A Pokémon's happiness is something you can influence as a Pokémon Sword and Shield trainer. You also have a variety of different choices on how to improve.
Here are the various ways you can do to increase a Pokémon's happiness towards you:
- Keeping them in your party
- Make them fight
- Get them to keep the Soothe Bell item
- Give them Curry while they are in the field
- Feed them vitamins
- Give them berries that "will increase friendliness". Be sure to check a berry's description before giving it to him
- Catch them with a friend or a luxury Poké Ball
The fastest methods are to keep Pokémon with you in your party while you travel, fight with them and feed them Curry, Berries, or Vitamins whenever you get the chance. Curry only happens on your campsite, but you can give a Pokémon a berry or a vitamin whenever you have one available in your bag.
There is also the possibility of reducing a Pokémon's happiness. Here's how you do it:
- By storing them on your PC
- Using bitter items on them
- Having the Pokémon passed out in battle
A Pokémon loses the happiness you have accumulated when you trade it and returns to its happiness base.
Unfortunately, you can't constantly see and stay alert to a Pokémon's Happiness by looking at their stats. You have to look for the friendship controller, who is a small child in Hammerlocke. You can find it in the building to the right of the Pokémon Center, at the entrance to Hammerlocke. He walks in and asks "Would you like me to see if your Pokémon feel friendly to you?" You have to say yes and you have to choose which one you want me to examine. You can choose one from your current side or from your Boxes.
You can only enter Hammerlocke if you have the first three Pokémon badges: Grass, Water, and Fire.
