The much-anticipated Pokemon Go update has been released in the UK – and now you can buddy up with your favourite Pokemon!
Niantic (the wonderful people behind Pokemon Go) released the latest update to the game just last night.
You’ll be having lots of questions right about now – so we’ve gone through the most common ones below.
What Is The ‘Buddy’ Update?
Everyone needs a buddy, right? Well, now you’ve got one with you at all times* in your pocket… and it even gets you candy every one, three or five kilometers!
Come again?! The new buddy system lets you pick one Pokemon to walk around with you at all times (or until you cruelly put it back in its ball).
Why? Well, it’s not only fun, cute and suddenly so much more like the Pokemon TV/film shows, but you’ll also earn candies for that Pokemon after a certain distance.
*Or until your battery dies…
Explore the world with your Buddy Pokémon in #PokemonGO!https://t.co/2XfVPhuRnO pic.twitter.com/85quSfjF9X
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) September 2, 2016
How Do I Buddy Up?
It’s simple. Firstly, go to your app store, search for ‘Pokemon Go’, and select ‘Update’.
Then, when your game app is updated, open it and click on your trainer icon (bottom left of your screen).
You should now see… you:
GOOD MORNING from me/Fin and our #PokemonGo buddy! pic.twitter.com/VT8DhTSbhU
— Graeme Boyd (@AceyBongos) September 14, 2016
Click the menu icon on the bottom right of your screen (see image above) and ‘Buddy’ should be one of the three options there (along with ‘Journal’ and ‘Customize’).
Finally, simply select your Pokemon, wait a few seconds, it’ll load and tell you how far you need to walk each Pokemon for a candy (but you already know that because you have this article..!).
Can I Swap My Buddy?
Yes, you can swap your buddy Pokemon at any time.
How? Select your current one and press the arrows icon on the bottom right of your screen (see image above)…
But! Don’t do this before you reach the distance required for a candy, or you’ll lose all progress! I guess that’s punishment for confining your creature back to its closed Pokeball existence!
How Far Do I Have To Walk To Get Each Pokemon Candy?
a) The Pokemon Currently Dominating In Gyms
- Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon – walk 5km
- Dragonite – 5km
- Snorlax – 5km
- Lapras – 5km
- Slowbro – 3km
- Exeggutor – 3km
- Nidoking/Nidoqueen – 3km
- Hypno – 3km
- Golduck – 3km
- Gyarados – 1km
This will, of course, vary with where you live, but these are common in the central and Bay areas of Cardiff, Wales, where we’re based.
b) Your Favourite Starter Pokemon
- Bulbasaur – walk 3km
- Squirtle – 3km
- Charmander – 3km
- Pikachu – 1km
c) Rare/10k egg Pokemon
I’ve searched for all 10k egg Pokemon – they all require you to walk 5km for one candy.
So, that includes Electabuzz, Magmar, Chansey, Sycther, Aerodactyl, Jynx, Omanyte, Kabuto, some already mentioned above, and more!
Walking 5km for one candy might be a bit of an Electa-buzzkill…
via GIPHY cc.
d) All Pokemon
Our friends (well, they’re our friends now for doing all this homework) at CNET have compiled a list of all of the Pokemon distance/candy ratios – here.
Wait, Is It The Same Distance For Every Pokemon CP & Stage Of Evolution?
Yes, seems to be.
And Is It The Same Distance For Every Trainer Level/XP?
Yes, seems to be.
So, Which Is The Best Pokemon To Buddy Up With?
Well, this will depend largely on what you want and which Pokemon might be dominating gyms near you that you want to destroy. But, clearly, Gyarados/Magicarp (and, yes, the fish is fine out of water!) is a bargain at 1km per candy, and Pikachu – an electric Pokemon i.e. super-effective against all the water Pokemon currently dominating gyms – is also a good bet. I probably shouldn’t have shared that advice…
via GIPHY cc.
What Does This All Mean For Pokemon Go?
- Walkers have the advantage
- You only need one of that rare Pokemon and you’ve got a chance
- That starter Pokemon you’ve done nothing with can now grow/bloom/sprout wings
- 400 Magicarp candy doesn’t seem so far away (unless you plan to walk 397km with your first Magicarp!)
- You might, for the first time, have a legitimate imaginary friend
- Best of all? Well, maybe it’s just that you get to be like Ash Ketchum and walk around all day with your favourite Pokemon…
Other FAQ’s?
Ask in the comments* below and we’ll do our best to find the answer.
Buddying Aside, What Else Was Part Of The Update?
This is the official update list from Pokemon Go!
Cover image credit: @PokemonGoApp on Twitter
Related Articles & Info:
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