Friendship can be increased by keeping a Pokémon in your party (especially if it’s holding the Soothe Bell item) and by feeding it certain Berries. Pokémon that don’t evolve by leveling up can be a bit trickier – many of these have entirely new or unique evolution methods (like Farfetch’d and Galarian Yamask) but most evolve through friendship, trading, or the use of Evolution Stones. For more details on this, see our Leveling Up Guide! You can also use Poké Jobs, Curry, and the EXP Candy obtained from Max Raid Battles to level up your Pokémon outside of battle. Battling high-level wild Pokémon in the Wild Area can also help you gather Experience Points. To get every evolution, you’ll need a consistent way to level up your Pokémon – one option is to take part in the Champion Cup, where you’ll battle some of the game’s highest-level Pokémon. Max Raid Battles are usually best attempted in groups, and if you join another player’s Max Raid Battle you might even be able to capture a Pokémon exclusive to their version of the game! After you’ve become the Pokémon League Champion you’ll earn Watts much more quickly from Max Raid Dens, so this will be much easier than it was in the early game. Many of the Pokémon you’ll need can be found in Max Raid Battles – while Gigantamax forms aren’t necessary to complete your Pokédex, Max Raid Battles are still a good way to catch evolved Pokémon, earn EXP Candy, and earn Watts to buy extra Poké Balls with. At this stage of the game, Quick Balls are probably your best bet for capturing large numbers of Pokémon quickly – you’ll find these for sale in Wyndon City, or from one of the Watt Traders within the Wild Area. Capturing these makes your job a lot easier, as you’ll be able to get Pokémon in their final evolutionary stages without having to level up weaker Pokémon. You’ll now be able to take on and capture the “strong-looking” roaming Pokémon you may have encountered earlier. Be sure to visit here as often as possible, as the available range of wild Pokémon will vary with the weather and time of day. The bulk of your work will most likely take place in the Wild Area, where the majority of the Galar region’s Pokémon species can be found. Remember this guy’s location for later – after you’ve completed the Pokédex, he’ll also award you with the Shiny Charm! Talk to the Director in this room, and he’ll give you a Catching Charm. You’ll find the Catching Charm at the Hotel Ionia in Circhester – enter the building to the left, then go upstairs and enter the leftmost room. This boosts your chance of getting a critical capture, which will make catching Pokémon much easier.
First of all, make sure you have the Catching Charm on hand.