Pokemon GO: Player Tips & Tricks For Quickly Getting To Best Buddy Status

"Pokémon GO" is still going strong all these years later since its July 2016 launch — even with a drop in its original player base, the game remains popular overall. Since September 2016, the game has offered players the opportunity to walk around with a Buddy Pokémon as a way to earn candy, but there's more to it.

For starters, each Buddy ranking comes with its own set of rewards. With just one affection, Good Buddies can show mood, which is a different mechanism than affection with no direct correlation on Buddy level. That being said, reaching the Excited mood does temporarily lead to a doubling of affection and a doubling of the daily affection cap, so it is worth paying attention to, so gamers can expedite their journey to Best Buddy status.

A big step up, Great Buddies with 70+ affection offer a 20% chance to rebound failed catches, as well as the ability to bring trainers potions, bundles of berries, and revive presents, which in turn lead to more affection — a win-win. Ultra Buddies (150+ affection), can get extra items and affection from PokéStops, plus the ability to present trainers with Souvenirs, which also unlock more affection. Finally, Best Buddies get a one-level CP boost, as well as a Best Buddy ribbon, a badge of honor only available to those with 300 affection or greater.

So, how does one gather all this affection quickly? Know the mechanics and play every single day.

As of December 2019, "Pokémon GO" has Buddy Adventure, which offers trainers the chance to engage in a daily array of activities to garner affection. Options include visiting a new PokéStop, walking two km, playing and taking snapshots in AR mode, feeding the buddy a treat, battling together, and, as previously mentioned, special occasions when the Buddy brings the trainer a souvenir or present.

For those hoping to get a host of Best Buddies, it's recommended by seasoned "Pokémon Go" players to swap out buddies daily and max out as many of their affection stats as possible. While placing a buddy in a gym, transferring it, or trading it will reset its stats, swapping out a buddy has no effect on its net affection, so swapping is an efficient means to level up Buddy status quickly. Some other tips players should keep in mind include swapping Buddies up to 20 times daily, as well as the fact that poffins lead to an automatic excited state, thus opening the possibility for double affection. With this approach, going from zero to Best Buddy Status will only take about two weeks.

Getting to Best Buddy status with one's favorite Pokémon is an honor worth celebrating. After all, with the continued celebration of "Pokémon GO" Fest in 2023, it's clear the game remains a hit with plenty of exciting avenues to explore.