Pokemon Scarlet & Violet player honors anime with “power of friendship”

Ezequiel Leis
Aliquis and Meowscarada in Pokemon anime

Friendship with Pokemon has become an important part of the mainline games including Scarlet and Violet, and a player shared the perfect example of its benefits.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet brought many new elements to the iconic franchise, but it also kept some of the key features that make Pokemon games so popular. Trainers can tackle classic Gyms to be the very best but also take part in other activities, like Tera Raids, defeating Titan Pokemon, challenging not one but two Elite Fours, and much more.

Scarlet and Violet players can also set picnics almost anywhere in Paldea, Kitakami, or the Blueberry Academy’s Terarium to play with their Pokemon, eat Sandwiches, and more. And while it’s a fun activity on its own, it also helps increase the friendship level with their Pokemon.

Some Pokemon require a certain level of friendship to evolve, but a player shared other things the power of friendship can do in the game.

Reddit user ‘AnIvysaurLover’ stated “Friendship > Strength” and shared a video where their Meowscarada, nicknamed Dandelion, resisted being knocked out three times in a row thanks to its friendship level. The Pokemon “toughed it out” so the OP wouldn’t feel sad, hanging on at 1 HP during an intense battle against a Feraligatr.

Other trainers quickly joined the post to comment things like “The power of friendship is OP, plz nerf” and “How? I’ve never seen 3 Inna Row! Lol, that was nutty!” Another Reddit user commented, “I had no idea confusion could be survived through the friendship mechanic.”

One amazed player also wondered: “Imagine if this s**t was in VGC,” to which another replied: “I would love to see people’s reactions to that.”

Pokemon trainer with his Pokemon team on picnic
The best way to increase the friendship level is by setting picnic tables in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

A quick player pointed out that “This is literally the anime,” and many agreed that some epic battles felt that way for sure when watching Ash battle tough opponents. Ultimately, most players agreed that “the power of friendship is real.”

On another note, some players mentioned they don’t like this feature, to which one trainer replied: “Friendship bonus is optional just avoid making sandwiches and cleaning your Pokemon, friendship is capped and the only way to break it is doing these things.”

If you’re looking for more Pokemon content, make sure to check out how to beat the Empoleon Tera Raid in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, everything you need to know about the Pokemon Go Lunar New Year 2024 event, or where to buy the Shiny Tera Charizard ex tin of the latest Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates set.