In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, building strong bonds with your Pokémon isn’t just about battling — it’s about friendship. Some Pokémon only evolve once they’re happy enough, which means understanding how to raise their Friendship level is essential. The Soothe Bell is the key item that makes this process much faster. Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking and using it effectively.
What Is the Soothe Bell?
The Soothe Bell is a Happiness-boosting Held Item that increases how quickly a Pokémon’s Friendship (or Happiness) rises. When equipped, it passively amplifies every action that would normally make your Pokémon friendlier — such as winning battles, feeding Berries, visiting cafés, or simply keeping it in your active party.
It doesn’t automatically make your Pokémon happy; instead, it enhances the rate at which they grow attached to you. This item is especially useful for evolving Pokémon like Eevee, Riolu, and Buneary, which require a certain Happiness threshold to evolve.
How to Get the Soothe Bell in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
You can obtain the Soothe Bell by completing Side Mission 036: “Some Friendly Competition.” Here’s how to unlock and finish it:
- Reach Main Mission 14:
- The side mission becomes available after completing the Canari’s Quiz and unlocking the Ranked Battle against Canari to advance to Rank E in the ZA Royale.
- Locate Café Rouleau:
- Head to Estival Avenue, on the western side of Lumiose City. You’ll find Café Rouleau along the main road that leads southwest, right near Wild Zone 9.
- Meet the NPC Chou:
- Outside the café, you’ll find a trainer named Chou, sitting with her Lopunny and Clefairy. Speak to her to start the side mission “Some Friendly Competition.”
- Defeat Chou in Battle:
- This is a straightforward one-on-one trainer battle. Chou uses Clefairy and Lopunny — both standard Normal-types without major tricks, so any well-balanced team should handle them easily.
- Claim Your Reward:
- Once you win, you’ll receive:
- Soothe Bell
- 3,000 Pokédollars
- Once you win, you’ll receive:
If the mission doesn’t appear right away, make sure you’ve advanced far enough in the story, completed earlier side missions, and check during the evening or night cycle, as the quest sometimes triggers later in the day.
How to Use the Soothe Bell
Once obtained, here’s how to equip and use the item efficiently:
- Open your Satchel and navigate to the “Other Items” tab.
- Locate the Soothe Bell and press A to select it.
- Choose “Give to Pokémon.”
- Select the Pokémon whose Friendship you want to boost.
From this point, every Friendship-related action — such as winning battles or visiting cafés — gives your Pokémon a roughly 50% higher Happiness increase, based on in-game testing.
You can remove the item at any time and pass it to another Pokémon once one reaches its evolution threshold.
Best Ways to Raise Happiness Quickly
While simply carrying a Pokémon in your active team helps over time, Pokémon Legends: Z-A offers faster and more interactive methods to raise Friendship:
- Visit Cafés Around Lumiose City:
- Each café visit instantly raises Happiness, even if you leave right after ordering. This is the fastest method in the game.
- Without the Soothe Bell: ~4 café visits for evolution-ready Happiness.
- With the Soothe Bell: ~3 visits.
- Each café visit instantly raises Happiness, even if you leave right after ordering. This is the fastest method in the game.
- Use Luxury Balls:
- Pokémon caught in Luxury Balls gain Happiness faster. They can be purchased for 3,000 Pokédollars each from the Poké Ball Boutique on Autumnal Avenue.
- Avoid Fainting:
- A Pokémon’s Happiness decreases if it faints during battle, so try to keep them safe.
- Feed Them Berries:
- Certain Berries can boost Friendliness but may reduce other stats. Use them sparingly.
Pokémon That Evolve Through Happiness
Here’s a list of all Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A that currently evolve based on Happiness:
| Base Pokémon | Evolution Condition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pichu | Level up with high Happiness | Pikachu |
| Riolu | Level up with high Happiness (Daytime) | Lucario |
| Eevee | Level up with high Happiness (Daytime, no Fairy moves) | Espeon |
| Eevee | Level up with high Happiness (Nighttime, no Fairy moves) | Umbreon |
| Eevee | Level up with high Happiness (while knowing a Fairy move) | Sylveon |
| Cleffa | Level up with high Happiness | Clefairy |
| Budew | Level up with high Happiness (Daytime) | Roselia |
| Buneary | Level up with high Happiness | Lopunny |
Future DLCs may expand this list to include more species that evolve through Friendship.
Why You Should Get the Soothe Bell Early
If you plan to evolve any Pokémon tied to Friendship, the Soothe Bell is an essential early-game tool. It cuts down grinding time dramatically and ensures your Pokémon reach evolution thresholds faster — especially when paired with Lumiose cafés or Luxury Balls.
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It’s also reusable, meaning you can pass it from one Pokémon to another without losing it. For completionists filling the Pokédex or competitive players optimizing their teams, it’s a must-have accessory. Play Now!
