Best Buddy Pokémon GO 2025: Top Picks, How to Get Them Fast

Your Best Buddy in Pokémon GO isn’t just a walking partner, instead, it’s a powerful way to level up your strongest Pokémon, get extra CP for battles, and collect rare Candy while you walk. Picking the right Pokémon as your Best Buddy can give you an edge in PvP, raids, and even help you build your dream lineup faster.

In this 2025 guide, you’ll learn what the Best Buddy system does, how to get one, and which Pokémon are worth your daily steps.

The Buddy system in Pokémon GO lets you choose a Pokémon to walk alongside your Trainer. As you walk and interact, your Buddy gains hearts and ranks up through four tiers:

1 Good Buddy

Appears on your map and helps find Candy.

2 Great Buddy

Can help in battle and fetch items.

3 Ultra Buddy

Occasionally finds Souvenirs and points out interesting places.

4 Best Buddy

Unlocks the Best Buddy Ribbon and gives that Pokémon a CP boost, pushing it 1 Level higher in battle.

That +1 Level sounds small but can make a big difference in raids or PvP. It’s why so many players carefully choose their Best Buddy instead of just picking their favorite.

When you reach Best Buddy status, your Pokémon gets a permanent CP boost when it’s set as your active Buddy. This extra CP can:

Reaching Best Buddy isn’t instant. You’ll need to earn 300 Hearts with your Pokémon to max out your Buddy level. Here’s how to do it faster:

• Walk together: Earn 1 Heart for every 2 km (some Pokémon need 5 km).
• Give treats: Feed your Buddy Berries to keep them full and on the map.
• Play & Take Snapshots: Pet your Buddy and take AR photos daily.
• Battle Together: Fight in gyms, raids, or Team GO Rocket battles.
• Visit New Places: Spin new PokéStops with your Buddy.

Consistent daily interaction is the key. Players who stick to a routine can reach Best Buddy in about 12–15 days if they max out daily Hearts.

Choosing the best Pokémon to buddy up with depends on your goals. Here are top picks for 2025, broken down by what you want to achieve.

1 Best Buddy for PvP

Great League (CP 1500 limit)

Azumarill — Bulky Fairy that needs every CP to handle meta Fighters and Darks.

Medicham — One of few Fighters hitting Great League cap perfectly with Best Buddy.

Shadow Sableye — Unique typing and Shadow boost make it lethal when maxed.

Diggersby — High HP and Ground/Normal typing wall common Electric and Ghost picks.

Carbink — New meta tank that soaks up hits and punishes Flyers and Dragons.

Bastiodon — Iron Wall for Flyers and Ice-types, Best Buddy squeezes out more matchups.

Lickitung — XL Candy beast that spams Body Slam — extra CP patches its low stats.

Galarian Corsola — Rare pick with Rock/Ghost typing to catch opponents off guard.

Ultra League (CP 2500 limit)

Toxicroak — Glassy but spammy Fighter that uses Best Buddy to hit key Poison breakpoints.

Drapion — Versatile Dark/Poison that thrives on breakpoints vs. Cresselia and Trevenant.

Gastrodon — Bulky off-meta Water/Ground that surprises Electric counters.

Registeel — Ultra League king, Best Buddy keeps it under 2500 while maxing IVs.

Giratina (Altered) — One of the most reliable tanks — Buddy boost helps in mirror match grind.

Mandibuzz — Massive bulk with Dark/Flying coverage — every CP makes it more oppressive.

Umbreon — Premier staller that outlasts rivals with Best Buddy perfect IVs.

Master League (No CP limit)

Dialga — Steel/Dragon powerhouse that dominates mirrors and resists common Dragons

Melmetal — Versatile spammer with Rock and Electric coverage

Gyarados — Flexible Water/Flying that checks Groudon and Fighters

Metagross — Steel/Psychic bruiser, great vs. Fairy and Ice

Kyogre — Top Water attacker that beats Ground-types like Groudon

Groudon — Hard-hitting Ground that counters Dialga and Melmetal

Mewtwo — All-rounder with insane coverage

Ho-Oh — Bulky Fire/Flying that walls Fairy and Steel

Landorus (Therian Forme) — High Attack Ground/Flying that wrecks Electric and Steel cores

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2 Best Buddy for Raids

Mewtwo — Legendary, versatile, and used everywhere.

Rayquaza — Top-tier Dragon attacker, especially when Mega Evolved.

Groudon — Great for Ground-type coverage.

Mega Garchomp — Best Buddy boost stacks with its Mega advantage.

Kyogre — Water-type raid monster.

3 Best Buddy for Walking Candy & XL

If your goal is to farm Candy for evolutions or power-ups, pick Pokémon that are rare or hatch-only.

Riolu/Lucario — Lucario is a strong Fighting/Steel attacker, but Riolu is rare to hatch.

Gible/Garchomp — One of the strongest Dragons, always worth extra XL Candy.

Noibat/Noivern — Rare spawn, expensive to evolve, extra Candy helps a ton.

