The Buddy System in Pokémon Go is slowly being rolled out (with no sign of an iOS release just yet) and while the big update seems simple enough, there’s a lot that many players might not know about it.
Niantic created the Buddy System to help trainers obtain more species-specific Pokémon candy.
Before this, the only way to obtain these Pokémon candy was to capture the Pokémon or hatch them. These candies are used to power up and evolve certain Pokémon and with the Buddy System in place, filling up your Pokedexes is easier than ever.
We compiled some steps to getting started with the brand new Buddy System for Pokémon Go and how to choose which Pokémon to become your partner.
GETTING STARTED
Once the update is downloaded, click your trainer profile in the bottom-left corner. From there, press the menu button on the bottom-right corner and select “Buddy.”
Then press the button on the bottom-right corner and select your desired Pokémon. You can’t choose a Pokémon that is in a Gym or one that is fainted. Everyone else is eligible.
When you have chosen your buddy Pokémon, the icon will appear next to your trainer’s icon on the bottom-right corner and a gauge will fill as you walk. The rate at which it fills is the same as your eggs, and the speed of your walking is a factor (don’t play Pokémon Go and drive) as well so keep that in mind.
How far you have to walk with your buddy Pokémon depends on the species. Each Pokémon can only find one candy per needed distance, no matter if it’s a fully evolved Pokémon or not.
The distance of all the Pokémon can be found once you press the Pokémon in the trainer profile but here’s a complete list of Pokémon broken down by distance needed to gain a candy.
WHO TO CHOOSE
Pokémon Go has a lot of tough decisions for trainers to make. Who to choose as your starter, which team to align yourself with. Well, choosing your buddy Pokémon is another critical choice you will have to make.
The best part is you can change your buddy Pokémon whenever you want simply by going to your buddy Pokémon’s profile and pressing the button on the bottom right corner.
Be warned: switching your Pokémon will lose any progress you made towards a new candy.
Now, there are two ways to think about who to choose as your partner Pokémon. The first is if you are simply looking to collect and fill your Pokedex.
If this is you, select a Pokémon that you need to evolve to gain the Pokedex entry for its evolved form. Have a Geodude, but not a Graveler and Golem? Choose Geodude and rack up enough candies to evolve it twice.
This is also the easiest way to gain candies for Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. The Starter Pokémon are some of the toughest to find in Pokémon Go so use one as your buddy and watch the candy roll in.
If you are a Pokémon Go player who wants to gain the strongest Pokémon to take over any Gym you desire, then you may want to buddy up with a Pokémon you want to make stronger.
Have a Dragonite but want to strengthen it even further? Buddy up with any of the Dratini line and bring in the candy to raise the Command Points (CP) of your desired Dragonite.
Want to go even further? The new Appraisal Feature helps trainers figure out the Individual Values (IVs) of specific Pokémon. We have an Appraisal Guide to help trainers find out the strengths of their Pokémon, and there is an automated version from SilphRoad.
After inputting the necessary information, SilphRoad will calculate your Pokémon’s IVs. Go ahead and try it out; it may help you figure out what Pokémon to choose.
So do you have the Buddy System update? What Pokémon did you choose? Sound off in the comments section below.
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