Evolving Pichu into Pikachu in Pokémon Sun and Moon (and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon) isn’t as straightforward as simply leveling it up. It requires raising Pichu’s friendship level to a high enough point. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough on how to maximize your Pichu’s friendship and evolve it into the adorable Pikachu in the Alola region.
**Understanding Friendship (Affection)**
Before diving into the steps, it’s crucial to understand how friendship works in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Friendship, sometimes referred to as affection, is a hidden stat that represents how much a Pokémon “likes” its trainer. Unlike experience points or stats, you can’t directly see the exact friendship value. Instead, you rely on in-game characters and mechanics to gauge the Pokémon’s friendship level.
* **Friendship Values:** Friendship is measured on a scale from 0 to 255. Pichu needs a friendship level of at least 220 to be able to evolve.
* **Checking Friendship:** Several NPCs throughout the Alola region can help you assess your Pokémon’s friendship level. The most reliable is a woman located in the Pokémon Center in Hau’oli City (on Melemele Island). She will give you vague, but helpful comments on your Pokémon’s friendship. Her phrases correspond to certain friendship ranges:
* “You clearly love your Pokémon, and you must spend a lot of time together!” – High friendship (close to evolution)
* “It’s quite friendly toward you. I can tell that you treat it kindly.” – Moderate friendship.
* “It’s a little bit friendly to you… I guess?” – Low friendship.
* “It doesn’t seem to like you at all. It’s a little scary…” – Very low friendship.
* **Evolution Requirement:** Once Pichu reaches a friendship level of 220 or higher, it will evolve into Pikachu upon leveling up *during the day*. This is a crucial detail!
**Steps to Evolve Pichu into Pikachu**
Here’s a step-by-step guide to maximizing Pichu’s friendship and evolving it:
**1. Obtain a Pichu**
The first step is, naturally, to obtain a Pichu. Pichu can be found by breeding Pikachu or Raichu while holding a Light Ball (although it also has a small chance of appearing on its own). Here’s how to find and breed for a Pichu:
* **Breeding:**
* **Catch a Pikachu or Raichu:** You can find Pikachu in the wild at various locations across Alola, including:
* **Pikachu Valley (Route 4):** This is the most reliable spot to find Pikachu. However, it is available only from Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
* **Route 1:** In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Pikachu is a rare encounter on Route 1, specifically in the grassy areas near Iki Town. This is only available through Island Scan by scanning a QR code for Pikachu.
* **Catch a Ditto:** Ditto is crucial for breeding if you don’t have a male and female Pikachu/Raichu. Ditto can breed with almost any Pokémon. You can find Ditto in:
* **Ten Carat Hill (Cave):** Ditto is a relatively rare encounter in the cave area of Ten Carat Hill, located on Melemele Island.
* **Breed Pikachu/Raichu with Ditto (or another Pikachu/Raichu):** Take the Pikachu/Raichu and Ditto to the Paniola Ranch’s Pokémon Nursery on Akala Island. Speak to the woman outside the nursery to leave your Pokémon. After some time, return and speak to her again. If an Egg has been found, you can take it and hatch it by walking around. Pichu will hatch from the Egg.
* **Light Ball:** Make sure one of the parent Pikachu/Raichu is holding a Light Ball for a higher chance of Pichu to hatch from the egg. Light Ball is a held item that doubles Pikachu’s and Raichu’s Attack and Special Attack stats. You can obtain it by catching wild Pikachu; there’s a small chance they will be holding one.
**2. Add Pichu to Your Party**
Once you have your Pichu, add it to your active party. Pokémon gain friendship faster when they are with you and actively participating.
**3. Keep Pichu Alive and Healthy**
This is a fundamental aspect of raising friendship. Here’s what to avoid and what to do:
* **Avoid Fainting:** Do *not* let Pichu faint in battle. Fainting significantly lowers friendship. If Pichu is in danger, switch it out for a stronger Pokémon or use items to heal it.
* **Use Healing Items:** Use Potions, Super Potions, Hyper Potions, and other healing items when Pichu is injured. Healing your Pokémon shows that you care for it.
* **Cure Status Conditions:** Promptly cure any status conditions like poison, paralysis, burn, freeze, or sleep. Leaving Pichu afflicted will decrease its friendship.
**4. Carry Pichu in Your Party Constantly**
The more Pichu is with you, the more its friendship will grow. Try to keep Pichu in your party at all times, even if it’s not actively battling. The simple presence of Pichu in your party contributes to its happiness.
**5. Walk Around with Pichu**
Taking steps in the game with Pichu in your party passively increases its friendship. You don’t need to do anything special, just explore the Alola region with Pichu in your party. This method is less effective than some others, but it’s a constant background process that helps.
**6. Use Pichu in Battles (But Carefully)**
Battling with Pichu, without letting it faint, is a good way to increase friendship. However, given Pichu’s low stats, this can be challenging. Here’s how to do it effectively:
* **Start with Easy Battles:** Use Pichu in battles against weaker Pokémon early on. This minimizes the risk of it fainting.
