Question regarding Happiness values

[RattataGuy]

When a pokemon is caught in wild it has an initial happiness value that matches their base happiness value of 70. Hatched pokemon are born with a happiness of 120.

What I'm not clear about is whether that value of 120 is just an initial value set, or if hatched pokemon have a new base value of 120 that would overwrite that value of 70.

Simply put, does that mean that hatched pokemon will always have a base value of 120? For example, let's say that I hatched a brand new Eevee. When I put it into a storage box, is the happiness set to 70 or is it set to 120 instead?

Oh yes, another question. I remember hearing that sometime during Generation II, I think it was Crystal, bringing a pokemon into the location where it hatched had a positive effect on its happiness. I'd like to verify if that was true or if it was only a rumor.

[rinku]

The 70/120 values you refer to are the *initial* happiness settings. After the capture or hatch event, happiness is only dependant to what is done to the pokémon. Returning them to the box has NO effect on their happiness rating, unless it has been changed (which I strongly doubt - we'd have heard about it by now!). The thing about happiness increase being higher in the pokemon's native area is something I've heard, but never tested. You definitely get double happiness with the Soothe Bell. Vitamins are probably the easiest way to quickly boost happiness; Emerald is the cheapest source for them, from the Battle Frontier - 1 battle point per vitamin - but obviously importing them into 4th edition will be a slow process.

Note that capture with a Luxury ball sets the inital happiness at a higher level (120?).

[Jeff]

Battle points can also be obtained at the Battle Tower in DP, and vitamins can be bought for 1 BP a piece there too. Note that pokemon gain happiness just by being in the party (256 steps = 1 happiness point without soothe bell) so if you heard that pokemon should be left in the party to gain happiness, that's what was meant. When pokemon do have their happiness reset is when they are traded, and for that I don't know if the luxury ball/being hatched has any effect on what their happiness gets reset to.

[Poryhedron]

A pokémon's happiness goes up by a certain amount when it earns a levelup. In Crystal Version, that levelup bonus to happiness was doubled if the levelup happened in the area where the pokémon hatched. I'm not sure if that's still true today.

[rinku]

AFAIK the level up bonus is only a point or two - steps taken are MUCH more significant.

Good to hear that cheap vitamins are still available at the Battle Tower!

And there are massage options as well, naturally.

Pretty sure the luxury ball has no effect on trades.