Pokémon Legends: Z‑A Soothe Bell — unlock steps, location, and uses

The Soothe Bell is the simplest way to speed up Friendship gains in Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, which matters if you’re trying to evolve Pokémon like Riolu, Eevee, Pichu, and others without grinding battles. Here’s when it becomes available, exactly where to pick it up, and how to make the most of it once you have it.

Soothe Bell unlock requirements and location

• Advance the story until Main Mission 14: Reaching Rank E.
• After you’ve beaten Canari in a Ranked Battle, Side Mission 36 (“Some Friendly Competition”) appears at Café Rouleau.

• Head to Café Rouleau on the western side of Lumiose City, near the corner between Wild Zone 9 and Wild Zone 10 (Estival Avenue).
• Speak to Chou outside the café to start the side mission.

Completing this short task awards the Soothe Bell.

How to complete “Some Friendly Competition”

The objective is straightforward: defeat the NPC’s team in a battle outside Café Rouleau. Expect a Clefairy and a Lopunny. Win the battle, finish the mission, and the Soothe Bell is yours.

What the Soothe Bell does and how to equip it

The Soothe Bell is a held item that increases the amount of Friendship a Pokémon earns from Friendship‑granting activities. It doesn’t add Friendship on its own; it multiplies gains from things you’re already doing (like battling without fainting or visiting cafés).

• Equip it from the inventory screen by assigning it to the Pokémon you want to evolve.

• Move it to another Pokémon once you’ve reached the desired Friendship threshold.

How to increase Friendship quickly

You’ll accrue Friendship gradually just by playing, but there are faster options when you need to evolve something now.

• Passive play: Keep the Pokémon in your party, use it in battle, and avoid letting it faint.

• Items:
  • Exp. Candy adds levels and contributes to Friendship along the way.
  • Vitamins (such as Iron, Protein) become available later in shops and help speed progress.
  • Certain Berries boost Friendship while reducing base points in a specific stat. Choose one that drops a stat that doesn’t matter for that Pokémon’s role. A Berry stall sits in Magenta Sector 6, north of Wild Zone 9 (left‑hand stall).
• Cafés (fastest): Visiting any café and paying for a drink grants a noticeable Friendship increase. You don’t need to linger—once seated, you can exit and it still counts.
  • Expect roughly four café visits from low Friendship to reach the evolution threshold for Pokémon like Riolu or Eevee without the Soothe Bell.
  • With the Soothe Bell equipped, it typically drops to about three visits.

How to check Friendship

The game won’t show the exact number, but you can get a check after a short progression step:

• Finish Side Mission 25 (“Troublesome Patrons”) at Café Pokémon‑Amie in Magenta Sector 4 to reopen the café.

• Inside, speak to the woman seated across from a Roselia to gauge your Pokémon’s Friendship level.

Pokémon that evolve with Friendship

These evolutions require reaching a high Friendship level (and in some cases, a time or move condition) before leveling up.

Once you reach Rank E and unlock “Some Friendly Competition,” pick up the Soothe Bell at Café Rouleau and keep it on the one Pokémon you’re targeting. A few café visits are usually enough from a low starting point; rotate the bell to the next evolution target and repeat.