Axew/Haxorus — Hard to find in the wild, solid Dragon attacker.

Larvitar/Tyranitar — Classic Rock/Dark powerhouse.

Tips 1 Pick a Pokémon that actually matters

Don’t waste time walking a Pokémon you’re never going to power up. Focus on something you really plan to max out for raids, PvP, or your collection. A good Best Buddy should give you real value for the CP boost or extra Candy.

Tips 2 Think about your biggest goal

Are you trying to hit a key CP for PvP? Farming XL Candy for a rare hatch? Or just powering up your strongest raid attacker? Choose your Buddy based on what you need most right now. It’s better than swapping back and forth every week.

Tips 3 Stick with one until you’re done

Every time you switch your Buddy Pokémon, your progress toward Best Buddy stays but you lose daily momentum. To earn those 300 Hearts fast, it’s best to stick with one Pokémon until it’s fully Best Buddy before moving on. Consistency wins.

Tips 4 Max out your daily Hearts

You can get up to 20 Hearts per day with your Buddy by walking, feeding, playing, battling, and taking snapshots. Doing the full set daily can get you to Best Buddy in about two weeks. Missing a day means you’ll be walking a lot longer than you have to.

Tips 5 Keep your Buddy on the map

If your Buddy is full and walking beside you on the map, you’ll earn distance for Candy faster and get more interaction options. Use berries to keep your Buddy excited because excited Buddies even earn double distance for Candy, which saves you tons of time.

Tired of walking the same streets every day just to get a few extra kilometers? With AnyTo, you can simulate walking routes and teleport to new places worldwide. That means you can farm Buddy Candy and hearts faster without leaving your home. Combine virtual walking with Adventure Sync, hatch Eggs, and get your Best Buddy ribbon sooner than ever — all while saving time and steps.

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• Walk Your Buddy Without Walking: No more endless streets — set a virtual route and watch your Buddy rack up kilometers for Candy and Hearts at home.
• Earn Best Buddy Faster: Keep your Pokémon excited and double your walking distance with safe simulated steps. Perfect for farming rare Candy and XL Candy.
• Auto Hatch & Adventure Sync Ready: Combine Buddy walking with Egg hatching and Adventure Sync. Get more out of every virtual step — no real effort needed.
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Step 1: Download and install AnyTo. You can either download the PC version to change the location on your iOS/Android device via computer, or get the mobile app version to modify your location directly.

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Step 3: You can also use the special game features to find nearby raids, Pokémon, PokéStops, and more.

1．How long does it take to get a Best Buddy in Pokémon GO?

If you earn the maximum 20 Hearts every day, you can reach Best Buddy status in about 12 to 15 days. Missing days or skipping activities will make it take longer.

2．What is the CP boost for Best Buddy?

When you set a Pokémon as your active Best Buddy, it gets a CP boost equal to 1 extra level. This can push it just over key CP breakpoints for PvP or raids.

3．Can you change your Best Buddy Pokémon?

Yes, you can switch your Buddy anytime without losing progress. But only the active Buddy gets the CP boost and can earn new Hearts.

4．Does Best Buddy bonus work in PvP battles?

Yes! The Best Buddy CP boost applies in PvP battles as long as the Pokémon is your active Buddy when you fight. Many players use this to hit specific CP caps.

5．How many km for Best Buddy Pokémon GO?

The Buddy distance depends on the Pokémon species. Most Pokémon need to walk 3–5 km per Candy. However, to reach Best Buddy status, you need to earn 300 Hearts total, so it’s not just distance, but also feeding, playing, battling, and snapshots that count.

6．Can I get Best Buddy faster without walking so much?

Yes! You can use a virtual location app like AnyTo to simulate walking routes and collect distance safely at home. This helps you farm Buddy Candy and Hearts faster without endless real-life steps.

7．Can you change Best Buddy Pokémon?

Yes, you can switch your Buddy Pokémon anytime. Your progress stays saved for each Pokémon, so you can come back later. But remember: only your active Buddy gets the CP boost and earns new Hearts.

8．What is the Best Buddy Ribbon in Pokémon GO?

The Best Buddy Ribbon is a small badge your Pokémon wears once you reach Best Buddy status. It shows up on their profile, in gyms, and in battles. It’s a sign that this Pokémon has maxed out friendship with you, and gets that extra CP boost when set as your Buddy.

A smart Best Buddy can push your favorite Pokémon to the next level, whether you’re dominating Great League battles, raiding with friends, or just flexing a rare Legendary. Take your time, choose wisely, and build a daily routine to max out those hearts. And if you want to speed things up, let AnyTo help you walk anywhere and get your Best Buddy faster — no endless sidewalks required.

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Article by Ryan Miles

Ryan Miles is a seasoned gamer and mobile strategy writer with over 5 years of hands-on experience in Pokémon GO spoofing and GPS-based games. Known for breaking down complex location tricks into beginner-friendly guides, Ryan’s mission is simple: help you explore more, catch faster, and play smarter without ever leaving home.