Buddy Pokémon: How Long Do They Last and How to Maximize Your Adventure
In Pokémon GO, your Buddy Pokémon isn’t just a cute companion trotting alongside you on the map; it’s a strategic element that can boost your gameplay. Understanding how long your buddy sticks around, the benefits they provide, and how to nurture your bond is crucial for any serious Pokémon GO trainer. So, how long do Buddy Pokémon last? They stick with you until you choose to swap them out, up to 20 times per day. This means the bond you build and the benefits they provide are entirely in your control, letting you optimize your experience as much as possible.
Understanding Your Buddy Pokémon
Your Buddy Pokémon system is built around affection levels, achievable milestones that unlock various perks. These levels range from Good Buddy to Best Buddy, each offering increasingly valuable advantages. The journey from selecting a buddy to achieving Best Buddy status is a process of consistent interaction, care, and strategic gameplay.
The Hunger Gauge and Berries
When your Buddy Pokémon is on the map, you’ll notice a hunger gauge. This represents how long your buddy will stay actively displayed alongside you. One full gauge lasts for three hours. Each “wedge” on the gauge represents 30 minutes. To fill this gauge, you need to feed your buddy.
- A standard berry fills two wedges (1 hour).
- Therefore, three standard berries fill the entire gauge (3 hours).
- Golden Razz Berries and Silver Pinap Berries immediately fill the hunger gauge.
Keep in mind that regular berries are less valuable than Golden Razz and Silver Pinap Berries. Save your Golden Razz and Silver Pinap berries for encounters with more rare and valuable Pokémon.
The “Excited” Mood and Poffins
Achieving an “Excited” mood for your buddy grants extra benefits, but maintaining it requires active engagement. Normally, a buddy walks alongside you for 3 hours. When you give your buddy a Poffin, this doubles that time to 6 hours. Poffins also automatically put your Buddy in the Excited Mood. This offers a more sustained period of enhanced benefits like appearing on the map and earning additional hearts. However, using a Poffin is most worthwhile on days you plan to play Pokémon Go for several hours, otherwise, you’ll be wasting your coins.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Buddy Pokémon
1. Do Pokémon Buddies lose hearts?
No, you don’t lose hearts that you’ve already earned. However, if your buddy loses its “Excited” mood, you’ll need to re-engage with it to reactivate the bonuses associated with being excited.
2. How long does it take to max out a buddy in Pokémon GO?
To reach Best Buddy status, you need 300 hearts. Since you can earn a maximum of 10 hearts per day, it will take at least 30 days of consistent interaction.
3. How long do berries last for your Buddy in Pokémon GO?
Each wedge of the hunger gauge represents 30 minutes, so a regular berry (filling 2 wedges) lasts for 1 hour. A full hunger gauge lasts for 3 hours.
4. How many times can you swap a buddy?
You can swap your buddy up to 20 times per day.
5. Do you lose progress if you switch buddies in Pokémon GO?
Hearts do not disappear when you switch buddies. However, fractional distances walked reset, meaning you lose any distance progress towards earning a heart. For example, If you swap at 1.99 km, you lose 1.99 km of progress towards that heart.
6. How long does a Poffin last with a buddy?
A Poffin doubles the standard buddy duration, making it last for 6 hours and automatically making your buddy excited.
7. What is the rarest berry in Pokémon GO?
Silver Pinap Berries are the rarest, primarily obtained from completing certain Research Tasks and weekly Adventure Sync rewards. Golden Razz Berries are also quite valuable and are typically earned from winning Raid Battles, completing some Research Tasks, and spinning a PokéStop or Gym with a Great Buddy.
8. How much of a CP boost does a best buddy receive?
A Best Buddy gains a CP boost equivalent to two extra Power-Ups or a single-level up. For instance, a Level 50 Best Buddy will have a CP equivalent to a Level 51 Pokémon.
9. Does a Poffin last all day?
A Poffin lasts for 6 hours, which is why it’s recommended to only use one if you intend to play Pokemon GO for more than a few hours to maximize the investment.
10. What are the benefits of maxing out a Buddy in Pokémon GO?
Reaching Best Buddy status grants several benefits, including:
- CP Boost: As described above
- Catch Assist: Your buddy helps you during catch encounters
- Found Items: Your buddy can find items for you.
11. What does it take to get an Ultra Buddy?
To reach Ultra Buddy status, you need to earn 150 hearts. At this level, your buddy can help you find locations and bring you Souvenirs.
12. Do Buddy Hearts reset every day?
Yes, Buddy Hearts reset at midnight, local time. You can start earning new hearts for each activity again after this reset.
13. Does swapping buddies lose friendship?
Swapping buddies does not reset friendship progress or the hearts you’ve already earned. However, any incomplete walking distances will reset.
14. Why does my best buddy not have a CP boost?
The CP boost only applies when the Pokémon is actively set as your buddy. The Best Buddy Ribbon indicates that you’ve reached Best Buddy status, but the CP boost is not continuously active unless the Pokémon is your current buddy.
15. Can you have multiple buddies in Pokemon GO?
You can only have one active buddy at a time, but you can swap buddies up to 20 times per day to maximize benefits and progress with different Pokémon.
Maximizing Your Buddy Adventure
To make the most of your Buddy Pokémon experience, consider these strategies:
- Consistent Interaction: Engage with your buddy daily to earn hearts and maintain the “Excited” mood.
- Strategic Berry Use: Save Golden Razz and Silver Pinap Berries for rare encounters.
- Poffin Planning: Use Poffins on days you plan to play extensively.
- Buddy Diversity: Swap buddies to earn candies for different Pokémon and achieve multiple Best Buddy statuses.
- Research Tasks: Pay attention to Research Tasks that reward Silver Pinap Berries for catching Pokémon.
Exploring the Educational Side of Games
While Pokémon GO is undeniably entertaining, the game also subtly integrates elements of strategy, resource management, and social interaction. This reflects the broader potential of games to be powerful learning tools. As you engage with your Buddy Pokémon, think about how the mechanics of progression, reward, and caretaking can translate into real-world skills and understandings. Organizations like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org are dedicated to exploring this very intersection of learning and gaming, highlighting the innovative ways that games can educate and inspire.
By understanding the nuances of the Buddy Pokémon system, you can transform your gameplay and forge deeper connections with your virtual companions. Enjoy your Pokémon GO journey, and happy buddying!