In a coastal house on Route 213 lives Dr. Footstep, a strange practitioner who can evaluate how your Pokémon feel about you (known as their Friendship or Happiness stat). He can do this just by examining their footprints.
He even has a special Ribbon to award to Pokémon who share the deepest level of bond with their trainers.
This guide explains all the ways you can interact with Dr. Footstep to determine your Pokémon’s Friendship—including translations of all of the dozens of quotes he uses—as well as how to get your hands on the rare Footprint Ribbon.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Finding Dr. Footstep
Dr. Footstep’s house isn’t in an out-of-the-way location, and you’ve passed by it a few times if you have been to Pastoria City: it’s just to the east of town on Route 213.
The quickest way to reach the house is to start in Pastoria City and head east past the Great Marsh.
Then continue east and pass through the gate to Route 213.
Keep going east after emerging on the other side of the gate.
When the path curves to the south, follow it onto the beach.
Keep an eye to the west and you’ll see a house there with a sign in front of it. Head inside.
You’ll find Dr. Footstep standing on the rug inside.
Checking Friendship
Dr. Footstep’s appraisal of your Pokémon is odd.
Basically, he can tell how fond a Pokémon is of its trainer by examining its Footprint after it walks by, “translating” the footprints into actual words of “dialogue” from the Pokémon.
The weirdness of Dr. Footstep’s Friendship-checking method isn’t important.
What matters is that it somehow works.
To use it, place the Pokémon you want to get examined into the first slot in your party, then talk to Dr. Footstep.
From here, Dr. Footstep will tell you to have your Pokémon walk in front of him.
Dr. Footstep doesn’t tell you specific Friendship numbers, but you can determine the number range based on the words he says during his appraisal.
Keep in mind that he has around 40 quotes he uses depending on which type of Pokémon he’s rating.
You can find out what each Footstep quote says about your Pokémon’s Friendship level by skipping down to the “All Dr. Footstep Quotes” section in this guide.
Truthfully, Dr. Footstep’s Friendship evaluations aren’t overly helpful. Since there are faster, less complicated methods of checking Friendship that don’t require you to wade through pages of cryptic dialogue to find an answer.
A better reason to visit Dr. Footstep is to get his exclusive Footprint Ribbon.
The Footprint Ribbon
If your Pokémon is at max Friendship (255) when you bring it to Dr. Footstep, he will remark specifically on how uncommonly strong your bond is.
To reward such a strong relationship between Pokémon and trainer, Dr. Footstep will give your Pokémon a special accolade: the Footprint Ribbon.
As one of the 39 Ribbons your Pokémon can earn in Platinum, the Footprint Ribbon will stay permanently affixed to your Pokémon – even after trading or transferring it to another game or Generation.
How Dr. Footstep Works
One of the strangest things about Dr. Footstep is his roundabout way of telling you your Pokémon’s Friendship level.
As mentioned previously, Dr. Footstep tells you what your Pokémon is supposedly feeling in its own words, leaving it up to you to interpret their meaning.
Further complicating matters is that Pokémon brought to Dr. Footstep are sorted into one of these five groups:
- Cute Pokémon
- Tough Pokémon
- Scary Pokémon
- Slow Pokémon
- Voiceless Pokémon
…which are then split into two more distinctions:
- Pokémon with footprints
- Pokémon without footprints (yes, famed footprint expert Dr. Footstep can figure out a Pokémon’s Friendship level even if it has no footprints)
Pokémon will “say” different things depending on which groups they belong to.
For instance, even if a Clefairy and an Onix are both at the medium Friendship rank (150-199 points), their feelings will be worded differently:
- Clefairy (Cute/Footprints): “This adventure with [player] is lots of fun. [nickname] gets to go places where I can’t go by myself. I get to battle Pokémon I’ve never ever seen before. I’m gonna get stronger and stronger for [player]!”
- Onix (Tough/No Footprints): “Did [nickname] get stronger? Who is responsible for making me so? Is it [player]’s doing? Is the Trainer owed my thanks?”
By using Dr. Footstep’s quotes to determine which Friendship “Level” the Pokémon is currently at, you can find out the Friendship stat range of the Pokémon by consulting the table below.
| Level | Friendship Range |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0-69 |
| 2 | 70-149 |
| 3 | 150-199 |
| 4 | 200-254 |
| 5 | 255 |
Using the Clefairy and Onix example, the quotes reveal both Pokémon’s Friendship to be Level 3, which sits between 150 and 199.
