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Level Up Your Friendship: XP Rewards for Becoming Best Friends in Pokémon GO

Absolutely! Becoming Best Friends in Pokémon GO is a significant milestone that rewards you with a substantial XP bonus. Specifically, you receive 100,000 XP upon reaching this highest level of friendship with another player. This massive XP boost is a fantastic way to level up quickly and gain access to even more features and benefits within the game.

Why Best Friends Matter: More Than Just XP

While the XP is a major draw, reaching Best Friend status offers a plethora of other advantages. Let’s delve into what makes striving for this bond worthwhile:

Increased Attack Bonus in Raids and Gyms: When battling alongside your Best Friend in raids or gyms, both of you will receive an attack bonus, giving you a strategic edge against tough opponents.
Guaranteed Lucky Friends: Once you hit Best Friend status, every subsequent interaction (opening gifts, trading, battling together) has a chance of turning you and your Best Friend into Lucky Friends. This ensures your next trade with them results in a Lucky Pokémon, which boasts improved stats and requires less Stardust to power up.
Trading Discounts: Trading Pokémon with Best Friends comes with a significant Stardust discount, making it easier to acquire rare or powerful Pokémon.

Maximizing Your XP Gain: The Lucky Egg Strategy

To truly optimize your XP gains from becoming Best Friends, consider using a Lucky Egg. This consumable doubles the amount of XP you earn for 30 minutes. Pop a Lucky Egg right before triggering the final interaction that pushes you to Best Friend status, and you’ll effectively receive 200,000 XP instead of the base 100,000 XP! This is a huge boost and can significantly accelerate your leveling progress.

Planning for the Big Moment

Communicating with your friend is key! Coordinate with them so you both are ready to receive the XP simultaneously. Agree on who will open the final gift or initiate the battle that will trigger the Best Friend status. This ensures neither of you misses out on the bonus.

Best Friend Status: It’s Not Just About the XP

While maximizing XP is important for many players, remember that the core of Pokémon GO’s friendship system is about building connections with other trainers. Collaborating on raids, exchanging gifts, and supporting each other’s Pokémon GO journeys are just as valuable as the rewards.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Pokémon GO Friendships

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of the Pokémon GO friendship system:

1. How do I increase my Friendship Level?

You can increase your Friendship Level with another player by interacting with them in various ways:

Opening gifts: Each player can open one gift from a friend per day.
Sending gifts: Send a gift to a friend daily.
Trading Pokémon: Trading Pokemon increases friendship.
Battling together: Participate in raids, gym battles, or trainer battles together.

2. What are the different Friendship Levels?

There are four Friendship Levels:

Good Friend: Achieved after 1 day of interaction.
Great Friend: Achieved after 7 days of interaction.
Ultra Friend: Achieved after 30 days of interaction.
Best Friend: Achieved after 90 days of interaction.

3. Do I get XP for becoming Good, Great, or Ultra Friends?

Yes, you receive XP at each Friendship Level milestone:

Good Friend: 3,000 XP
Great Friend: 10,000 XP
Ultra Friend: 50,000 XP
Best Friend: 100,000 XP

4. How often can I interact with a friend to increase our Friendship Level?

You can only increase your Friendship Level with a friend once per day. This means only one interaction (opening a gift, sending a gift, trading, or battling together) will count towards increasing your friendship each day.

5. What happens if a friend deletes me before I collect my XP?

If a friend deletes you before you collect your XP reward for reaching a new Friendship Level, you will lose the opportunity to claim that XP. It’s important to coordinate with your friends, especially when approaching Ultra or Best Friend status, to ensure both of you collect the XP.

6. Can I become Lucky Friends with multiple Best Friends?

Yes, you can be Lucky Friends with multiple Best Friends simultaneously. Every interaction with each Best Friend has a chance of triggering Lucky Friend status.

7. How do I know if I’ve become Lucky Friends with someone?

When you become Lucky Friends with someone, you’ll receive a notification in the game, and their profile will display a shimmering effect. The next time you trade with that friend, it is guaranteed to result in a Lucky Pokémon.

8. What are the benefits of having a Lucky Pokémon?

Lucky Pokémon have several advantages:

Lower Stardust Cost: They require significantly less Stardust to power up, making them more accessible for trainers with limited resources.
Guaranteed High IVs: Lucky Pokémon have a minimum IV floor of 12/12/12, meaning they are more likely to have high stats, making them stronger in battles.
Visual Flair: They have a distinctive shimmering effect in the Pokédex and on their summary page, making them visually appealing.

9. Does the daily interaction reset at midnight?

The daily interaction that counts towards increasing Friendship Level resets at midnight local time.

10. What’s the best way to coordinate using a Lucky Egg with a Best Friend?

The best approach is to communicate directly with your Best Friend. Decide which of you will trigger the final interaction, and coordinate to ensure both of you are ready to pop a Lucky Egg right before the interaction occurs. A messaging app or voice chat can be helpful for real-time coordination.

11. Are there any events that boost Friendship XP?

Yes, Niantic often hosts events that include boosts to Friendship XP. Keep an eye on official Pokémon GO announcements and in-game news for details on upcoming events and their bonuses.

12. Does being Best Buddy with a Pokémon affect Friendship Level?

No, being Best Buddy with a Pokémon is a separate system from Friendship Levels with other players. While both systems involve building relationships and earning rewards, they are independent of each other.

13. Can I lose Friendship Levels with someone?

No, you cannot lose Friendship Levels with someone unless you remove them from your friend list. Once you reach a certain level, that level is maintained unless one of you unfriends the other.

14. Is it worth sending gifts even after reaching Best Friend status?

Yes! Even after reaching Best Friend status, it’s still worth sending and opening gifts for several reasons:

Chance of becoming Lucky Friends: As mentioned earlier, every interaction with a Best Friend gives you a chance to become Lucky Friends.
Item Rewards: Gifts contain useful items like Poké Balls, Potions, and Berries.
Maintaining the Connection: Sending and receiving gifts helps maintain the connection with your friend and keeps you engaged with the game together.

15. Where can I learn more about the game mechanics in Pokémon Go?

You can learn more about the game mechanics of Pokemon Go at websites such as GamesLearningSociety.org. You can also learn about the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Final Thoughts: Friendship is Key

Reaching Best Friend status in Pokémon GO is a rewarding journey that offers significant XP gains, in-game bonuses, and the chance to forge lasting connections with other trainers. By understanding the mechanics of the friendship system and coordinating effectively with your friends, you can maximize your XP, acquire powerful Pokémon, and enhance your overall Pokémon GO experience. So get out there, send some gifts, battle alongside your friends, and build those Best Friendships!

Do you get XP for becoming best friends?