Best Buddy Pokemon Go: Fastest Way, Benefits & Best Picks

Choosing a Buddy Pokémon in Pokémon GO looks simple at first: pick a favorite, walk with it, earn Candy, and slowly build friendship. But once you start aiming for Best Buddy, the system becomes much more strategic.

A Best Buddy can get a CP Boost, wear a special ribbon, help with battles, support Candy grinding, and even help complete long research tasks like getting 10 Best Buddies. The problem is that reaching Best Buddy takes time, so choosing the wrong Pokémon can feel like wasting weeks of progress.

This guide explains how Best Buddy Pokemon Go works, how to get Best Buddy faster, which Pokémon are worth choosing, and how tools like PoKeep Location Changer can make route-based buddy walking easier.

What Is Best Buddy in Pokémon GO?

A Best Buddy is a Pokémon that has reached the highest Buddy Level in Pokémon GO. You raise Buddy Level by earning Affection hearts through daily activities such as walking, feeding, battling, taking snapshots, playing together, visiting new places, and following Routes.

Buddy friendship is permanent. Once a Pokémon reaches Best Buddy, it keeps that status forever, even if you switch to a different buddy later.

However, the most important Best Buddy perk—the CP Boost—only works when that Pokémon is currently set as your active buddy. This is why Best Buddy is most valuable for Pokémon you actually use, not just any random Pokémon in your storage.

Pokémon GO Buddy Level Chart

There are four main Buddy Levels in Pokémon GO. Each level unlocks new perks and brings your Pokémon closer to Best Buddy status.

The big target is 300 hearts. That number explains why Best Buddy feels slow if you only earn a few hearts per day, but much faster when you follow a daily routine.

Best Buddy Pokémon GO Benefits

Best Buddy gives two major rewards: CP Boost and Best Buddy Ribbon. Other Buddy Level perks unlock earlier, but these two are the final Best Buddy rewards.

Best Buddy CP Boost

The Best Buddy CP Boost makes your Pokémon stronger while it is set as your active buddy. In practical terms, it works like an extra level boost. For example, a fully powered Pokémon can perform as if it were slightly above its normal level limit.

This matters most in:

The CP Boost does not apply to every Best Buddy at the same time. If you have 20 Best Buddies, only the one currently selected as your buddy gets the boost.

Best Buddy Ribbon

The Best Buddy Ribbon is a visible ribbon that shows your Pokémon has reached Best Buddy status. For many players, this is a collection reward as much as a gameplay reward.

It looks especially good on shiny Pokémon, hundos, rare Legendaries, costume Pokémon, and personal favorites. If you do not want the ribbon to show, check the in-game settings for the ribbon display option, since menu wording can change over time.

Is Best Buddy Worth It in Pokémon GO?

Best Buddy is worth it when the Pokémon has long-term value. Since 300 hearts takes effort, the best choice is usually a Pokémon you will keep using or showing off.

For battle-focused players, Best Buddy is especially useful for strong Master League Pokémon, top raid attackers, and PvP Pokémon that benefit from the extra level. For collectors, Best Buddy is worth it on rare shinies, hundos, Shadows, costume Pokémon, or anything with personal meaning.

Best Buddy is less valuable if the Pokémon is only used temporarily, has poor IVs, or will be replaced soon. The ribbon is permanent, but the CP Boost is only useful when that Pokémon is your active buddy.

Fastest Way to Get Best Buddy in Pokémon GO

To get Best Buddy fast, you need to earn hearts consistently every day. Since Best Buddy requires 300 hearts, the timeline depends on how many hearts you can earn daily.

A casual player earning 6–8 hearts per day may need more than a month. A more active player using Excited mood or Poffins can shorten the process significantly.

Daily Hearts You Should Aim For

A simple daily routine can include:

The easiest hearts are usually feeding, playing, snapshot, and battling. Walking hearts take more time, but they are important if you also want Candy or XL Candy.

Use Excited Mood for Faster Progress

When your buddy becomes Excited, many heart categories can give double hearts. Excited mood also reduces the walking distance needed to earn Buddy Candy.

You can get your buddy Excited naturally through repeated interactions over time, but this requires attention and consistency. The faster method is using a Poffin, which immediately helps raise your buddy’s mood and makes it easier to collect more hearts in one session.

Fast Free Routine Without Poffins

If you do not want to spend PokéCoins on Poffins, use a repeatable daily routine:

Step 1. Feed your buddy until it joins you on the map.

Step 2. Play with your buddy and take a snapshot.

Step 3. Complete quick battles with your buddy in the party.

Step 4. Walk enough distance to earn walking hearts.

Step 5. Repeat daily until you reach 300 hearts.

This is slower than using Poffins, but it is sustainable and works well for long-term Best Buddy progress.

Fast Method With Poffins

A Poffin is best when you want to speed up one important buddy. Use it on Pokémon you truly want to finish quickly, such as a Master League Legendary, a hundo, or a rare Pokémon you are walking for Candy.

After using a Poffin, focus on walking, battling, snapshots, feeding, and any available Route or new-place activities. The goal is to use the boosted mood window efficiently instead of wasting it.

How to Get 10 Best Buddies in Pokémon GO

Some players need 10 Best Buddies for research tasks, medals, or long-term collection goals. The fastest way is not to finish one buddy at a time. It is better to rotate multiple buddies and earn quick hearts on each one every day.

