Buneary begins with a base friendship of zero, the lowest in the game, making its evolution into Lopunny a unique challenge. Streamlining the process through café visits and the Soothe Bell reduces hours of effort into mere minutes.

Locating and catching Buneary in wild zone 6

Wild Zone 6 unlocks after Main Mission 6 in Jaune Sector 12 of Lumiose City. Heading north from the southern entrance, cross the wooden bridge over the shallow pool. Groups of Buneary spawn consistently on the adjacent higher terrain during both day and night cycles. ​

Boosting friendship through café visits

Visiting any café with Buneary as the active party member provides the fastest friendship gains. Enter a café, confirm Buneary’s icon in the bottom-left ordering screen, purchase any drink, then exit immediately. Each visit yields significant friendship increases. ​

Step 1: Acquire the Soothe Bell

Complete Side Mission 036 “Some Friendly Competition” at Café Rouleau, unlocked around Main Mission 13. Defeat NPC Chou’s two-Pokémon team to receive the Soothe Bell, which doubles all future friendship gains.​

Step 2: Equip Buneary

In the menu’s party screen, select Buneary, choose “Give Item,” and equip the Soothe Bell.

Step 3: Repeat café visits

With the Soothe Bell, four café visits suffice; without it, six to eight are required. Each visit involves ordering a drink and immediately leaving.

Step 4: Trigger evolution

A glowing arrow icon beside Buneary’s portrait indicates evolution readiness. Select Buneary, choose “Evolve,” and watch it transform into Lopunny without leveling up.​

What you’ll see when evolution is ready

Indicator Meaning
Glowing arrow next to Buneary’s icon Indicates eligible for evolution
Evolve option appears in party menu You may now choose to evolve
No additional level-up required Because evolution depends on friendship, not level

Additional friendship methods and tracking progress

Passive friendship gains occur by exploring with Buneary active, breaking Mega Crystal shards, battling, or using vitamins and berries—all slower than café visits. Checking friendship through the NPC at Pokémon-Amie Café after Side Mission 025 provides qualitative feedback but relies on the arrow icon for precise evolution status.

Lopunny’s strengths post-evolution

Lopunny retains Normal typing with a base stat total of 480, emphasizing Speed and Attack. Mega Evolution unlocks Fighting typing and boosts stats further after Main Mission 10. Coverage moves like High Jump Kick, Return, and elemental punches make Lopunny a versatile asset.

Focusing on cafés and the Soothe Bell transforms Buneary’s evolution from an endurance test into an efficient four-visit routine. This approach ensures a quick transition to Lopunny, freeing trainers to pursue other team-building goals without prolonged grinding.