If you’ve always wanted to take your favorite Pokemon around as a pet and an ally, Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure is for you. Playing off years worth of requests from users, Niantic has finally implemented a Pokemon Go Buddy system for its hot mobile game. What is Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure, and how does it work? Read on to find out.
Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure | What is Buddy Adventure?
Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure is a new feature in Pokemon Go that allows users to choose a Pokemon that can tag along with them. It’s almost like having a pet or a digital familiar: You can interact with your Buddy Pokemon, feed it snacks, and take it into battle. Buddy Pokemon can walk around the map with you as you explore the world, and can even help catch other Pokemon.
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Ever since the Pokemon series first launched, Trainers have been building relationships with their little pocket monsters. Today, it only makes sense that they’d also be able to choose one to keep around as a Buddy, especially considering just about everyone has a favorite Pokemon. Thanks to the augmented reality-based design of Pokemon Go, this means players can interact with their Buddy Pokemon in a way that makes them feel as if it’s right beside them.
Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure | How does Buddy Pokemon Work?
Buddy Pokemon aren’t just pets: They also serve a purpose in driving Trainers toward new opportunities, both in-game and out. Speaking in a post featured on the Pokemon Go Live website, the Pokemon Go team explained how Buddy Pokemon can help make the game a more personal and meaningful experience.
“When the Buddy Pokémon feature was first released, we introduced the ability for Trainers to walk with their buddy to get Candy, which encourages exercise,” the post reads. “Buddy Adventure will feature more discovery and exploration mechanics than ever before. Upon reaching a certain Buddy Level, buddies will be able to alert their Trainers whenever an interesting PokéStop is nearby. The upcoming shared AR mode creates a meaningful real-world social experience by letting up to three Trainers place their Pokémon in the same space and take a photo together.”
Naturally, the Buddy Pokemon system also has its own growth component. By completing activities with their Buddy, Trainers can eventually increase their bond through four distinct levels: Good Buddies will show up on the map view, Great Buddies have a chance to help out in battle and find new items, Ultra Buddies will alert Trainers to nearby points of interest, and Best Buddies get a special Best Buddy Ribbon and a CP boost while in combat.
The bond between Buddy Pokemon and Trainer can be increased by taking part in various activities. These include walking together, playing together, battling together, visiting new places, taking snapshots, and feeding the Buddy treats. These activities also have a chance to increase the Buddy’s mood, and when the Buddy Pokemon’s mood raises to Excited levels, they won’t need to go as far to find Candy, and Trainers will earn double hearts per action.
Pokemon Go Buddy Adventure | When does it release?
Unfortunately, there is no firm date for when Buddy Adventure will arrive in Pokemon Go. The development team has indicated that the feature will arrive “by 2020,” which has led to a bit of confusion: Some believe the feature will launch before 2020, while others believe it will arrive in 2020. We’re inclined to believe it will launch during 2020, which means it technically may not launch for another full calendar year.
Still, Pokemon Go fans have waited many years for something like the Buddy Adventure system to land in-game, so another few months isn’t too bad. And, judging by the enthusiasm offered by the game’s developers, Buddy Pokemon will be one of the most interesting and perhaps endearing ways of getting to know the game’s ever-popular pocket monsters.
