Most Pokemon evolutions are achieved by reaching a certain level, but there are some that have special requirements. For example, some Pokemon can only evolve once players have increased their Happiness / Friendship stat to a certain level. The Lumiose Pokedex may be a little on the small side, but there are still plenty of Pokemon that evolve this way in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

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All Pokemon Legends Z-A Promotion Matches and Lineups

Rise through the ranks in the Z-A Royale battle tournament. This guide covers all 11 promotion matches in Pokemon Legends: Z-A and how to win them.

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Players can increase a Pokemon's Happiness by keeping it out of its Pokeball and using it in battle, although attempting to increase Friendship this way can take a fair amount of time. Thankfully, Pokemon Legends: Z-A allows players to increase a Pokemon's Happiness to the point where it's ready to evolve in under two minutes, although using this Friendship-boosting method will require some Pokedollars.

How to Increase Friendship / Happiness Quickly in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

The best way to increase a Pokemon's Happiness is to hang out with it at a cafe or food truck. To do so, players should place the Pokemon whose Friendship level they want to increase in slot 1 and then order a cup of tea or coffee. All of the drinks will increase Happiness, but some seem to grant larger increases than others. We found that four cups of Roserade Tea (350 Pokedollars a cup) were enough to get an Eevee to evolve. You can leave the Cafe immediately and still get the Friendship boost, meaning it's possible to get a Pokemon ready for evolution in around ninety seconds.

  1. Place the Pokemon whose happiness you want to increase in slot 1.
  2. Go to a cafe or food truck and order a cup of Roserade Tea.
  3. Immediately leave the table by pressing B and then choosing "Yes".
  4. Repeat this process three more times or until the Pokemon is ready to evolve.
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Players will know when their Pokemon is ready to evolve, as a little white arrow will appear above its icon on the menu screen.

All Friendship Evolutions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

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  • Eevee -> Espeon (Players should evolve Eevee during the daytime)
  • Eevee -> Umbreon (Players should evolve Eevee during the nighttime)
  • Eevee -> Sylveon (Eevee must know at least one Fairy-type move)
  • Budew -> Roselia (Players should evolve Budew during the daytime)
  • Riolu -> Lucario (Players should evolve Riolu during the daytime)
  • Buneary -> Lopunny
  • Pichu -> Pikachu
  • Cleffa -> Clefairy
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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RPG
Adventure
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
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Released
October 16, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure