Unbound Friendship Evolutions: Quick Guide

As you know, Pokémon Unbound is not just another FireRed ROM hack. It includes stunning mechanics with updated moves, Fairy-type Pokémon, Mega Evolution, and more. And here is Friendship Evolution, the most rewarding mechanics in Unbound. It is where your Pokémon evolves based on how much it trusts you.

As a Pokémon Unbound fan, you might be struggling to improve your friendship levels.  Initially, I’ve spent hours trying to maximize my Pokémon’s friendship levels to get those powerful evolutions. So, let me share with you the best methods to increase friendship quickly. This guide will cover everything you need to know.

What Is Friendship Evolution?

Friendship, also known as happiness. It’s a hidden stat that represents how much a Pokémon trusts you. Some Pokémon require high friendship to evolve instead of leveling up normally, trading, or using evolution stones.

In Unbound, like in official Pokémon games, these friendship evolutions occur when a Pokémon with a high friendship level is leveled up. Some Pokémon also require specific conditions, such as evolving at a certain time of day.

Unbound Pokémon That Evolve Through Friendship

Here’s a list of Pokémon that evolve through friendship in Pokémon Unbound:

• Eevee → Espeon (Daytime, high friendship)
• Eevee → Umbreon (Nighttime, high friendship)
• Pichu → Pikachu
• Cleffa → Clefairy
• Igglybuff → Jigglypuff
• Togepi → Togetic
• Azurill → Marill
• Budew → Roselia (Must evolve during the daytime)
• Chingling → Chimecho (Must evolve at night)
• Riolu → Lucario (Must evolve during the daytime)

You might be planning to use any of these Pokémon in your team. But before that you must know how to increase friendship quickly.

How to Increase Friendship Levels in Pokémon Unbound

There are many ways to raise friendship in Pokémon Unbound. Mastering these techniques can help you evolve Pokémon faster. Below are some of the best ways to boost friendship.

1. Walk Around With Your Pokémon

Each step you take with a Pokémon in your party gradually increases friendship. This is one of the easiest but slowest ways to raise friendship. If you’re playing Unbound, consider using speed-up mode in your emulator to fast-forward through the steps.

2. Give Your Pokémon the Soothe Bell

The Soothe Bell is a held item that increases friendship gains. In Unbound, you can find the Soothe Bell early in the game, so be sure to equip it to any Pokémon you’re trying to evolve via friendship.

3. Use Friendship-Boosting Items

Certain items help increase friendship quickly. These include:

• Vitamins (Protein, Iron, Calcium, etc.)
• EV-reducing berries (Pomeg, Kelpsy, Qualot, Hondew, Grepa, Tomato)
• Luxury Ball (If you catch a Pokémon in a Luxury Ball, its friendship will increase faster)

4. Battle With Your Pokémon

Using a Pokémon in battle, especially against strong trainers and Gym Leaders, increases its friendship. However, if your Pokémon faints, it will lose friendship. So be careful!

5. Avoid Using Bitter Items

Some healing items, like Energy Root, Revival Herb, and Heal Powder, lower a Pokémon’s friendship when used. Avoid these if you’re trying to evolve a Pokémon through friendship.

6. Leveling Up Your Pokémon

Every time a Pokémon levels up, its friendship increases slightly. If you’re trying to evolve a friendship-based Pokémon, keep it in your party. Moreover, focus on battling wild Pokémon or trainers.

7. Get a Massage for Your Pokémon

In some Pokémon games, there are NPCs that give your Pokémon a massage to boost friendship. In Pokémon Unbound, be on the lookout for NPCs who offer services like this to increase friendship quickly.

How to Check Friendship in Pokémon Unbound

Friendship is a hidden value. So you can’t see it directly. However, Unbound provides ways to check how close your Pokémon is to evolving.

1. Friendship Checker NPC: There’s usually an NPC who will give you hints about your Pokémon’s friendship level. Look for someone who says things like, “Your Pokémon and you are best friends!”
2. Using Certain Moves: Some moves, like Return, increase in power as friendship rises. If your Pokémon’s Return move is dealing massive damage, it likely has high friendship.
3. Testing Evolution:  If you suspect a Pokémon is close to evolving, level it up and see if it triggers the evolution.

Why Friendship Evolutions Are Worth It

Some trainers might find friendship evolutions frustrating. It is because they require extra effort. However, evolving a Pokémon through friendship can be very rewarding in Pokémon Unbound for several reasons:

• Stronger Pokémon:  Friendship-evolved Pokémon tend to have better stats and movesets. Lucario, for instance, is a powerhouse when evolved from Riolu.
• Access to Better Moves: Some Pokémon learn better moves after evolving, making them much more effective in battle.
• A Deeper Bond: As a Pokémon trainer, you get a sense of accomplishment when you evolve a Pokémon that you’ve trained and cared for.

Here’s a quick recap of the best ways to increase friendship:

✔️ Walk around with your Pokémon.
✔️ Use the Soothe Bell.
✔️ Battle with them (but don’t let them faint).
✔️ Feed them vitamins and EV-reducing berries.
✔️ Avoid bitter healing items.
✔️ Level them up frequently.
✔️ Check their friendship level with NPCs.

If you want to get the most out of your unbound team, learning friendship evolutions is a must. Not only do you get access to some of the strongest Pokémon, but you also build a deeper connection with your party. This way you can make your journey through the Borrius region even more special.

Frequently Asked Questions