In the sections below are the full lists of Dr. Footstep’s appraisal quotes for each group, as well as which Friendship Level each quote signifies. Use them in conjunction with the table above to determine your Pokémon’s friendship level range.
All Dr. Footstep Quotes
Pokémon With Footprints
| Dr. Footstep Quotes for Pokémon With Footprints | |
|---|---|
| Level | Quote |
| Cute Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Aww… [player] only plays with other Pokémon… [nickname] feels neglected… Maybe [player] doesn’t like [nickname] very much? [nickname] will try harder for [player]. Please be nicer to me!” |
| 2 | “Others say there are people who aren’t very nice to Pokémon. I wonder about [player]… Will [player] look after [nickname] nicely? Will I get to go all over with this Trainer? Can we be… Friends?” |
| 3 | “This adventure with [player] is lots of fun. [nickname] gets to go places where I can’t go by myself. I get to battle Pokémon I’ve never ever seen before. I’m gonna get stronger and stronger for [player]!” |
| 4 | “[nickname] and [player] make a perfectly matched combo! I’ve seen all sorts of people so far… But [player] understands [nickname]’s feelings most! I’m a little hungry… You can tell, right?” |
| 5 | “If I said there can be friendship between Pokémon and people, will [Pokémon]’s friends understand? But if you see [player] and [nickname], you will understand. Because [player] and [nickname] are friends!” |
| Tough Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Why does [player] use only other Pokémon? Am I not needed much? Would I have been better off if I remained in the wild? No, I should give this Trainer a little more of a chance…” |
| 2 | “Humans can’t understand the cries of Pokémon, nor our feelings. However, there are some among us that understand human speech… Hehehe, [player], you’re not bad for a human.” |
| 3 | “If a Pokémon were to travel alone, it would be limited as to where it could go. But traveling with a human, a Pokémon would be able to travel farther afield to more distant cities and lands. Traveling with [player] has been rewarding and reassuring. And very entertaining…” |
| 4 | “Some wild Pokémon frown upon others for traveling with humans. They jeer that the caught Pokémon have “forgotten the wild.” But that view is mistaken. They have just never met a Trainer who could be a great partner. A great partner like [player], in other words…” |
| 5 | “[player] is… A remarkable human and Trainer. That I can always perform the best any [Pokémon] possibly can… I attribute that entirely to my partner [player]. When we travel, I can see wild Pokémon eyeing us enviously…” |
| Scary Pokémon | |
| 1 | “That [player]… What is that Trainer thinking? Why make me join the team, then call upon me for nothing? Am I considered useless? Is the Trainer regretting having me? Does the Trainer dare disrespect this [Pokémon] so easily?” |
| 2 | “I have little understanding of [player] as a human… [player] may not be too bad, considering that I, an oft-shunned [Pokémon], am one of the team… That said, I don’t intend to be all cheerful around [player]…” |
| 3 | “Our kind prefers to lurk in dark and dank places… But being with [player], even bright and festive places seem less threatening… [player] has a strange charisma…” |
| 4 | “Not for a moment did I think I would be traveling with a human… If my [Pokémon] friends were to see me now, they would be shocked. Or would they be envious of me…?” |
| 5 | “That [player] is the most impressive of humans. It takes a lot to make me, [nickname], sunny and cheerful! As a show of affection, I should chomp down on the Trainer’s neck… Hahaha… Have no fear… I was merely joking…” |
| Slow Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Hnurrrr… Hunh? This is… Where? [player]’s house, is this? It’s not? Hnurrr… If you don’t need me for anything, can I go back to my Ball? Hnurrr…” |
| 2 | “Hnurrr… Me? Uhm… I like to sleep most the time. Oh, I like to eat, too. That’s next. But what I really like is to think. I’m a very deep thinker. When I think about the future of the [Pokémon] species… …Hnurrr…hunh? Oh, I forget where the time goes. Hnurrrr…” |
| 3 | “Hnurrr… Me? Uhm… There are lots of kinds of moves. I like those Dark-type moves, oh, and Dragon-type moves, too… How would they be for this [Pokémon]? Will they be for me? Or a no, no, no sort of thing? Hnurrr…” |