A practical 10 Best Buddies routine looks like this:

Step 1. Pick 10 Pokémon you actually want as Best Buddies.

Step 2. Earn quick hearts on each one daily: feed, play, snapshot, and battle.

Step 3. Use walking hearts on your top-priority buddy.

Step 4. Save Poffins for the Pokémon you want to finish first.

Step 5. Track progress with buddy search strings in your Pokémon storage.

This method is especially helpful because Pokémon GO allows buddy switching during the day. Instead of putting all effort into one Pokémon, you can build steady progress across multiple future Best Buddies.

Best Pokémon to Best Buddy in Pokémon GO

There is no single best buddy for every player. The best choice depends on your goal: PvP, raids, Candy, collection, or research progress.

Best Buddy for Master League

Master League is one of the best places to use the Best Buddy CP Boost because there is no low CP cap. Pokémon that are already strong at high levels benefit more from the extra boost.

Good Best Buddy candidates often include powerful Legendary or high-stat Pokémon such as:

If you have a perfect or near-perfect Legendary that you use often, it is usually a better Best Buddy choice than a random Pokémon with low battle value.

Best Buddy for Raids

For raids, choose Pokémon that you use repeatedly as attackers. The Best Buddy CP Boost is not always game-changing, but it can help squeeze out more damage from your best Pokémon.

Good raid-focused choices include:

A Best Buddy raid attacker is most useful when it already has strong IVs, good moves, and a real role on your raid team.

Best Buddy for Great League and Ultra League

PvP Best Buddy choices need more care. In Great League and Ultra League, the CP cap matters, so the Best Buddy boost can help certain Pokémon reach better stat ranges or perform more efficiently.

Some Pokémon only become more interesting when powered close to level 50 or 51. For this reason, PvP-focused players should check current PvP rankings and IV spreads before investing.

For PvP, Best Buddy is best used on Pokémon with a clear league purpose, not just Pokémon that look strong on paper.

Best Buddy for Candy and XL Candy

If your goal is Candy or XL Candy, choose rare Pokémon that are hard to catch often. This includes many 5 km and 20 km buddy-distance Pokémon.

Good Candy-focused buddy choices include:

Best Buddy does not permanently reduce Candy distance. The shorter Candy distance comes from Excited mood, so use Poffins or consistent interaction if Candy farming is your main goal.

Best Buddy for Collectors

If you care more about collection than battle, Best Buddy your favorite Pokémon. A shiny, hundo, lucky, Shadow, costume, or rare regional Pokémon can feel more rewarding than a meta Pokémon you never use.

This is also where the Best Buddy Ribbon matters most. It turns a favorite Pokémon into something more personal and display-worthy.

How to Search for Best Buddies in Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO has built-in search strings that make Buddy tracking much easier. These are useful when you want to find Best Buddies, check progress, or choose new Pokémon to work on.

The most useful search string is buddy5. Use it when you want to quickly find all Best Buddy Pokémon in your storage.

How PoKeep Helps With Best Buddy Walking and Route Grinding

A lot of Best Buddy progress comes from movement-based tasks: walking together, earning Buddy Candy, following Routes, visiting new places, and keeping your buddy active on the map. If walking every route manually is difficult, PoKeep Location Changer can make the process more flexible.

PoKeep is a GPS location changer for iPhone and Android that supports Pokémon GO movement features such as joystick control, two-spot movement, multi-spot movement, custom speed, GPX route import, and saved routes. These features are useful for players who want more control over route-based gameplay.

Use Joystick Movement for Buddy Walking

The 360° GPS joystick lets you control movement direction manually. This is helpful when you want to move around a park, PokéStop cluster, Gym area, or Route path without constantly stopping.

For Best Buddy grinding, joystick movement works best when you want a slower, more controlled walking style instead of jumping between distant places.

Use Two-Spot and Multi-Spot Routes

PoKeep’s two-spot movement can create a simple path between two locations. Multi-spot movement lets you build a route with several waypoints, which is better for areas with multiple PokéStops, Gyms, or spawn points.

This can support buddy routines like:

Use GPX Routes for Repeated Buddy Sessions

If you already have a favorite walking path, PoKeep’s GPX route support can help you repeat it more easily. This is useful for players who want a consistent buddy-heart routine instead of planning a new path every day.

For Best Buddy progress, consistency matters more than speed. A stable route with natural movement is usually more useful than random teleporting.

Use Cooldown Awareness When Changing Locations

PoKeep includes a cooldown timer, which is useful if you move between distant locations. For Best Buddy walking, the better approach is to use realistic route movement and avoid unnecessary long-distance jumps during active gameplay.

PoKeep should be seen as a movement helper, not an instant Best Buddy shortcut. You still need to earn hearts through normal buddy activities.

Best Buddy Pokemon Go FAQ

Final Thoughts on Best Buddy Pokemon Go

Best Buddy in Pokémon GO is worth the effort when you choose the right Pokémon. The CP Boost is useful for battles, the ribbon is great for collectors, and the buddy system can also support Candy farming, Routes, and long-term research tasks.

For most players, the best strategy is simple: pick a Pokémon with lasting value, follow a daily heart routine, use Poffins only when needed, and track progress with search strings like buddy5.

If walking and route grinding feel repetitive, PoKeep Location Changer can make Buddy progress more convenient with joystick movement, custom routes, GPX support, and realistic movement options. Used as part of a consistent buddy routine, it can help make the path to Best Buddy feel much smoother.