Friendship
Happiness is a measurement of how much a Pokémon loves its Trainer and enjoys being in their care.
Generation I
In Generation I, Pokémon Yellow introduced a prototype version of the Happiness value that would later be used in future generations. Pikachu will follow the player throughout the game. Turning towards Pikachu and talking to it at any time will show its current expression. This will range from angry to ecstatic depending on how happy it is. At its peak, the overworld Pikachu will jump up and down.
Pikachu's Happiness level will rise when it gains a level. If the Trainer uses an item such as a Potion on Pikachu, its happiness level will rise, even if it has full HP and the Potion isn't used up.
It will drop when it is put into Bill's PC, or faints. Trading it will reset its Happiness rating.
It is relatively easy to make Pikachu happy compared to Pokémon in future generations.
Happiness is not recorded for any other Pokémon in Generation I, aside from Pokémon Yellow's starter Pikachu.
As far as gameplay goes, Pikachu's Happiness only truly affects whether or not the player can acquire a Bulbasaur in Cerulean City.
Generation II
Generation II saw the introduction of Happiness for all Pokémon for any Trainer. It is a single byte, a value between 0 and 255 inclusive. Wild Pokémon have the same starting Happiness value as in Generation III, or about 70 (27%). Pokémon that are hatched from eggs get a default Happiness value of 120 (47%). If a Pokémon is caught in a Friend Ball, Happiness is set to 200 (78%).
In Generation II, another concept was introduced: evolving through Happiness. This has continued to the present.
Happiness-based evolutions occur when Happiness reaches 220 (86%).
Happiness is typically modified in the following ways:
- Walking 256 steps (+1)
- Grooming, Daisy (+3)
- Grooming, older brother (+1, +3, or +5)
- Grooming, younger brother (+1, +3, or +10)
- Stat modifiers (+5)
- Gaining a level (+5)
- Energypowder (-5)
- Heal Powder (-5)
- Energy Root (-10)
- Revival Herb (-15)
- Trading a Pokémon (reset to 70)
Generation III
Happiness in Generation III is a value between 0 and 255. Wild Pokémon have their own base happiness, which is typically 70 (about 27%) for non-legendary first stage Pokémon, but not always. If a Pokémon hatches from an egg, its initial happiness ignores the base happiness value and is set to 120 (about 47%). When a Pokémon is still in its egg, its happiness value is ignored (as there are no aspects in the game that apply happiness to eggs) and the happiness value is used as a decrementing step value that triggers the egg hatch when it reaches zero.
Happiness evolutions occur when happiness reaches 220 (about 86%).
Happiness is modified in the following ways:
- Gaining a level (+5 for happiness value range 0-99,) (+3 for happiness value range 100-199) (+2 for happiness value range 200-254)
- Walking 256 steps (+1)
- Vitamins (+5 for happiness value range 0-99,) (+3 for happiness value range 100-199) (+2 for happiness value range 200-254)
- Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen: Grooming (in Pallet Town, by Daisy) (+3 for happiness value range 0-199) (+2 for happiness value range 200-254)
- Pokémon Emerald only: Certain berries (+2)
- Catching a Pokémon in a Luxury Ball (+1 for every positive event)
- Using Soothe Bell (+1 for each other positive event)
- Energypowder (-5)
- Heal powder (-5)
- Energy root (-10)
- Revival Herb (-15)
- Faint (-1)
- Trading a Pokémon (reset to 70)
Generation IV
Happiness in Generation IV is much the same as it is in Generation III, taking all of the new berry features of Emerald into Diamond and Pearl.
In Eterna City, a girl in the Pokémon Center will give away a Pokétch app that shows how much the Pokémon in the player's party like the player. Maximum happiness is represented by two big hearts.
Dr. Footstep, the sole resident of the Footstep House on Route 213, will also tell a Pokémon's happiness, albeit in a roundabout way which differs among Pokémon species. At maximum happiness, he will give the Pokémon in question a ribbon.
Happiness is modified in the following ways:
- Gaining a level (+2)
- Walking 256 steps (+1)
- Stat modifiers (+2)
- Using Soothe Bell (+1 for each other positive event)
- Massage in Veilstone City by girl in house nearest to Veilstone Gym (+3)
- Massage at Ribbon Syndicate in Resort Area
- Using Potions and healing items
- Energypowder (-5)
- Heal powder (-5)
- Energy root (-10)
- Revival Herb (-15)
- Trading a Pokémon (reset to 70)
- [[Pal_Park|Migrating it from a GBA Game] (reset to 70)
Evolutions
The following Pokémon evolve when their Happiness value is at or above 220 and they are leveled up:
- Golbat → Crobat
- Chansey → Blissey
- Eevee → Espeon (during the day)
- Eevee → Umbreon (during the night)
- Pichu → Pikachu
- Cleffa → Clefairy
- Igglybuff → Jigglypuff
- Togepi → Togetic
- Azurill → Marill
- Budew → Roselia (during the day)
- Buneary → Lopunny
- Chingling → Chimecho (during the night)
- Munchlax → Snorlax
- Riolu → Lucario (during the day)
Moves affected by Happiness
The base power of the following moves is affected by the Happiness value of the Pokémon that is using them:
