. It doesn't even need to fight, just be present.
  • Using Healing Items: Using items like Potions, Super Potions, and Full Restores on your Pokémon outside of battle provides a small friendship boost.
  • Massages: While there isn't a dedicated massage parlor like in some other regions, certain NPCs might offer a one-time massage that boosts friendship. Keep an eye out for these rare opportunities.

Decreasing Friendship

Be mindful that certain actions can negatively impact your Pokémon's friendship:

  • Fainting in Battle: Repeatedly letting a Pokémon faint will cause its friendship to drop.
  • Using Bitter Medicine: Items like EnergyPowder, Heal Powder, Energy Root, and Revival Herb are very effective at healing but significantly reduce friendship due to their bitter taste. Avoid these if you're trying to raise friendship.
  • Trading: Trading a Pokémon to another player will reset its friendship level to its base value.

Friendship Evolutions

Several Pokémon in Unova and from previous generations require high friendship to evolve. These are some of the most common ones you'll encounter:

  • Eevee (into Espeon during the day, Umbreon during the night)
  • Chansey (into Blissey)
  • Golbat (into Crobat)
  • Pichu (into Pikachu)
  • Cleffa (into Clefairy)
  • Igglybuff (into Jigglypuff)
  • Togepi (into Togetic)
  • Azurill (into Marill)
  • Buneary (into Lopunny)
  • Chingling (into Chimecho, only at night)
  • Munchlax (into Snorlax)
  • Woobat (into Swoobat)

For these Pokémon, aim for maximum friendship (indicated by the Friendship Checker NPC's highest dialogue) and then level them up once to trigger the evolution.