Does walking with your Pokémon increase friendship in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

A number of Pokémon in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl require high friendship to evolve. The list includes such high-ticket Pokémon as Budew, Chingling, and Eevee if you want Umbreon or Sylveon. Friendship hacks for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are therefore highly discussed, but there’s one simple method that’s getting under-discussed: going on a walk with your Pokémon.

In this writer’s own experience playing, we’ve found that once we’ve walked for about an hour with one of my Pokémon and then checked our friendship levels in the Pokétch, there will be a heart where one was not there before. In other words, having Pokémon walk made a huge difference. It seems that taking Chingling for a walk was even the instigator for it evolving into Chimecho.

Of course, walking alone won’t solve the friendship conundrum. But it works beautifully in tandem with other methods like keeping Pokémon in your party, feeding it the kinds of Poffins it likes, giving it massages in Veilstone City, and feeding it vitamins.

To unlock the ability to walk with a Pokémon, you’ll need to have gone for a stroll in Amity Square in Hearthome City. Afterward, any Pokémon in your party can walk by your side, wherever you go. From the Pokémon menu, simply choose “walk together,” and then your Pokémon will follow you on your adventures.