How to easily get Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO (April 2024)

Players often wonder how to easily get Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO. In Niantic's mobile game, you can have your favorite Pocket Monster accompany you on your journey through the game's map. This unique feature, known as the Buddy feature, allows players to interact with their chosen Pokemon by petting it, feeding it, having it collect items, and much more as they embark on their Pokemon adventure around town.

Once you have chosen a buddy for yourself, you can ultimately increase your friendship level with that particular creature by fulfilling a host of activities to become Best Buddies with it.

This article will tell you how to easily get Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO.

Pokemon GO Best Buddy guide

Once you reach Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO, your Buddy will get a badge (Image via Niantic)

At the outset, you can share four different levels of friendship with your Pokemon buddy in the mobile game, with Best Buddy being the highest level. Each level will unlock a new set of perks and benefits. Here are the different buddy levels and associated benefits:

Good Buddy: Your buddy will have a readable mood + it will follow you around the map.
Great Buddy: Your buddy may sometime come to assist you while catching new wild Pokemon + it will get you presents which may come in handy during regular gameplay
Ultra Buddy: Your buddy will be able to find locations (Pokestops) with extra rewards when spun + it will bring you souvenirs, which are collectible cosmetic items.
Best Buddy: Your buddy will have a special ribbon on them that you can show off to everyone + when taken into battles, your buddy will have boosted Combat Power (CP).

To unlock these buddy levels, you must collect a certain number of Affection Hearts, which you can earn by interacting with your Buddy and going about Pokemon GO with that particular creature. The number of Affection Hearts needed increases with increasing buddy levels, as follows:

Good Buddy: 1 Affection Heart
Great Buddy: 70 Affection Hearts
Ultra Buddy: 150 Affection Hearts
Best Buddy: 300 Affection Hearts

How to get Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO

Feeding your Buddy regularly is a must to reach Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO (Image via Nianti

To attain this level of friendship. Each day, you earn a maximum of 10 hearts, which will take at least 30 days to attain this status when you play Pokemon GO consistently.

The following tasks will help you earn the Affection Hearts, that ultimately help you reach Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO:

Walking together: Each 2km you walk with your buddy earns you one Heart. (Limit: 4 Hearts/day)
Giving a treat to your Buddy: Giving your buddy three berries when it is at zero earns you one Heart (Limit: 4 Hearts/day)
Playing together: Tapping and petting your buddy till they get excited earns you one Heart. (Limit: 2 Hearts/day)
Battling together: Having your buddy participate in any battle earns you one Heart. (Limit: 2 Hearts/day)
Taking a snapshot of your Buddy: Each snapshot you take of your buddy earns you one Heart. (Limit: 2 Hearts/day)
Visiting a new place with your Buddy: Every new location you discover with your buddy grants you a Heart. (Limit: 2 Hearts/day)

This might seem like a long process for some Pokemon GO players. There is an alternative option that is slightly faster but will take a little time to set up. If your Buddy's mood is 'Excited,' you can earn twice the number of Affection Hearts daily, which will hasten things up.

To get your Buddy in an 'Excited' mood, you can do the following things:

Visit a new location
Walk 2 km
Feed your Buddy
Play with your Buddy
Take a Snapshot of the Buddy
Open a Souvenir / Present
Visit a Location discovered by your Buddy

By following this guide, you can easily get Best Buddy status in Pokemon GO with a critter of your choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1) What does Best Buddy status do in Pokemon GO?

Best Buddy status in Pokemon Go gives your buddy a permanent CP boost and a ribbon to show off your strong bond.

Q2) How do you tell if a Pokemon is a Best Buddy?

There are two ways to identify a Best Buddy in Pokemon Go. The first is a visual cue: a special ribbon will be displayed around your buddy on the map screen. Additionally, Best Buddies gain a permanent CP boost when set as your buddy.

Q3) Do Pokemon lose Best Buddy status?

No. Once your Pokemon reaches Best Buddy status in Pokemon Go, it stays a Best Buddy forever. You can switch buddies without affecting this permanent achievement.

Q4) Which Pokemon can evolve by being a Buddy?

Several Pokemon in Pokemon GO can only evolve by completing tasks while they're your buddy.

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