* **Switch Training:** A common strategy is to start a battle with Pichu, then immediately switch it out for a stronger Pokémon that can handle the opponent. Pichu will still gain a small amount of experience and friendship from participating in the battle, even if it doesn’t directly attack.
* **Use Held Items:** Equip Pichu with a held item that can boost its stats, such as an Eviolite (although this is typically used for Pokémon that *don’t* evolve, it can help Pichu survive a hit or two). A Berry that heals HP, or cures status conditions is also useful.
**7. Give Pichu Berries**
Certain Berries are particularly effective at raising friendship. These berries are known as EV-reducing berries, and while they reduce Effort Values, they also significantly increase friendship when consumed by a Pokémon. Here are the best Berries to use:
* **Pomeg Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers HP EV.
* **Kelpsy Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Attack EV.
* **Qualot Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Defense EV.
* **Hondew Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Special Attack EV.
* **Grepa Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Special Defense EV.
* **Tamato Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Speed EV.
You can obtain these berries from Berry Trees throughout the Alola region. Look for shimmering spots on the ground near trees; these indicate berry trees. Remember that berries respawn after a certain amount of time.
**8. Groom Pichu in Pokémon Refresh**
Pokémon Refresh is a feature in Sun and Moon that allows you to interact with your Pokémon after battles. Grooming Pichu and feeding it Poké Beans significantly increases its friendship. Here’s how to make the most of Pokémon Refresh:
* **Access Pokémon Refresh:** After any battle, you’ll be prompted to use Pokémon Refresh. You can also access it from the menu.
* **Groom Pichu:** Use the stylus or your finger to groom Pichu. Pay attention to where Pichu seems to enjoy being touched (indicated by hearts). Avoid areas where Pichu seems uncomfortable (indicated by negative reactions).
* **Feed Pichu Poké Beans:** Poké Beans are a resource you can obtain from the Bean Counter at the Pokémon Centers. Feeding Pichu Poké Beans is a quick and easy way to boost its friendship. Rainbow Beans are the most effective, but plain Poké Beans also work.
* **Heal Status Conditions:** If Pichu is afflicted with a status condition after battle (e.g., poison, paralysis), use Pokémon Refresh to cure it. This not only heals Pichu but also increases its friendship.
**9. Soothe Bell**
The Soothe Bell is a held item that further boosts the rate at which friendship increases. Equip Pichu with a Soothe Bell to accelerate the friendship-building process.
* **Location of the Soothe Bell:** You can obtain the Soothe Bell from a woman in the Pokémon Center in Heahea City on Akala Island. You will need to show her a Pokémon that is friendly towards you, which can be any Pokemon with high friendship.
**10. Time of Day is Crucial**
Once you’ve raised Pichu’s friendship to 220 or higher, it’s time to evolve it. Remember that Pichu *only* evolves into Pikachu when leveling up *during the day*. This is a critical point to remember.
* **Daytime in Pokémon Sun and Moon:** “Daytime” corresponds to the in-game time, which is linked to your 3DS system clock. In Pokémon Sun, the in-game time matches your 3DS clock. In Pokémon Moon, the in-game time is shifted by 12 hours (so daytime in Moon is nighttime in the real world, and vice versa). Keep this in mind when trying to evolve Pichu.
* **Level Up Pichu:** The easiest way to level up Pichu is by battling wild Pokémon, trainers or using a Rare Candy. If you give Pichu a Rare Candy during the day when its friendship is high enough, it will evolve into Pikachu.
**Troubleshooting and Common Issues**
* **Friendship Not Increasing:** If you’re following the steps above and Pichu’s friendship doesn’t seem to be increasing, double-check the following:
* Are you letting Pichu faint in battle? This severely hinders friendship growth.
* Are you consistently using healing items and curing status conditions?
* Are you checking Pichu’s friendship level with the Friendship Checker NPC to monitor progress?
* Make sure you have a Soothe Bell equipped.
* **Pichu Not Evolving:** If Pichu’s friendship is high but it’s not evolving, ensure that you are leveling it up during the daytime in your specific game version (Sun or Moon). A Rare Candy used at night will not trigger the evolution, even with maximum friendship.
**Additional Tips and Tricks**
* **Rotom Power:** In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you can receive Rotom Powers that can boost friendship gain. Check the Rotom Dex frequently for available powers.
* **Pokémon Refresh After Every Battle:** Make it a habit to use Pokémon Refresh after every battle. This helps maintain and increase friendship consistently.
* **Cycle through Methods:** Don’t rely on just one method to increase friendship. Combine battling, feeding berries, and grooming in Pokémon Refresh for the best results.
* **Patience is Key:** Raising friendship takes time and consistent effort. Be patient and persistent, and you’ll eventually see Pichu evolve into Pikachu.
By following these detailed steps, you can successfully evolve your Pichu into Pikachu in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Remember that consistency and care are essential to building a strong bond with your Pokémon. Enjoy your adorable Pikachu!