| 4 | “Hnurrr… I don’t know how to begin saying this… I liked living quietly before I met [player]. Sssh. But I’m getting to like traveling with [player]. I think I’m getting sort of funky. Do you think I’m sort of funky? No? No funk for me? Hnurrr…” |
| 5 | “Hnurrr… Me? Uhm… Other Pokémon, they say to me… ‘You’re not thinking, are you?’ How insulting they should say so. It isn’t true what they say. Think, think, think, I do that. All the time, I think hard how to help [player]. I concentrate! Hnurrr…” |
| Voiceless Pokémon | |
| All Levels | “Sssshhnnn… … …Ssshhhnnn… … Ssshhhnnn… …” |
Pokémon Without Footprints
| Dr. Footstep Quotes for Pokémon Without Footprints | |
|---|---|
| Level | Quote |
| Cute Pokémon | |
| 1 | “[nickname] is bored… Play with me more, more… [nickname] and [player], let’s play nicer…” |
| 2 | “Gonna go with [player] all over the place… Be nice to [nickname]… Warm and cuddly…” |
| 3 | “[nickname] get strong, make [player] happy. Round ones, square ones, triangle ones, wobbly ones… [nickname] wants to see different kinds of Pokémon…” |
| 4 | “[nickname] and [player] make a friendly combo. [player]’s feelings, [nickname] can understand. [nickname]’s feelings, [player] understands!” |
| 5 | “[player] makes [nickname] very proud! [Pokémon] boasts to friends about [player]! [player] and [nickname] are best of friends!” |
| Tough Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Does [player] intend to ignore me forever? Give me more opportunities for me to shine…” |
| 2 | “If a Pokémon is treated as a friend, it will return the sentiments. We grow fonder of humans that treat us with kindness… Does [player] even like [nickname]?” |
| 3 | “Did [nickname] get stronger? Who is responsible for making me so? Is it [player]’s doing? Is the Trainer owed my thanks?” |
| 4 | “[player] and [nickname] are alike in some ways. In humanspeak, we match up well. Does [player] think so, too?” |
| 5 | “[player] is very impressive, especially for a human. The Trainer lets [nickname] use every bit of power properly. It is a shame that [player] is only a human…” |
| Scary Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Wooooooh… [nickname] has nothing to do… Keep me too bored, and I’m liable to sneak up and bite…” |
| 2 | “Is there any human that would grow to like us [Pokémon]? Well? Does [player] like [nickname]? [nickname] doesn’t like… Well, no, maybe not…” |
| 3 | “[player] treats me, [nickname], nicely without being scared. But [nickname] will be even scarier from now on. That’s what we [Pokémon] do…” |
| 4 | “[nickname] is starting to forget a little about being in the wild… But [nickname] isn’t feeling sad. It’s never boring with [player]…” |
| 5 | “There are no Pokémon that dislike humans… Only humans that dislike Pokémon… We [Pokémon] are especially shunned… But [player] always treats me as a friend and partner…” |
| Slow Pokémon | |
| 1 | “Hnurrr… I did not know that? I really don’t? What is this? I don’t know what to say? Hnurrr…” |
| 2 | “Hnurrr… Well, I… I think I’m motivated. As motivated as the average. But it’s not so simple as that. Hnurrr…” |
| 3 | “Hnurrr… How should I say this? We both look out for each other. That’s what we try to do, I think. That is for the best. Hnurrrr…” |
| 4 | “Hnurrr… How do I say? How should I describe us? We are the sound of both hands clapping. [player] and I are together in synchronicity like twins. Hnurrr…” |
| 5 | “Hnurrr… What is left to say, I say? We have come so far now, where can we go but to see this through? Hall of Fame… Words so sweet fall from my mouth. Hnurrr…” |
| Voiceless Pokémon | |
| All | “Sssshhnnn… … …Ssshhhnnn… … Ssshhhnnn… …” |
Note: All Voiceless Pokémon say just one thing, regardless of Friendship: “Sssshhnnn… … …Ssshhhnnn… … Ssshhhnnn… …”
Because of this, the Friendship Level of Voiceless Pokémon cannot be appraised; however, Voiceless Pokémon will still earn the Footprint Ribbon if their Friendship is maxed.
Guide Navigation
-
Pokémon Platinum
- Dr. Footstep: Location + All Quotes (Pokémon Platinum)
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The Definitive Berry Guide for Pokémon Platinum
Pokémon Platinum Pokétch: How To Get It + All App Locations
Every Arceus Plate in Pokémon Platinum (All Locations)
Getting Max Friendship in Pokémon Platinum (Best Methods)
Pokémon Platinum Name Rater (How To Change Pokémon Nicknames)
All Wild Pokémon with Held Items (Pokémon Platinum)
Best Ways To Check Friendship (Pokémon Platinum)
Pokémon Platinum Vs. Recorder: Location + How To Use It