With the highly anticipated new feature that comes with the recent update of the super popular mobile game by Niantic, Pokemon GO, now officially released according to Heavy, players are eager to learn what this "Buddy Pokemon" system is about. Understanding what the hype in this new feature is about, we are given the premise of setting a Pokemon to walk with you via your in-game avatar for the primary purpose of getting candies you could use to strengthen or evolve your Pokemon.
Luckily for players, setting a buddy Pokemon does not mean the choice is permanent-players are given the power to choose which Pokemon they could buddy with at whim. However, players should take into consideration that switching between Pokemon as buddies can have detrimental effect to the progress of the existing buddy Pokemon. This means that if you have already walked a certain kilometer, close to getting a candy on a certain Pokemon, and you choose to switch to another buddy, you will lose all progress you had with your previous buddy. The best time to switch a buddy Pokemon to another is soon after you got your candy - the primary reason you are buddying with your Pokemon to begin with. Moreover, the reason you should also be switching your buddy from time to time is to get more candies, as mentioned at Press KS, which you could no longer do or no longer in need at with the previous.
If this new Pokemon GO feature is still new to you and something you are clueless about still at this point, here is how you could switch between Pokemon to make a buddy with:
- Click on the button that is the face of your character at the bottom-left portion of the screen
- Hit another button, this time at the bottom-right portion of the screen, that has three lines in it as the icon
- Select "Buddy"
- In another button to the bottom-right portion of the screen, hit the icon with double arrows
- The system will prompt you a question verifying your choice to swap a buddy
- Choose the option "yes"
- Select the Pokemon you would want as your new buddy.
While getting candies would be relatively easier for Pokemon that are common, the Pokemon GO buddy system is at its best utilization with less common or rare Pokemon as it will enable you, as the player, to get in-game candies that can be used to strengthen or otherwise evolve your Pokemon faster.
