Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure – how it works, more

Pokemon Go is prepared to introduce a long-awaited feature to the game that will allow your favorite Pokemon to walk alongside you in the game.

For those of you out there who always wanted a Squirtle, Pikachu, or any other creature to walk alongside you in Pokemon Go, the wait is almost over.

On December 17, Niantic dropped the curtain on the upcoming Buddy Adventure update that will allow a Pokemon to come out of its Pokeball and walk beside you as you play the game.

This is a nice feature to have since you’re already walking around with the app open so why not have your favorite Pokemon alongside you as you play?

When does the Buddy Update come out?

If you’re looking to get your hands on this update, it’s worth mentioning that we still have some time to wait as Niantic says it will be released globally to players beginning in early 2020, with no concrete date being given.

• Read More: Which other Gen 5 species are coming next?

With that said, 2020 is pretty much upon us so the wait shouldn’t end up being all that long.

How does Buddy Adventure work?

It’s quite simple really, as all players will have to do is pick a Pokemon to have walk alongside them and that’s it. As an added bonus, there will be a shared experience that will allow a friend to appear in the same world as you so you can see your buddy’s Pokemon too.

• Read More: Pokemon Go: Virizion raid guide

You will be able to interact with your Pokemon and raise its Buddy level, a bit similar to how it works in Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee. There will be four different stages you can reach, each one offering more benefits than the last.

• Good Buddy: Your buddy can join you on your map view! You’ll also see how your buddy feels on the buddy profile page.
• Great Buddy: Having a hard time catching a Pokémon? Your buddy may help you out in Pokémon encounters! It can also bring you items that can help you in your Pokémon GO journey.
• Ultra Buddy: Your buddy will help you explore the world around you by letting you know about interesting places nearby! Your buddy will also bring you Souvenirs, which you can keep track of on the buddy profile page.
• Best Buddy: Become Best Buddies, and your buddy will sport a Best Buddy Ribbon to show off to everyone just how close you two are! Pokémon that you’re Best Buddies with can get a CP boost in combat as long as they’re still assigned as your Buddy Pokémon.

You can raise affection for your Pokemon just by doing things with it like walking, battling, or feeding berries. When your Pokemon is in its best mood, you’ll unlock a variety of bonuses such as the following:

• The distance it takes for your buddy to find Candy will be cut in half.
• The number of hearts earned per action will double.
• Trainers can earn bonus hearts!

You can read about all this and more in the Pokemon GO blog post that was released to coincide with this announcement.